I constantly forget the names of the colors I want to use and keep coming back to this question =)

The previous answers are great, but I find it a bit difficult to get an overview of the available colors from the posted image. I prefer the colors to be grouped with similar colors, so I slightly tweaked the matplotlib answer that was mentioned in a comment above to get a color list sorted in columns. The order is not identical to how I would sort by eye, but I think it gives a good overview.

I updated the image and code to reflect that 'rebeccapurple' has been added and the three sage colors have been moved under the 'xkcd:' prefix since I posted this answer originally.

I really didn't change much from the matplotlib example, but here is the code for completeness.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib import colors as mcolors


colors = dict(mcolors.BASE_COLORS, **mcolors.CSS4_COLORS)

# Sort colors by hue, saturation, value and name.
by_hsv = sorted((tuple(mcolors.rgb_to_hsv(mcolors.to_rgba(color)[:3])), name)
                for name, color in colors.items())
sorted_names = [name for hsv, name in by_hsv]

n = len(sorted_names)
ncols = 4
nrows = n // ncols

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(12, 10))

# Get height and width
X, Y = fig.get_dpi() * fig.get_size_inches()
h = Y / (nrows + 1)
w = X / ncols

for i, name in enumerate(sorted_names):
    row = i % nrows
    col = i // nrows
    y = Y - (row * h) - h

    xi_line = w * (col + 0.05)
    xf_line = w * (col + 0.25)
    xi_text = w * (col + 0.3)

    ax.text(xi_text, y, name, fontsize=(h * 0.8),
            horizontalalignment='left',
            verticalalignment='center')

    ax.hlines(y + h * 0.1, xi_line, xf_line,
              color=colors[name], linewidth=(h * 0.8))

ax.set_xlim(0, X)
ax.set_ylim(0, Y)
ax.set_axis_off()

fig.subplots_adjust(left=0, right=1,
                    top=1, bottom=0,
                    hspace=0, wspace=0)
plt.show()

Additional named colors

Updated 2017-10-25. I merged my previous updates into this section.

xkcd

If you would like to use additional named colors when plotting with matplotlib, you can use the xkcd crowdsourced color names, via the 'xkcd:' prefix:

plt.plot([1,2], lw=4, c='xkcd:baby poop green')

Now you have access to a plethora of named colors!

Tableau

The default Tableau colors are available in matplotlib via the 'tab:' prefix:

plt.plot([1,2], lw=4, c='tab:green')

There are ten distinct colors:

HTML

You can also plot colors by their HTML hex code:

plt.plot([1,2], lw=4, c='#8f9805')

This is more similar to specifying and RGB tuple rather than a named color (apart from the fact that the hex code is passed as a string), and I will not include an image of the 16 million colors you can choose from...


For more details, please refer to the matplotlib colors documentation and the source file specifying the available colors, _color_data.py.


Answer from joelostblom on Stack Overflow
🌐
Matplotlib
matplotlib.org › stable › gallery › color › named_colors.html
List of named colors — Matplotlib 3.11.2 documentation
Download Jupyter notebook: named_colors.ipynb · Download Python source code: named_colors.py · Download zipped: named_colors.zip · Gallery generated by Sphinx-Gallery ·
Discussions

python - Named colors in matplotlib - Stack Overflow
What named colors are available in matplotlib for use in plots? I can find a list on the matplotlib documentation that claims that these are the only names: b: blue g: green r: red c: cyan m: mag... More on stackoverflow.com
🌐 stackoverflow.com
help color code keywords for python
Have you tried installing VS code or a IDE with syntax color highlighting? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnpython
4
1
December 18, 2021
I created a python script to generate color palettes from images (info + github link in comments)
Github repo: https://github.com/rodartha/ColorPalette/ So I designed this because I wanted to do an in-depth color study on some of my favorite directors. I would love to hear suggestions for improvements and additions. I’m also more than game to answer any questions people have on how it works. Edit: huge thanks for my first gold ever! More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Python
105
2677
October 25, 2019
What does the blue and yellow represent in the python logo?

Colors are a Monty Python reference (toward the bottom):

Bridgekeeper: What...is your favorite color?

Galahad: (relieved) Blue! (starts across; oops) NO!
    YELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW!!!!
More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Python
9
11
April 10, 2014
🌐
GitHub
gist.github.com › rene-d › 9e584a7dd2935d0f461904b9f2950007
ANSI color codes in Python · GitHub
I recommend you to use such a script to find the color code you want: https://gist.github.com/b5370efb61db005d7de0ad47959cd46c
Top answer
1 of 6
513

I constantly forget the names of the colors I want to use and keep coming back to this question =)

The previous answers are great, but I find it a bit difficult to get an overview of the available colors from the posted image. I prefer the colors to be grouped with similar colors, so I slightly tweaked the matplotlib answer that was mentioned in a comment above to get a color list sorted in columns. The order is not identical to how I would sort by eye, but I think it gives a good overview.

I updated the image and code to reflect that 'rebeccapurple' has been added and the three sage colors have been moved under the 'xkcd:' prefix since I posted this answer originally.

I really didn't change much from the matplotlib example, but here is the code for completeness.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib import colors as mcolors


colors = dict(mcolors.BASE_COLORS, **mcolors.CSS4_COLORS)

# Sort colors by hue, saturation, value and name.
by_hsv = sorted((tuple(mcolors.rgb_to_hsv(mcolors.to_rgba(color)[:3])), name)
                for name, color in colors.items())
sorted_names = [name for hsv, name in by_hsv]

n = len(sorted_names)
ncols = 4
nrows = n // ncols

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(12, 10))

# Get height and width
X, Y = fig.get_dpi() * fig.get_size_inches()
h = Y / (nrows + 1)
w = X / ncols

for i, name in enumerate(sorted_names):
    row = i % nrows
    col = i // nrows
    y = Y - (row * h) - h

    xi_line = w * (col + 0.05)
    xf_line = w * (col + 0.25)
    xi_text = w * (col + 0.3)

    ax.text(xi_text, y, name, fontsize=(h * 0.8),
            horizontalalignment='left',
            verticalalignment='center')

    ax.hlines(y + h * 0.1, xi_line, xf_line,
              color=colors[name], linewidth=(h * 0.8))

ax.set_xlim(0, X)
ax.set_ylim(0, Y)
ax.set_axis_off()

fig.subplots_adjust(left=0, right=1,
                    top=1, bottom=0,
                    hspace=0, wspace=0)
plt.show()

Additional named colors

Updated 2017-10-25. I merged my previous updates into this section.

xkcd

If you would like to use additional named colors when plotting with matplotlib, you can use the xkcd crowdsourced color names, via the 'xkcd:' prefix:

plt.plot([1,2], lw=4, c='xkcd:baby poop green')

Now you have access to a plethora of named colors!

Tableau

The default Tableau colors are available in matplotlib via the 'tab:' prefix:

plt.plot([1,2], lw=4, c='tab:green')

There are ten distinct colors:

HTML

You can also plot colors by their HTML hex code:

plt.plot([1,2], lw=4, c='#8f9805')

This is more similar to specifying and RGB tuple rather than a named color (apart from the fact that the hex code is passed as a string), and I will not include an image of the 16 million colors you can choose from...


For more details, please refer to the matplotlib colors documentation and the source file specifying the available colors, _color_data.py.


2 of 6
348

Matplotlib uses a dictionary from its colors.py module.

To print the names use:

# python2:

import matplotlib
for name, hex in matplotlib.colors.cnames.iteritems():
    print(name, hex)

# python3:

import matplotlib
for name, hex in matplotlib.colors.cnames.items():
    print(name, hex)

This is the complete dictionary:

cnames = {
'aliceblue':            '#F0F8FF',
'antiquewhite':         '#FAEBD7',
'aqua':                 '#00FFFF',
'aquamarine':           '#7FFFD4',
'azure':                '#F0FFFF',
'beige':                '#F5F5DC',
'bisque':               '#FFE4C4',
'black':                '#000000',
'blanchedalmond':       '#FFEBCD',
'blue':                 '#0000FF',
'blueviolet':           '#8A2BE2',
'brown':                '#A52A2A',
'burlywood':            '#DEB887',
'cadetblue':            '#5F9EA0',
'chartreuse':           '#7FFF00',
'chocolate':            '#D2691E',
'coral':                '#FF7F50',
'cornflowerblue':       '#6495ED',
'cornsilk':             '#FFF8DC',
'crimson':              '#DC143C',
'cyan':                 '#00FFFF',
'darkblue':             '#00008B',
'darkcyan':             '#008B8B',
'darkgoldenrod':        '#B8860B',
'darkgray':             '#A9A9A9',
'darkgreen':            '#006400',
'darkkhaki':            '#BDB76B',
'darkmagenta':          '#8B008B',
'darkolivegreen':       '#556B2F',
'darkorange':           '#FF8C00',
'darkorchid':           '#9932CC',
'darkred':              '#8B0000',
'darksalmon':           '#E9967A',
'darkseagreen':         '#8FBC8F',
'darkslateblue':        '#483D8B',
'darkslategray':        '#2F4F4F',
'darkturquoise':        '#00CED1',
'darkviolet':           '#9400D3',
'deeppink':             '#FF1493',
'deepskyblue':          '#00BFFF',
'dimgray':              '#696969',
'dodgerblue':           '#1E90FF',
'firebrick':            '#B22222',
'floralwhite':          '#FFFAF0',
'forestgreen':          '#228B22',
'fuchsia':              '#FF00FF',
'gainsboro':            '#DCDCDC',
'ghostwhite':           '#F8F8FF',
'gold':                 '#FFD700',
'goldenrod':            '#DAA520',
'gray':                 '#808080',
'green':                '#008000',
'greenyellow':          '#ADFF2F',
'honeydew':             '#F0FFF0',
'hotpink':              '#FF69B4',
'indianred':            '#CD5C5C',
'indigo':               '#4B0082',
'ivory':                '#FFFFF0',
'khaki':                '#F0E68C',
'lavender':             '#E6E6FA',
'lavenderblush':        '#FFF0F5',
'lawngreen':            '#7CFC00',
'lemonchiffon':         '#FFFACD',
'lightblue':            '#ADD8E6',
'lightcoral':           '#F08080',
'lightcyan':            '#E0FFFF',
'lightgoldenrodyellow': '#FAFAD2',
'lightgreen':           '#90EE90',
'lightgray':            '#D3D3D3',
'lightpink':            '#FFB6C1',
'lightsalmon':          '#FFA07A',
'lightseagreen':        '#20B2AA',
'lightskyblue':         '#87CEFA',
'lightslategray':       '#778899',
'lightsteelblue':       '#B0C4DE',
'lightyellow':          '#FFFFE0',
'lime':                 '#00FF00',
'limegreen':            '#32CD32',
'linen':                '#FAF0E6',
'magenta':              '#FF00FF',
'maroon':               '#800000',
'mediumaquamarine':     '#66CDAA',
'mediumblue':           '#0000CD',
'mediumorchid':         '#BA55D3',
'mediumpurple':         '#9370DB',
'mediumseagreen':       '#3CB371',
'mediumslateblue':      '#7B68EE',
'mediumspringgreen':    '#00FA9A',
'mediumturquoise':      '#48D1CC',
'mediumvioletred':      '#C71585',
'midnightblue':         '#191970',
'mintcream':            '#F5FFFA',
'mistyrose':            '#FFE4E1',
'moccasin':             '#FFE4B5',
'navajowhite':          '#FFDEAD',
'navy':                 '#000080',
'oldlace':              '#FDF5E6',
'olive':                '#808000',
'olivedrab':            '#6B8E23',
'orange':               '#FFA500',
'orangered':            '#FF4500',
'orchid':               '#DA70D6',
'palegoldenrod':        '#EEE8AA',
'palegreen':            '#98FB98',
'paleturquoise':        '#AFEEEE',
'palevioletred':        '#DB7093',
'papayawhip':           '#FFEFD5',
'peachpuff':            '#FFDAB9',
'peru':                 '#CD853F',
'pink':                 '#FFC0CB',
'plum':                 '#DDA0DD',
'powderblue':           '#B0E0E6',
'purple':               '#800080',
'red':                  '#FF0000',
'rosybrown':            '#BC8F8F',
'royalblue':            '#4169E1',
'saddlebrown':          '#8B4513',
'salmon':               '#FA8072',
'sandybrown':           '#FAA460',
'seagreen':             '#2E8B57',
'seashell':             '#FFF5EE',
'sienna':               '#A0522D',
'silver':               '#C0C0C0',
'skyblue':              '#87CEEB',
'slateblue':            '#6A5ACD',
'slategray':            '#708090',
'snow':                 '#FFFAFA',
'springgreen':          '#00FF7F',
'steelblue':            '#4682B4',
'tan':                  '#D2B48C',
'teal':                 '#008080',
'thistle':              '#D8BFD8',
'tomato':               '#FF6347',
'turquoise':            '#40E0D0',
'violet':               '#EE82EE',
'wheat':                '#F5DEB3',
'white':                '#FFFFFF',
'whitesmoke':           '#F5F5F5',
'yellow':               '#FFFF00',
'yellowgreen':          '#9ACD32'}

You could plot them like this:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.patches as patches
import matplotlib.colors as colors
import math


fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.add_subplot(111)

ratio = 1.0 / 3.0
count = math.ceil(math.sqrt(len(colors.cnames)))
x_count = count * ratio
y_count = count / ratio
x = 0
y = 0
w = 1 / x_count
h = 1 / y_count

for c in colors.cnames:
    pos = (x / x_count, y / y_count)
    ax.add_patch(patches.Rectangle(pos, w, h, color=c))
    ax.annotate(c, xy=pos)
    if y >= y_count-1:
        x += 1
        y = 0
    else:
        y += 1

plt.show()
🌐
Google Sites
sites.google.com › view › paztronomer › blog › basic › python-colors
paztronomer - python colors
Fun fact: What matplotlib does is to transform a set of 3 or 4 numbers to a color (transforming these numbers to a range between 0 and 1, think of it as a percentage where 1 is 100%) When 3 numbers are used, the result is a color that is a combination of red, blue, and green... the so called RGB scale!. When a fourth number is also used, this additional parameter adds the transparency of the color (called "alpha") Code: If you're interested in play with it, you'll find it on my Github
🌐
Kaggle
kaggle.com › code › asimislam › python-colors-for-color-cmap-and-palette
Python Colors for COLOR, CMAP and PALETTE
2 weeks ago - Explore and run AI code with Kaggle Notebooks | Using data from Python Colors: COLOR, CMAP, PALETTE data
🌐
Python Graph Gallery
python-graph-gallery.com › python-colors
Tips about colors with Python
PyPalettes is a Python library that gives access to 2500+ palettes. It's hosted on github, you can install it with PyPI, and it's super easy to use. pypalettes is pretty straightfoward to use. For instance, this is how to use a palette called Acadia once the library is installed: ... # Import pypalettes from pypalettes import load_cmap # Load the palette called Acadia cmap = load_cmap("Acadia") # Use the color map anywhere! ✨Still copy-pasting code?
Find elsewhere
🌐
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › create-random-hex-color-code-using-python
Create Random Hex Color Code Using Python - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - import random # Generating a random number in between 0 and 2^24 color = random.randrange(0, 2**24) # Converting that number from base-10 (decimal) to base-16 (hexadecimal) hex_color = hex(color) std_color = "#" + hex_color[2:] print(std_color) ...
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Python Graph Gallery
python-graph-gallery.com › the python graph gallery › colors › available colors in matplotlib
Available colors in Matplotlib
6 days ago - import matplotlib.pyplot as plt ... plt.subplots(nrows=2, ncols=2, figsize=(10, 10), dpi=200) # Hexadecimal color codes color = "#FF5733" axs[0,0].hist( random_data, bins=30, density=True, color=color ) axs[0,0].set_title(f"color = {color}") ...
🌐
SchemeColor
schemecolor.com › python-logo-colors.php
Python Logo Color Scheme - Palettes - SchemeColor.com
The Python Logo Colors with Hex & RGB Codes has 5 colors which are Nature Blue (#4B8BBE), Philadelphia (#306998), Kournikova (#FFE873), Bright Sun (#FFD43B) and Storm Dust (#646464).
🌐
Jakob-bagterp
jakob-bagterp.github.io › colorist-for-python › ansi-escape-codes › standard-16-colors
How to Use Colors in ANSI Escape Codes - Colorist for Python 🌈
Each color then needs to be prepended by a foreground or background option. When combining the two codes – simply replace the underscore _ with the missing color code – 34 for example is blue text, and 44 is blue background:
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PyPI
pypi.org › project › colour
colour
JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Please enable JavaScript to proceed · A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser
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Color Hex
color-hex.com › color-palette › 5949
Python Color Palette
Python color palette created by serena that consists #a4c330,#b3c330,#c2c330,#c3bd30,#c3b530 colors.
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › help color code keywords for python
r/learnpython on Reddit: help color code keywords for python
December 18, 2021 -

Hello I am new to python and coding in general as in very new and I basically know nothing and I am looking to learn, I was wondering if anyone can help me change the color code of ym my python text because as of right now its all the same color and I feel it would help me to learn better if things like print were color coded aswell as variables, errors etc. Basically just a good coding color system, as thats what I used on my school computer but can't quite figure it out on my own PC. Thankyou

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CL Coding
clcoding.com › 2024 › 08 › color-code-using-python.html
Color code using Python ~ Computer Languages (clcoding)
August 25, 2024 - August 25, 2024 Python No comments · from webcolors import name_to_hex · def color_name_to_code(color_name): try: color_code = name_to_hex(color_name) return color_code · except ValueError: return None · colorname = input("Enter color name : ") result_code = color_name_to_code(colorname) print(result_code) from webcolors import hex_to_name ·
🌐
Sololearn
sololearn.com › en › Discuss › 3265268 › python-coding-colors
Python Coding Colors | Sololearn: Learn to code for FREE!
February 15, 2024 - Sololearn is the world's largest community of people learning to code. With over 25 programming courses, choose from thousands of topics to learn how to code, brush up your programming knowledge, upskill your technical ability, or stay informed about the latest trends.
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Rhino
developer.rhino3d.com › guides › rhinopython › python-rhinoscriptsyntax-color
Rhino - Colors in Python
December 5, 2018 - Unlike many other Rhino types, colors are immutable. This means you cannot set one channel by itself, but must always create a new color when trying to make a color.