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How do you add color to specific text in HTML?

Published in HTML Text Styling 3 mins read

You can add color to specific text in HTML using either legacy HTML or modern CSS.

Methods for Coloring Text in HTML

There are two primary ways to change the color of text within your HTML document. While both accomplish the same goal, one is considered outdated, and the other is the current best practice.

1. Legacy HTML: Using the <font> Tag

  • How to use it: The <font> tag allows you to set the color of text by using the color attribute.
  • Example:
    <font color="#ff0000">This text is red.</font>
  • Why it's considered legacy: The <font> tag is no longer recommended for use. It's an old method and has been superseded by CSS for styling. Using it can lead to less maintainable code.

2. Modern CSS: Using the style Attribute

  • How to use it: The style attribute, used inline, allows you to apply CSS directly to an HTML element. The color property in CSS changes the color of text.
  • Example:
    <p style="color: #0000ff;">This text is blue.</p>
<span style="color: #008000;">This text is green.</span>
  • Why it's preferred: Using CSS is the modern, standard way of styling HTML content. It keeps your structure (HTML) separate from your styling (CSS), making your code cleaner and easier to maintain.
    • CSS offers more styling options than the deprecated <font> tag.
    • Separating structure and style enhances maintainability, allowing for consistent styling across the website.
    • You can also use CSS with external stylesheets, enhancing reusability and organization.

Examples and Practical Insights

Here's a table summarizing the methods and their practical application:

Method Description Example Usage Status
<font> Tag Uses color attribute to set text color. <font color="#ff0000">Red text</font> Legacy
Inline CSS (style attribute) Uses style="color: #xxxxxx;" to set text color. <p style="color: #0000ff;">Blue Text</p> Preferred

Additional Notes:

  • You can use color names (e.g., red, blue, green) or hexadecimal color codes (e.g., #ff0000, #0000ff, #008000).
  • CSS offers many more advanced methods for styling text (like classes and external stylesheets).
  • Always prioritize CSS for styling HTML content to follow best practices for web development.

In summary, while the <font color=”#ff0000″Text</font> works in legacy HTML, modern HTML uses the style=”color: #ff0000;” approach within elements, as mentioned on 14-Oct-2024.

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