Command/definecolor

\definecolor

Summary

The command \definecolor is used to create or copy a named color.

Settings

\definecolor[...][...=...,...]
[...]	name
r	number
g	number
b	number
c	number
m	number
y	number
k	number
h	number
s	number
v	number
w	number
x	number
a	number none normal multiply screen overlay softlight hardlight colordodge colorburn darken lighten difference exclusion hue saturation color luminosity
t	number

Option	Explanation
color name, must not contain spaces or numbers
r	RGB red channel (0–1)
g	RGB green channel (0–1)
b	RGB blue channel (0–1), HWB blackness (0–1)
c	CMYK cyan channel (0–1)
m	CMYK magenta channel (0–1)
y	CMYK yellow channel (0–1)
k	CMYK black channel (0–1)
h	HSV or HWB hue degree (0–360)
s	Grayscale black value (0–1), HSV saturation (0–1)
v	HSV value (0–1)
w	HWB whiteness (0–1)
x	RGB hex value (as in HTML/CSS)
a	transparency mode (“alternative”), see Transparency and the color manual. You can use the number or the name of a mode. number mode number none no transparency normal also no transparency multiply colors get darker screen multiply negatively, colors get lighter overlay copy together: mixture of multiply and screen, increases contrast softlight milder version of overlay hardlight more intense version of overlay colordodge similar to screen, makes lights lighter and increases contrast colorburn similar to multiply, increases intensity and contrast darken use the darker of two colors lighten use the lighter of two colors difference same values become black, other colors get inverted exclusion similar to difference, but more matte hue upper layer defines the hue, saturation and lightness stay saturation upper layer defines the saturation, hue and lightness stay color upper layer defines the hue, luminosity stays; good for coloration luminosity upper layer defines the luminosity, hue stays
t	transparency value (0–1) – actually, opacity: 1 is opaque, 0 is invisibly transparent

Settings name

\definecolor[...][...]
[...]	name
[...]	color

Option	Explanation
new name
original (parent) name

Description

\definecolor associates a name with a set of color values, for later use with the \color command.

You can omit 0 values.

Examples

Normal usage

• % rgb
  \definecolor[bluu][r=.25, g=.1, b=1]
  Hey, \color[bluu]{look at that!}
  
  % hex
  \definecolor[salmon][x=AB5757]
  Hey, \color[salmon]{look at that!}
  
  \definecolor[brightorange][c=0, m=.4325, y=.9286, k=.0118]
  Hey, \color[brightorange]{orange you glad I didn't say banana?}
  
  \definecolor[darknavy][c=.9753, m=.4444, y=0, k=.6824]
  Hey, \color[darknavy]{is this dark navy?}
  

• 

Defining derivative colors

Colors defined in terms of other colors are processed at the Lua end, unless they are direct clones. In that case, the new name is never told to Lua. That means that this does not work:

% direct clone, processed by TeX
\definecolor[ColorA][red]
% fails, ColorA not known to Lua
\definecolor[ColorB][.5(ColorA)]

Writing it as a fake fraction works.

% definition involves a fraction, processed by Lua.
\definecolor[ColorA][1.0(red)]
% succeeds
\definecolor[ColorB][.5(ColorA)]

See also

• \setupcolor
• colo-ini.mkiv
• Color
• \definetransparency
• \setupcolors
• \color
• \colored

Help from ConTeXt-Mailinglist/Forum

All issues with:

• \definecolor on the mailing list (all results)
• \definecolor on the mailing list (subject only)
• \definecolor on stack exchange
• \definecolor in ConTeXt's source