Minecraft color codes are §-prefixed codes (§c = red, §l = bold) that color and format chat, signs, item names and MOTDs. Type or paste your text below, click a color or format, and copy the coded string in exactly the syntax your surface needs — vanilla §, plugin &, server.properties escape, a /tellraw JSON component, or MiniMessage. Java and Bedrock, hex gradients, and a sign editor, all free and ad-free.
Current to Java 26.3 · Bedrock 1.26.51, Java + Bedrock — free, no ads, 28 languages.
Minecraft color codes use the § character followed by a hex digit (§c red, §e yellow) plus format codes (§l bold, §o italic). Java uses § or the plugin & form; Bedrock supports the same color codes natively in signs, books and chat. Vanilla Java (1.16+) takes any hex color only inside a JSON text component ("color": "#RRGGBB"); the §x§R§R§G§G§B§B sequence is a Spigot/Paper/BungeeCord server convention, not a vanilla code.
Section-sign codes — chat, signs, item names, world/pack files. A hex color comes out as §x§R§R§G§G§B§B, which only Spigot/Paper/BungeeCord servers read; vanilla Java takes hex in /tellraw JSON.
§6§lWelcome §r§ato the §r§c§lserver§r!server.properties needs the § byte escaped, or it corrupts to §. Copy the escaped line below into your motd= setting.
\u00A76\u00A7lWelcome \u00A7r\u00A7ato the \u00A7r\u00A7c\u00A7lserver\u00A7r!Java: typing § directly in chat disconnects you, so color chat via /tellraw or /say from a command block. Signs and item names take codes only through commands — the anvil's rename field strips §. Hex colors (1.16+) work only in the color field of a JSON text component; the §x§R§R§G§G§B§B sequence is read by Spigot/Paper/BungeeCord servers, not by vanilla Java.
A gradient blends between two or more hex colors across your text, putting a hex color code before every character. Pick your colors, type your text, and copy the per-character §x§R§R§G§G§B§B or &#rrggbb sequence (Spigot/Paper/BungeeCord servers, 1.16+) — or a single MiniMessage gradient tag. Vanilla Java has no § hex code: there, hex goes in a /tellraw JSON component.
§x§f§f§0§0§0§0G§x§e§a§0§e§1§5r§x§d§5§1§c§2§ba§x§b§f§2§b§4§0d§x§a§a§3§9§5§5i§x§9§5§4§7§6§ae§x§8§0§5§5§8§0n§x§6§a§6§3§9§5t§x§5§5§7§1§a§a §x§4§0§8§0§b§ft§x§2§b§8§e§d§5e§x§1§5§9§c§e§ax§x§0§0§a§a§f§ftWrite up to four styled lines on a wood sign, preview them on the plank, and copy the coded text. On Bedrock the § codes work directly; on Java, apply them to a sign with a command.
§6§lWelcome
to my shop
Tip: on Bedrock you can type these codes straight onto a sign. On Java, signs need a command such as /setblock with the text in a JSON component.
The 16 color codes with their § and & forms and hex values. Codes are identical on Java and Bedrock; hex values are the in-game chat colors.
| Color | Name | § code | & code | Hex |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | §0 | &0 | #000000 | |
| Dark Blue | §1 | &1 | #0000aa | |
| Dark Green | §2 | &2 | #00aa00 | |
| Dark Aqua | §3 | &3 | #00aaaa | |
| Dark Red | §4 | &4 | #aa0000 | |
| Dark Purple | §5 | &5 | #aa00aa | |
| Gold | §6 | &6 | #ffaa00 | |
| Gray | §7 | &7 | #aaaaaa | |
| Dark Gray | §8 | &8 | #555555 | |
| Blue | §9 | &9 | #5555ff | |
| Green | §a | &a | #55ff55 | |
| Aqua | §b | &b | #55ffff | |
| Red | §c | &c | #ff5555 | |
| Light Purple | §d | &d | #ff55ff | |
| Yellow | §e | &e | #ffff55 | |
| White | §f | &f | #ffffff |
Format codes: §l bold · §o italic · §n underline · §m strikethrough · §k obfuscated · §r reset.
Where § color and format codes work in each edition — the honest per-context picture.
| Context | Java | Bedrock |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Via command (/tellraw); typing § in chat disconnects | Works when typed directly |
| Sign | Via command | Works when typed directly |
| Book | Via command | Works when typed directly |
| Item name / anvil | Via command only (the anvil strips §) | Works when typed directly |
| Hex RGB colors | 1.16+, only in a JSON text component (§x is plugin-only) | Not supported |
Bedrock also has extra 'material' colors Java lacks: §g §h §i §j §p §q §s §t §u (minecoin gold, quartz, iron, netherite and more).
They are the § character (or the plugin & form) followed by a code that colors or formats text — §c for red, §l for bold, §o for italic. They work in chat, on signs, in item names and in server MOTDs.
You usually don't type it by hand — this tool inserts it for you when you copy. If you need it directly, § is Unicode U+00A7; on server.properties it must be written as the escape \u00A7 or it corrupts to §.
Yes. Bedrock supports the same 16 § color codes natively in signs, books, anvils and chat, plus extra material colors (§g, §h, §i, §j…). Bedrock has no hex color support, and §m/§n are colors there rather than strikethrough/underline.
Use the Gradient section: pick two or more hex colors and type your text. It emits a §x§R§R§G§G§B§B color code before each character (read by Spigot/Paper/BungeeCord servers on 1.16+, not by vanilla Java), the &#rrggbb plugin form, or a single MiniMessage gradient tag for Paper/Velocity.
On Java, signs need a command to apply colors, and server.properties must use the escaped \u00A7 form — a raw § byte corrupts to §. Use the server.properties output format here to get the correct escaped line.
Both Java and Bedrock, always current to the latest release. The color and format codes are the same across versions; hex colors need Java 1.16 or newer — in vanilla only inside a JSON text component, on Spigot/Paper/BungeeCord servers also as §x.
Text Studio bundles the whole 'Minecraft text' toolkit into one fast, ad-free page: a color and format code generator with a live in-game-styled preview, a five-format output switcher so you always copy the right syntax, a hex gradient generator, and a sign editor. It is honest about what each edition supports, current to the latest Minecraft version, and available in 28 languages — the deepest localization in the category.