If you want to change the color of the text in chat on Minecraft, you will need to use color codes. There are few types of Minecraft color codes with the primary two being vanilla Java & Bedrock color codes and Minecraft Java Paper server color codes.
Vanilla color codes will work in Minecraft Java & Bedrock single-player worlds and on vanilla Minecraft servers and realms. They allow you to change the color of the text in chat and on signs.
Paper color codes work on Minecraft Java Edition servers. This includes public Minecraft servers such as Hypixel and private Minecraft servers like those on Apex Minecraft Hosting. These color codes also work on Bukkit and Spigot Minecraft servers. However, most servers should be running PaperMC.
It is also worth noting that the color codes for the Message of The Day on Minecraft Java Edition servers is completely different than the Paper color codes.
With that being said, you can find all of the different kinds of color codes for Minecraft below. No matter what you are looking for, this article will have it!
What we'll cover in this article:
- Paper Server Color Codes
- Java Edition Color Codes
- Bedrock Edition Color Codes
- Minecraft Server Message of The Day Color Codes
- HEX Codes for Minecraft Colors
- Frequently Asked Questions
Paper, Spigot, & Bukkit Server Color Codes
Dark Red: &4
Red: &c
Gold: &6
Yellow: &e
Dark Green: &2
Green: &a
Dark Aqua: &3
Aqua: &b
Dark Blue: &1
Blue: &9
Light Purple: &d
Dark Purple: &5
White: &f
Gray: &7
Dark Gray: &8
Black: &0
Bold: &l
Italics: &o
Underline: &nStrikethrough: &m
The above color codes will work in Paper, Bukkit, and Spigot servers as well as any server software based on them.
They are used for everything from chat formating, plugin messages, holograms, literally anything and everything on a Paper server can use these color codes. Even the message of the day on BungeeCord servers is changed with these color codes.
It is worth noting, however, that servers running Paper and its forks will need to use the MOTD formating below to change the colors of the message shown on the multiplayer screen when your server is added there.
Vanilla Color Codes for Java Edition
Dark Red: §4
Red: §c
Gold: §6
Yellow: §e
Dark Green: §2
Green: §a
Dark Aqua: §3
Aqua: §b
Dark Blue: §1
Blue: §9
Light Purple: §d
Dark Purple: §5
White: §f
Gray: §7
Dark Gray: §8
Black: §0
Bold: §l
Italics: §o
Underline: §nStrikethrough: §m
If you are in vanilla Minecraft, this the color codes above are the ones you will use. They can be used to change the text colors on signs, and you will also use them to change colors on vanilla servers and realms.
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Minecraft Bedrock Edition Color Codes
Dark Red: §4
Red: §c
Gold: §6
Yellow: §e
Dark Green: §2
Green: §a
Dark Aqua: §3
Aqua: §b
Dark Blue: §1
Blue: §9
Light Purple: §d
Dark Purple: §5
White: §f
Gray: §7
Dark Gray: §8
Black: §0
Bold: §l
Italics: §o
For Minecraft Bedrock Edition, the color codes are the same as vanilla Java Edition. Just like Java Edition, the above color codes can be used to change the text color on signs as well as chat color on servers and realms. You can also use these if you join a friend's world.
Message of The Day (MOTD) Color Codes
Dark Red: \u00A74
Red: \u00A7c
Gold: \u00A76
Yellow: \u00A7e
Dark Green: \u00A72
Green: \u00A7a
Dark Aqua: \u00A73
Aqua: \u00A7b
Dark Blue: \u00A71
Blue: \u00A79
Light Purple: \u00A7d
Dark Purple: \u00A75
White: \u00A7f
Gray: \u00A77
Dark Gray: \u00A78
Black: \u00A70
Bold: \u00A7l
Italics: \u00A7o
Underline: \u00A7nStrikethrough: \u00A7m
The above codes are only going to be used when changing the message of the day (MOTD) on a Minecraft server that is not behind a BungeeCord network. If you are on BungeeCord, you will use the Paper color codes.
HEX Codes for Minecraft Colors
Dark Red: #AA0000
Red: #FF5555
Gold: #FFAA00
Yellow: #FFFF55
Dark Green: #00AA00
Green: #55FF55
Dark Aqua: #00AAAA
Aqua: #55FFFF
Dark Blue: #0000AA
Blue: #5555FF
Light Purple: #FF55FF
Dark Purple: #AA00AA
White: #FFFFFF
Gray: #AAAAAA
Dark Gray: #555555
Black: #000000
While you won't be using these in Minecraft, I figured including the HEX codes for Minecraft colors could be useful to creators and designers that may not otherwise be able to find them easily. If you make anything cool using these, please tweet them at us!
Frequently Asked Questions
Overall, the color codes for Minecraft Java and Bedrock Editions are relatively easy to learn and understand. With that, though, there may be a few questions about them, and we want to address those in this video.
What are color codes for in Minecraft Java?
The most common use case for color codes in Minecraft Java Edition is actually chat formatting. With color and format codes, you can make your chat messages look unique and stand out from other chats on a server.
Another popular use case is in server's message of the day. This is what you see when you go into the multiplayer panel in Minecraft, and it is what allows the different formatting and colors here.
Lastly, using plugins and mods, you can add colors to signs and item names. This functionality isn't in vanilla Minecraft, but if you have the right mods or plugins, it can be a really cool way to use Minecraft color codes.
How do you use color codes in Minecraft Bedrock?
Color codes for Minecraft Bedrock are used in similar ways as Java Edition.
The primary way to use color codes is for chat formatting. Just like in Java, this can make your chat stand out and look different from all the other chats.
One difference for Bedrock color codes, though, is that they work right away without mods on signs. Meaning you can easily change the color of signs without any add-ons.
Nic
I have been playing and modding Minecraft since 2010. In 2014, I started getting interested in creating Minecraft servers and teaching people how to do it online. This led to thousands of videos covering how to do anything and everything in Minecraft!
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