How to Change Text Color on Minecraft Signs (Dyes and Color Codes)

The reliable way to change sign text color in current Minecraft is to use dye on the sign. This works for normal signs and hanging signs in both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. If you specifically want to type Minecraft color codes, the § section-sign method is a Bedrock Edition feature; it is not the normal way to color text in Java Edition's in-game sign editor.

That distinction matters because many older guides treated Java and the old Windows 10/UWP edition as if the same color-code steps worked everywhere. Today, Windows uses Bedrock Edition, while Java players should use dyes for ordinary sign text.

How to change sign text color with dye

1. Place a sign or hanging sign and enter your text. Since the Trails & Tales sign update, you can edit both the front and back of a sign separately.
2. Hold the dye color you want. Minecraft has the familiar 16 dye colors, including red, blue, lime, cyan, white, and black.
3. Use the dye on the written side of the sign. The text on that side changes to the dye color. The dye applies to the sign face rather than to just one word or one line.
4. Repeat on the other side if needed. The front and back can have different text and colors. When you are finished editing, you can use a honeycomb to wax the sign and prevent normal text edits.

Mojang's Java Edition 1.20 notes confirm that the two sides of a sign can hold separate text and colors, and that signs can be waxed after editing. See the official Java Edition 1.20 sign notes.

How Minecraft color codes work on Bedrock signs

On Bedrock Edition, you can use the section symbol followed immediately by a formatting code. For example, §cRed text makes the following text red where section-sign formatting is accepted. Microsoft's Bedrock documentation describes this syntax and lists the current mappings in its Raw Message JSON reference.

On a Windows keyboard with a numeric keypad, Microsoft documents Alt+0167 (and also Alt+21 on some setups) for entering §. Copy-and-paste may be easier on devices where the symbol is difficult to type. If your platform or current text-entry UI does not accept the symbol, use dye instead.

Bedrock sign color code reference

These are the standard color codes most players use:

Current Bedrock documentation also lists extra color codes: §g gold, §h warm light gray, §i cool light gray, §j dark brown, §m dark red, §n brown, §p gold, §q dark green, §s aqua, §t dark teal, and §u purple.

This is one place where older tutorials can be misleading: in the current Bedrock reference, §m and §n are colors, not strikethrough and underline.

Bold, italic, and reset codes in Bedrock

Bedrock's current documented text effects include §k for obfuscated text, §l for bold, §o for italic, and §r to reset formatting. You can place a color code before the text and add an effect code as needed. For example, §c§lWarning requests red, bold text, while §r returns following text to normal formatting.

Do not depend on old Java-style lists that label §m as strikethrough or §n as underline when you are writing Bedrock sign text.

Front and back can use different colors

Modern signs have two editable faces. Color the front, walk around the sign, and edit or color the back independently. This is useful for directions, entrances, shops, and signs that need different information depending on which way a player approaches.

Make colored sign text easier to read with glow ink

If colored text is hard to see at night or against darker wood, use a glow ink sac on the sign. Mojang explains that glow ink makes sign text much more visible in low light without turning the sign into a light source. A regular ink sac removes the glow effect. See Mojang's Glow Ink Sac guide.

What to do if a color code does not work

• Java Edition: use dye for ordinary sign text. The § method is not the normal in-game sign-entry workflow.
• Bedrock Edition: make sure there is no space between §, the code character, and the text you want to format.
• Cannot enter §: try copying the symbol if your input method allows it; otherwise use dye.
• Want the whole sign one color: dye is faster and less error-prone than typing formatting codes.
• Text is difficult to read: add a glow ink sac after choosing the text color.

For most players, the best rule is simple: use dyes in Java and Bedrock for whole-sign colors, and use § color codes only when you specifically need Bedrock text formatting.