color()

The color() functional notation allows a color to be specified in a particular, specified colorspace rather than the implicit sRGB colorspace that most of the other color functions operate in.

Support for a particular colorspace can be detected with the color-gamut CSS media feature.

The @color-profile CSS at-rule can be used to define and name a color profile to be used in the color() function to specify a color.

Syntax

color(display-p3 1 0.5 0);
color(display-p3 1 0.5 0 / .5);

Values

Functional notation: color( [ [<ident> | <dashed-ident>]? [ <number-percentage>+ ] [ / <alpha-value> ]? ] )

[<ident> | <dashed-ident>] is an optional <ident> or <dashed-ident> denoting the colorspace. If this is an <ident> it denotes one of the predefined colorspaces (such as display-p3); if it is a <dashed-ident> it denotes a custom colorspace, defined by a @color-profile rule.

[ <number-percentage>+ ] is one or more <number> or <percentage> values providing the parameter values that the colorspace takes.

/ <alpha-value> (alpha) can be a <number> between 0 and 1, or a <percentage>, where the number 1 corresponds to 100% (full opacity).

Formal syntax

<color()> = 
  color( <colorspace-params> [ / [ <alpha-value> | none ] ]? )  

<colorspace-params> = 
  <predefined-rgb-params>  |
  <xyz-params>             

<alpha-value> = 
  <number>      |
  <percentage>  

<predefined-rgb-params> = 
  <predefined-rgb> [ <number> | <percentage> | none ]{3}  

<xyz-params> = 
  <xyz-space> [ <number> | <percentage> | none ]{3}  

<predefined-rgb> = 
  srgb          |
  srgb-linear   |
  display-p3    |
  a98-rgb       |
  prophoto-rgb  |
  rec2020       

<xyz-space> = 
  xyz      |
  xyz-d50  |
  xyz-d65

Examples

Using predefined colorspaces with color()

The following example shows the effect of varying the lightness, a-axis, and b-axis values of the color() function.

<div data-color="red-a98-rgb"></div>
<div data-color="red-prophoto-rgb"></div>
<div data-color="green-srgb-linear"></div>
<div data-color="green-display-p3"></div>
<div data-color="blue-rec2020"></div>
<div data-color="blue-srgb"></div>

div {
  width: 50px;
  height: 50px;
  padding: 5px;
  margin: 5px;
  display: inline-block;
  border: 1px solid black;
}

[data-color="red-a98-rgb"] {
  background-color: color(a98-rgb 1 0 0);
}
[data-color="red-prophoto-rgb"] {
  background-color: color(prophoto-rgb 1 0 0);
}
[data-color="green-srgb-linear"] {
  background-color: color(srgb-linear 0 1 0);
}
[data-color="green-display-p3"] {
  background-color: color(display-p3 0 1 0);
}
[data-color="blue-rec2020"] {
  background-color: color(rec2020 0 0 1);
}
[data-color="blue-srgb"] {
  background-color: color(srgb 0 0 1);
}

Using xyz colorspaces with color()

The following example shows how to use xyz colorspaces to specify a color.

<div data-color="red"></div>
<div data-color="green"></div>
<div data-color="blue"></div>

div {
  width: 50px;
  height: 50px;
  padding: 5px;
  margin: 5px;
  display: inline-block;
  border: 1px solid black;
}

[data-color="red"] {
  background-color: color(xyz 45 20 0);
}

[data-color="green"] {
  background-color: color(xyz-d50 0.3 80 0.3);
}

[data-color="blue"] {
  background-color: color(xyz-d65 5 0 50);
}

Using color-gamut media queries with color()

This example shows how to use the color-gamut media query to detect support for a particular colorspace and use that colorspace to specify a color.

<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>

div {
  width: 50px;
  height: 50px;
  padding: 5px;
  margin: 5px;
  display: inline-block;
  border: 1px solid black;
}

@media (color-gamut: p3) {
  div {
    background-color: color(display-p3 0 0 1);
  }
}

@media (color-gamut: srgb) {
  div:nth-child(2) {
    background-color: color(srgb 0 0 1);
  }
}

@media (color-gamut: rec2020) {
  div:nth-child(3) {
    background-color: color(rec2020 0 0 1);
  }
}

Specifications

Specification
CSS Color Module Level 4 # color-function

Browser compatibility

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