How to Use Color Styles in Figma: Simple Guide

In Figma, you create color styles by selecting a color and saving it as a style in the Assets panel. You can then apply these styles to any shape or text to keep colors consistent and update them all at once by editing the style.

Syntax

Color styles in Figma are created and applied through the UI, not code. The main steps are:

• Create a color style: Select a shape or text with the desired fill color, then click the Style icon in the fill section and choose + Create style.
• Name the style: Give your color style a clear name for easy reuse.
• Apply a color style: Select any object, open the fill color picker, and choose your saved color style from the Styles list.
• Edit a color style: Right-click the style in the Assets panel or fill section and select Edit to change the color for all objects using it.

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No code syntax; use Figma UI steps as described.

Example

This example shows how to create a blue color style and apply it to two rectangles:

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1. Draw a rectangle and fill it with blue (#3366FF).
2. Click the fill color square, then click the four dots icon to open styles.
3. Click '+ Create style', name it 'Primary Blue', and save.
4. Draw another rectangle.
5. Select the second rectangle, open fill color, and choose 'Primary Blue' from styles.
6. Change the 'Primary Blue' style color to a darker blue (#0033CC) by editing the style.
7. Both rectangles update to the new color automatically.

Output

Two rectangles filled with the same blue color that updates together when the style changes.

Common Pitfalls

• Not naming styles clearly: Makes it hard to find and reuse colors.
• Applying local colors instead of styles: Changes won't update globally.
• Editing fills directly instead of styles: Breaks the link and stops global updates.
• Forgetting to update styles: Leads to inconsistent colors across designs.

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Wrong way:
- Apply a fill color directly to each shape without creating a style.
Right way:
- Create a color style and apply it to all shapes to keep colors consistent and editable.

Quick Reference

Action	How to Do It
Create Color Style	Select object > Fill color > Style icon > + Create style > Name it
Apply Color Style	Select object > Fill color > Choose style from Styles list
Edit Color Style	Right-click style in Assets or Fill > Edit > Change color
Rename Color Style	Right-click style > Rename
Delete Color Style	Right-click style > Delete (objects revert to local color)

Key Takeaways

Create color styles to keep your design colors consistent and easy to update.

Always apply color styles instead of local colors for global control.

Name your color styles clearly for easy reuse and management.

Editing a color style updates all objects using it automatically.

Avoid editing fills directly if you want to maintain style links.