How to Get Color in C Program

Last Updated: January 26, 2020

Changing the color of text or shapes in your C program can help them pop when the user runs your program. Changing the color of your text and objects is a fairly straightforward process, and the necessary functions are included in the standard libraries. You can change the color of anything you output on the screen.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Changing Output Text Color

1
Include the Standard Input and Output library. This common library allows you to change the color that the text output displays. Add the following code to the top of your program:^{[1]
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Research source}
```
#include<stdio.h>
```
2
Include the Console Input and Output library. This will make it easier to capture keyboard input from the user. Add the library below the stdio.h library:
```
#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
```
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3

Use the textcolor function to define what color you want to use for text. You can use this function to vary the text colors of your output. Colors must be written in all caps, or expressed as a numeral:

#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
 
main()
{
   textcolor(RED); // You could type "4" instead of "RED", but it is not as readable
}

Color	Numerical Value
BLACK	0
BLUE	1
GREEN	2
CYAN	3
RED	4
MAGENTA	5
BROWN	6
LIGHTGRAY	7
DARKGRAY	8
LIGHTBLUE	9
LIGHTGREEN	10
LIGHTCYAN	11
LIGHTRED	12
LIGHTMAGENTA	13
YELLOW	14
WHITE	15

There are more colors than this. The colors available depend on the installed graphics drivers and current mode. Colors must be written in all caps.^{[2]
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Research source}

4
Add output text and finish the program. Include a cprintf function to display some text in your new color. Use a getch function at the end to close the program when the user presses a key.
```
#include<stdio.h>
#include<conio.h>
 
main()
{
   textcolor(RED); // You could type "4" instead of "RED", but it is not as readable
   cprintf("Hello, World!");
 
   getch();
   return 0;
}
```

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Changing Drawing Color

1
Include the graphics library. The C graphics library allows you to draw objects, as well as adjust their color. You can get access to the graphics library by including it at the top of your program:
```
#include<graphics.h>
```
2
Include the Console Input and Output library. You can use this library to easily capture a user's input. Add the library below the graphics.h library:
```
#include<graphics.h>
#include<conio.h>
```
3
Initialize the variables for the graphics driver and mode. You'll need to do this before you begin drawing objects, so that the program has access to the system graphics drivers. This will create an area on the screen that the object will be drawn on.
```
#include<graphics.h>
#include<conio.h>

main()
{
   int gd = DETECT, gm;
   initgraph(&gd, &gm, "C:\\TC\\BGI"); // Change this to the path of your compiler
}
```
4
Set the color of the object you want to draw. Before coding in an object, use the setcolor function to define the color of the object you are about to draw: ^{[3]
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Research source}
```
#include<graphics.h>
#include<conio.h>

main()
{
   int gd = DETECT, gm;
   initgraph(&gd, &gm, "C:\\TC\\BGI");
   
   setcolor(BLUE); // You can enter "1" instead of "BLUE" to get the same color, but this is not as readable
}
```
5
Draw an object of your choice. For this example, you'll be drawing a rectangle using the rectangle function. You can use any of the graphics.h drawing tools to draw in the color that you set.
```
#include<graphics.h>
#include<conio.h>

main()
{
   int gd = DETECT, gm;
   initgraph(&gd, &gm, "C:\\TC\\BGI");
   
   setcolor(BLUE); 
   rectangle(50,50,100,100); // These numbers indicate the location of the left-top and right-bottom corners
}
```
6
Finish off the program and test it. Add the getch command and turn off the graphics area as you close the program. Compile it and give it a test run.
```
#include<graphics.h>
#include<conio.h>

main()
{
   int gd = DETECT, gm;
   initgraph(&gd, &gm, "C:\\TC\\BGI");
   
   setcolor(BLUE); 
   rectangle(50,50,100,100);
   
   getch();
   closegraph();
   return 0;
}
```

Community Q&A

Question

What is the escape sequence for graphics in C?

Community Answer

ctrl+shift+qq that is how you do it.

Examples

#include<graphics.h>
#include<conio.h>

main()
{
   int gd = DETECT, gm, drawing_color;
   char a[100];

   initgraph(&gd,&gm,''C:\\TC\\BGI'');

   drawing_color = getcolor();

   sprintf(a,''Current drawing color = %d'', drawing_color);
   outtextxy( 10, 10, a );

   getch();
   closegraph();
   return 0;
}