Minecraft Color Codes
Every § and & colour and formatting code with its hex value, plus a live previewer and a hex gradient maker for server names, signs and chat plugins.
Formatting codes
Preview your text
&6&lPixelForge &7» &bColour codes &rmade &dsimple
Hex gradient text generator
EssentialsX, CMI, most chat/hologram plugins
&#B98CFF&lP&#B393FF&li&#AD9AFF&lx&#A6A2FF&le&#A0A9FF&ll	AB0FF&lF^B7FF&loDBEFF&lrWC6FF&lgQCDFF&le BD4FF&lNJDBFF&leEE2FF<DE9FF&lw>F1FF&loBF8FF&lr7FFFF&lk
188 characters
Need more space? Open the full Minecraft gradient generator.
Full colour code table
| Code | Name | JSON name | Hex | Shadow hex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| §0 / &0 | Black | black | #000000 | #000000 |
| §1 / &1 | Dark Blue | dark_blue | #0000AA | #00002A |
| §2 / &2 | Dark Green | dark_green | #00AA00 | #002A00 |
| §3 / &3 | Dark Aqua | dark_aqua | #00AAAA | #002A2A |
| §4 / &4 | Dark Red | dark_red | #AA0000 | #2A0000 |
| §5 / &5 | Dark Purple | dark_purple | #AA00AA | #2A002A |
| §6 / &6 | Gold | gold | #FFAA00 | #3F2A00 |
| §7 / &7 | Gray | gray | #AAAAAA | #2A2A2A |
| §8 / &8 | Dark Gray | dark_gray | #555555 | #151515 |
| §9 / &9 | Blue | blue | #5555FF | #15153F |
| §a / &a | Green | green | #55FF55 | #153F15 |
| §b / &b | Aqua | aqua | #55FFFF | #153F3F |
| §c / &c | Red | red | #FF5555 | #3F1515 |
| §d / &d | Light Purple | light_purple | #FF55FF | #3F153F |
| §e / &e | Yellow | yellow | #FFFF55 | #3F3F15 |
| §f / &f | White | white | #FFFFFF | #3F3F3F |
Bedrock-only colours
Bedrock Edition adds these codes, mostly named after materials used for armour trims. In Java Edition, §m and §n are strikethrough and underline instead.
| Code | Name | Hex |
|---|---|---|
| §g | Minecoin Gold | #DDD605 |
| §h | Material Quartz | #E3D4D1 |
| §i | Material Iron | #CECACA |
| §j | Material Netherite | #443A3B |
| §m | Material Redstone | #971607 |
| §n | Material Copper | #B4684D |
| §p | Material Gold | #DEB12D |
| §q | Material Emerald | #47A036 |
| §s | Material Diamond | #2CBAA8 |
| §t | Material Lapis | #21497B |
| §u | Material Amethyst | #9A5CC6 |
| §v | Material Resin | #EB7114 |
Where each format works
- server.properties MOTD: § codes, or the escaped form
\u00A7. Build one with the MOTD generator. - Signs and books (Java): vanilla typing strips §; use a command such as
/givewith JSON text, or a plugin. - Signs, books, anvils (Bedrock): § works when typed directly, which is how many players colour item names.
- Plugin chat, holograms, scoreboards: usually & codes, often &#RRGGBB hex too.
- /tellraw, /title, data packs: JSON text with
"color"set to a name from the table or a hex value.
Questions players ask
What is the § symbol and how do I type it?
The section sign § starts a formatting code in Minecraft’s own text (signs, books, server.properties, resource packs). On Windows type Alt+0167 on the number pad; on a Mac, Option+6. Plugins such as EssentialsX accept & instead and convert it to §.
Can I use colour codes in normal chat?
Not in vanilla chat: the game strips § from typed messages. Colours in chat need a server plugin that translates & codes, or JSON text in /tellraw.
Do hex colours work in Minecraft?
Java Edition 1.16+ supports any hex colour in JSON text, for example {"text":"Hi","color":"#9B5DE5"}. Plugins like EssentialsX and many chat plugins also accept &#RRGGBB. The legacy §/& system alone only has the 16 colours; Bedrock adds a handful more but no free hex.
Why does my colour reset after bold?
In Java Edition, a colour code resets any formatting that came before it. Always put the colour first and formatting after it: &6&l works, &l&6 loses the bold.
What does the shadow colour mean?
Minecraft draws a darker copy of text one pixel down and right. Its colour is each red, green and blue channel divided by 4, which is why the table lists a shadow hex for every code.