# Color

The `color` rule sets the text color of a widget.

## Syntax

--8<-- "docs/snippets/syntax_block_start.md"
color: (<a href="../css_types/color.md">&lt;color&gt;</a> | auto) [<a href="../css_types/percentage.md">&lt;percentage&gt;</a>];
--8<-- "docs/snippets/syntax_block_end.md"

The style `color` needs a [`<color>`](../css_types/color.md) followed by an optional [`<percentage>`](../css_types/percentage.md) to specify the color transparency.

Instead of a [`<color>`](../css_types/color.md), one can use the special value `"auto"` to choose automatically the color with the best contrast for readability purposes.

### Values

#### &lt;color&gt;

--8<-- "docs/snippets/type_syntax/color.md"

The alternative value `"auto"` picks the color that provides the best contrast for readability purposes.

#### &lt;percentage&gt;

--8<-- "docs/snippets/type_syntax/percentage.md"

## Examples

This example sets a different text color for each of three different widgets.

=== "color.py"

    ```python
    --8<-- "docs/examples/styles/color.py"
    ```

=== "color.css"

    ```css
    --8<-- "docs/examples/styles/color.css"
    ```

=== "Output"

    ```{.textual path="docs/examples/styles/color.py"}
    ```

The next example shows how `auto` chooses between a lighter or a darker text color to increase the contrast and improve readability.

=== "color_auto.py"

    ```py
    --8<-- "docs/examples/styles/color_auto.py"
    ```

=== "color_auto.css"

    ```css hl_lines="2"
    --8<-- "docs/examples/styles/color_auto.css"
    ```

=== "Output"

    ```{.textual path="docs/examples/styles/color_auto.py"}
    ```

## CSS

```sass
/* Blue text */
color: blue;

/* 20% red text */
color: red 20%;

/* RGB color */
color: rgb(100,120,200);

/* Automatically choose color with suitable contrast for readability */
color: auto;
```

## Python

You can use the same syntax as CSS, or explicitly set a `Color` object.

```python
# Set blue text
widget.styles.color = "blue"

from textual.color import Color
# Set with a color object
widget.styles.color = Color.parse("pink")
```