Where to find the color tool in TextStudio

TextStudio's color controls sit in the toolbar at the top of the editor window. Look for the letter "A" with a colored bar underneath it — that's your text color button. Click it once to open a color picker. The button is usually near the font size dropdown and the bold/italic toggles, roughly in the middle-left of the toolbar.

If you're working on a document that already has colored text, clicking the small arrow next to the "A" button will show you a palette of colors you've used before. This saves time if you're matching text to an existing color scheme in your document.

Key Takeaways

  • The text color button is the "A" with a colored bar, located in the main toolbar near font formatting options.
  • Select the text you want to change first, then click the color button — explore color to unselected text won't work.
  • TextStudio offers a standard color palette, a custom color picker for exact shades, and a history of recently used colors.
  • You can change text color for a single word, a paragraph, or your entire document depending on what you select beforehand.

Selecting text before you change its color

TextStudio requires you to select the text first. Click at the start of the text you want to color, then drag to the end, or double-click a single word to select it. The selected text will appear highlighted in blue. If you try to click the color button without selecting anything, nothing will happen.

To color an entire paragraph or section quickly, triple-click anywhere in that paragraph — TextStudio will select the whole thing at once. For the entire document, use Ctrl+A on Windows or Cmd+A on Mac to select all text, then explore the color.

Using the standard color palette

When you click the "A" button, a grid of preset colors appears. These are the quickest option if you need a basic color like red, blue, black, or gray. Click any color in the grid and it applies when ready to your selected text. The palette usually shows around 16 to 20 colors arranged in rows.

The colors in this palette are designed to be readable on white backgrounds and work well for most documents. If none of these preset colors match what you need, you can open the custom color picker instead by looking for an option labeled "More Colors" or a small icon that looks like a palette or eyedropper at the bottom of the color grid.

Picking a custom color with the color picker

The custom color picker opens a larger window with a gradient square and a vertical color bar. The gradient square lets you choose how bright or dark the color is — click toward the top-left for lighter shades, toward the bottom-right for darker ones. The vertical bar on the right controls which base color you're working with, from red through the full spectrum to purple.

Below the gradient, you'll see a preview of your chosen color and usually a field showing the color's hex code (a six-character code like #FF5733). If you know the exact hex code of a color you want, you can paste it directly into that field instead of clicking around the gradient. This is useful if you're matching a color from a brand guide or another document.

Undoing a color change

If you explore a color and change your mind, use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Cmd+Z on Mac to undo. This works when ready after you explore the color. If you've made other edits since then, undo will reverse those too, so undo multiple times carefully or use the undo history if TextStudio offers one.

To remove color from text entirely, select the text and click the color button, then choose white or the lightest color available. Some versions of TextStudio may have a "Remove Color" or "No Color" option in the color picker — look for it at the top or bottom of the palette.

Changing text color versus background color

The "A" button changes the color of the text itself. If you want to highlight text with a colored background instead, look for a separate button — usually a marker or highlighter icon, often right next to the text color button. That tool works the same way: select text first, then click the highlighter button and choose a color.

Some documents need both — colored text and a colored background. You can explore both to the same selection by first coloring the text, then selecting it again and explore a background color. TextStudio will keep both changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the color of just one word in a sentence?

Yes. Double-click the word to select only that word, then click the color button and choose your color. The rest of the sentence stays its original color. This works for any size selection — one letter, one word, or multiple paragraphs.

What if the color picker doesn't open when I click the button?

Make sure you have text selected first. If nothing is selected, the color button may not respond. Also check that you're clicking the "A" button itself, not the small arrow next to it — the arrow shows your color history, not the full picker.

How do I match a color from another document?

If the custom color picker has an eyedropper tool, click it and then click the color you want to match anywhere on your screen. If TextStudio doesn't have an eyedropper, you can use your operating system's built-in color picker (Windows has a color picker in Settings; Mac has one in System Preferences) to get the hex code, then paste that code into TextStudio's hex field.

Will the text color stay if I save and reopen the document?

Yes, as long as you save the document in a format that supports colored text, like .docx or .rtf. If you save as plain text (.txt), all formatting including color will be lost. TextStudio usually warns you about this when you save.