Version: 3.1.0 Update: 2026-01-15

Color in Vim

• Remove all scheme functionality (online fetch, fav, etc.)
• Add RGB float line (0.0-1.0) in ColorV window
• Remove redundant info
• Use tab in colorv window to switch HSL quickly
• Use +/- to modify it

" you want to change a color
" #334455

" move to color and edit it  :ColorVEdit
<leader>ce


" add its lightness with 2
<tab><tab>++

" quit
q


" color became
" #38495C


" done

ColorV is a color view/pick/edit/design tool in vim.

It makes handling colors much easier.

With it, you can:

View colors

:ColorV (<leader>cv): show ColorV window

:ColorVView (<leader>cw): show ColorV window with color text under cursor.

:ColorVPreview (<leader>cpp): Preview colors in current buffer

Edit colors

:ColorVEdit (<leader>ce): Edit color text under cursor

:ColorVEditAll (<leader>cE): Edit color text under cursor and change all in current buffer.

:ColorVInsert (<leader>cii): Insert color with ColorV window.

Design Colors

:ColorVName (<leader>cn): show color name list window.

:ColorVList Hue (<leader>cgh) generate Hue list with color text under cursor.

:ColorVTurn2 {hex1} {hex2} (<leader>cgg) generate Hue list from hex1 to hex2.

:ColorVPicker (<leader>cd): show a GUI color picker.

And More

You can even use it under 8/256 color terminal.

Get latest and Post issues at https://github.com/Rykka/colorv.vim

• Using Vundle (Recommended)

  Add this line to your vimrc:

  Bundle 'Rykka/colorv.vim'
  

• Using downloaded zip/tar.gz file. Just extract it to your .vim folder .

• Related tools:
  • vim: Galaxy, generate colorschemes with colorv

• Global:
  • ColorV (<leader>cv)
  • ColorVView (<leader>cw)
  • ColorVEdit (<leader>ce)
  • ColorVEditTo {fmt} (<leader>c2r...) fmt see formats
  • ColorVEditAll (<leader>cE)
  • ColorVInsert {fmt} (<leader>cii...)
  • ColorVList {gen} (<leader>cg2...) gen see generates
  • ColorVTurn2 {hex1} {hex2} (<leader>cgg)
  • ColorVPreview (<leader>cpp)
  • ColorVPreviewLine (<leader>cpl)
  • ColorVClear (<leader>cpc)
  • ColorVPicker (<leader>cd)
• In ColorV window:
  • Double Click or Press <Enter> to trigger actions.
    1. Hue Line: change hue
    2. pallete: set current color
    3. Attrbuite: change attr of current color
    4. history pallete: previous 3 colors
    5. Tips: show tips or trigger relevant actions.
    6. Stats: change relevant setting.
  • <Tab>/<S-tab> will jump to next/prev input
  • +=/-_/scroll up/scroll down to change RGB/HSV attributes under cursor
  • yy/cc/p/yr/... to copy/paste colors
  • gg/g2/... to generate a list
  • q to quit
  • ? to show tips
  • Other actions, see :h colorv-mapping-buffer
• Detailed instructions: use :h colorv
• Options: see :h colorv-options

Color Text Formats:

There are following formats currently:

The KEY means the abbrevation key used in mapping

KEY  NAME    EXAMPLE                       DESCRIPTION
     HEX     FF00FF 334455
     rgb(f)  r:.00 g:.32 b:1.0             (float 0.0-1.0)
     HEX3    #CFF #F11
#/s  HEX#    #FF00FF #00FFFF #FFFFFFAA    (alpha ignored in preview)
0/x  HEX0    0xFFFF00   0xEE3399
n    NAME    red/lime/blue                 (|colorv-colorname|)
r    RGB     rgb(255,55,15)                (css1 standard)
ar   RGBA    rgba(205,25,255,1.0)          (css2 standard)
l    HSL     hsl(50,90%,40%)               (css3 standard)
al   HSLA    hsla(230,30%,50%,1.0)         (css3 standard)
     glRGBA  glColor4f(1.00,0.5,1.00,1.00) (openGL color format)
     ColorRGBA Color(0.0,0.0,0.0,1.0)      (float 0.0-1.0)
pr   RGBP    rgb(30%, 98%, 98%)
ap   RGBAP   rgba(100%,40%,100%,1.0)
h    HSV     hsv(360,100,100)
m    CMYK    cmyk(25,41, 0,46)

e.g.: <leader>cim  will insert a CMYK color text

Color Generate Methods:

There are following type currently:

The KEY means the abbrevation key used in mapping

KEY  NAME                     DESCRIPTION
h    Hue                      Hue
s    Saturation               Saturation
v    Value                    Value/Lightness
m    Monochromatic            Generate by S and V s/v+{step}
a    Analogous                Generate colors h+15
3    Triadic                  Generate 3 colors
4    Tetradic                 Generate 4 colors
n    Neutral                  Generate colors h+30
c    Clash                    Generate 3 clash color
q    Square                   Generate 4 colors h+90
5    Five-Tone                Generate 5 colors
6    Six-Tone                 Generate 6 colors
2    Complementary            Generate opposite color h+180
p    Split-Complementary      Generate 2 opposite colors
l    Luma                     Generate by Luma+{step} ('yiq' only)
g    Turn-To                  Generate colorlist by history_0 and history_1

e.g.: <leader>cg5  will generate a Five-Tone list

• 3.1:
  • add upload, maybe a site to uplad to is needed.
  • ColorVTurn2 should use cursor color text if hex1 omitted.
  • DONE 2013-04-21 Add '<Tab>/<S-Tab>' for input jumping
  • DONE 2013-04-21 Add 0 value support for pallette and input

• bug fix:
  • fix #16 and #17: nnor for maps inside colorv.
  • fix #18: #888888 term code should be 102
• 3.0.2:
  • add back_buf for all win.
  • add scheme fetch info.
  • fix scheme nav arrow pos.
• 3.0.1:
  • fix debug message: miss cache file.
  • fix scheme navigation with key.
  • update image.
• 3.0:
  • add Scheme (fetch, fav, edit, new)
  • change cache behavior
  • auto preview edited color if in a preview buffer
  • back to last buffer if closed colorv
  • add ColorVInsert

Anyone willing to help can contact me, for now.

• The document and helpdoc need rewrite.
• a tutor screencast is needed.