MCUtility

Put the colour code before the formatting code

In Java Edition, write the colour code first and the formatting code after it: §6§l, not §l§6. A colour code switches off bold, italic and every other format that came before it.

Java and Bedrock Edition · Published

What each order does

CodesResult in Java Edition
§6§lWelcomeGold and bold
§l§6WelcomeGold, not bold: the colour cancelled the bold
§cX§nYRed X, then red underlined Y: formatting after a colour keeps the colour
§nX§cYUnderlined X, then red Y without the underline

Changing colour in the middle of a line

Every new colour drops the formatting, so repeat it after each colour change:

§6§lGold §b§lAqua §a§lGreen

To go back to plain text, use §r, which resets both colour and formatting.

Ampersand codes follow the same rule

Plugins that accept & codes normally translate them to § codes before the game draws the text, so &6&l works and &l&6 loses the bold, just like above.

Bedrock Edition is different

  • Formatting codes stay active after a colour code, so the order doesn’t matter there.
  • Bedrock has no strikethrough or underline. §m and §n are extra colours instead, so a Java MOTD or sign text that uses them looks different on Bedrock.

The Color Codes tool previews Java Edition’s behaviour as you type.