What are ANSI color codes?

They are escape sequences - ESC followed by SGR parameters such as \x1b[31m - that tell a text terminal how to color and style characters. Nearly every terminal emulator on Linux, macOS, and Windows supports them.

Which color mode should I use?

Use 16 colors for maximum compatibility, 256 colors when you want more variety with support almost everywhere, and truecolor (24-bit) only when your target terminal supports 24-bit color, such as modern terminals and most IDE consoles.

Why does my truecolor output look wrong?

Your terminal may not support 24-bit color, so it approximates or drops the exact RGB values. Test in a modern terminal, or switch to 256-color mode for reliable rendering.

How do I print the colored text in a shell script?

Use printf, or echo with the -e flag to enable backslash escapes. Example: printf '\x1b[1;32mOK\x1b[0m' prints a bold green OK and then resets the terminal to default colors.

What is ANSI Color Code Generator?

The ANSI Color Code Generator builds terminal escape sequences for colored and styled text. Choose colors from the standard 16-color palette, the 256-color index, or truecolor RGB, combine them with text styles, preview the result live, and copy a sequence ready for scripts and CLI output.

Key Benefits

No memorizing SGR codes
Live terminal-style preview
Raw and escaped copy formats
Works offline in the browser

Common Use Cases

•Shell script output
•CLI and logger styling
•Colored README examples
•Terminal theme design

How to Generate ANSI Color Codes

Pick a color mode: Choose 16 colors for maximum compatibility, 256 colors for more variety, or truecolor for exact hex values.

Select colors and styles: Click swatches or enter values for text and background, then toggle bold, italic, underline, and more.

Check the live preview: The terminal-style preview shows exactly how your text will render with the current sequence.

Copy and paste: Copy raw for direct terminal use, or the \x1b-escaped string for your source code, then wrap it in echo -e, printf, or print().

Key Features

Three color modes: 16-color, 256-color, and 24-bit truecolor SGR sequences

Live terminal-style preview for foreground, background, and text styles

Style toggles: bold, dim, italic, underline, and strikethrough

Copy raw (real ESC char) or \x1b-escaped sequences for any language

Instant client-side generation - no install, no upload, works offline

ANSI Color Code Generator

Generate ANSI color codes for 16-color, 256-color, and truecolor terminal output with a live preview. Build SGR escape sequences with bold, underline, and more, then copy raw or \x1b-escaped strings for bash, Python, and JavaScript. Free and fully in-browser.

Color Mode

16-color and 256-color modes work in every terminal; truecolor renders only in terminals with 24-bit color support.

Text Color

Background Color

Text Styles

Text

Live Terminal Preview

$ echo Hello, ANSI!

ANSI Escape Sequence

\x1b[1;32mHello, ANSI!\x1b[0m

Copy raw to embed a real ESC (0x1B) control character; copy escaped for source code where you write \x1b yourself (or use printf in shell).

About This Tool

ANSI escape codes are special character sequences that tell a terminal how to render text - colors, bold, underline, and more. This generator builds the exact SGR (Select Graphic Rendition) sequences for 16-color, 256-color, and truecolor output: pick your colors visually, preview the result on a terminal-style background, then copy the sequence as a raw string with a real ESC character or as an escaped source-code string. Perfect for shell scripts, CLI tools, loggers, and colored README examples. Everything runs 100% client-side in your browser.

Why Use an ANSI Color Code Generator?

•Stop memorizing SGR codes - 256-color indexes like 38;5;196 are impossible to recall, pick them visually instead
•Preview colors on a terminal background before shipping the sequence into your script or logger
•Get both raw (real ESC char) and \x1b-escaped output, matching printf, Python, JavaScript, and C string conventions
•Combine bold, dim, italic, underline, and strikethrough with any color in one correct sequence
•No more trial-and-error in the terminal: what you preview is exactly what you paste

Key Features

✓Three color modes: standard 16, 256-color (38;5;n), and 24-bit truecolor (38;2;r;g;b)
✓Live terminal-style preview with foreground, background, and text styles
✓Style combinations: bold, dim, italic, underline, strikethrough
✓Two copy formats: raw with a real ESC control char, or \x1b-escaped for source code
✓Works fully offline in your browser - no upload, no install, no dependencies

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What is ANSI Color Code Generator?

Key Benefits

No memorizing SGR codes
Live terminal-style preview
Raw and escaped copy formats
Works offline in the browser

Common Use Cases

•Shell script output
•CLI and logger styling
•Colored README examples
•Terminal theme design

How to Generate ANSI Color Codes

Pick a color mode: Choose 16 colors for maximum compatibility, 256 colors for more variety, or truecolor for exact hex values.
Select colors and styles: Click swatches or enter values for text and background, then toggle bold, italic, underline, and more.
Check the live preview: The terminal-style preview shows exactly how your text will render with the current sequence.
Copy and paste: Copy raw for direct terminal use, or the \x1b-escaped string for your source code, then wrap it in echo -e, printf, or print().

Key Features

Three color modes: 16-color, 256-color, and 24-bit truecolor SGR sequences
Live terminal-style preview for foreground, background, and text styles
Style toggles: bold, dim, italic, underline, and strikethrough
Copy raw (real ESC char) or \x1b-escaped sequences for any language
Instant client-side generation - no install, no upload, works offline

Frequently Asked Questions

About This Tool