What is the difference between § (section sign) and & (ampersand) in Minecraft?

The section symbol (§) is the native formatting character built into vanilla Minecraft books, signs, and Bedrock chat, whereas the ampersand (&) is used by Java server plugins like EssentialsX and LuckPerms because § cannot be typed directly in vanilla Java chat.

How do I type the § symbol on Windows, Mac, and Mobile?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0167 or 21 on the numpad. On Mac, press Option + 6. On iOS and Android keyboards, long-press the & or % symbol to reveal §.

Why does selecting a new color code cancel Bold or Underline formatting?

In Minecraft's text parser, every color code (0-9, a-f, or HEX) automatically resets all active style flags. Always place formatting codes (k, l, m, n, o) AFTER the color code.

Complete Legacy 16-Color (§0–§f), Formatting (§k–§r) & 1.16+ HEX Reference

Minecraft Color Codes Generator

Click any color or style chip below to build formatted chat messages, Book & Quill pages, hanging signs, and server announcements. Our Minecraft Color Codes Generator supports both plugin ampersand (&) and vanilla section (§) prefixes with instant live rendering.

1. Click Color & Style Chips to Insert

16 Standard Chat & Sign Colors (Click to Append)

6 Formatting & Reset Codes

Insert Custom 1.16+ HEX Color Token

2. Live Sign, Book & Chat Previewer

&6&lHexSage &b&nColor Studio &a1.21

Interactive Formatted Text Editor

Complete Reference Chart: All 16 Legacy Colors & 6 Formatting Codes

Since the earliest days of Minecraft Classic and Beta, the game engine has included 16 built-in text colors and 6 typographic formatting modifiers. Whether you are writing a colorful rulebook on a Lectern, dyeing an Oak Hanging Sign, or configuring a scoreboard sidebar, our Minecraft Color Codes Generator gives you exact hexadecimal equivalents for both foreground text and drop shadows:

Color / Style Name	Section Code (`§`)	Plugin Code (`&`)	MOTD Unicode	Foreground HEX	Background Shadow HEX
Black	`§0`	`&0`	`\u00A70`	`#000000`	`#000000`
Dark Blue	`§1`	`&1`	`\u00A71`	`#0000AA`	`#00002A`
Dark Green	`§2`	`&2`	`\u00A72`	`#00AA00`	`#002A00`
Dark Aqua	`§3`	`&3`	`\u00A73`	`#00AAAA`	`#002A2A`
Dark Red	`§4`	`&4`	`\u00A74`	`#AA0000`	`#2A0000`
Dark Purple	`§5`	`&5`	`\u00A75`	`#AA00AA`	`#2A002A`
Gold	`§6`	`&6`	`\u00A76`	`#FFAA00`	`#2A2A00`
Gray	`§7`	`&7`	`\u00A77`	`#AAAAAA`	`#2A2A2A`
Dark Gray	`§8`	`&8`	`\u00A78`	`#555555`	`#151515`
Blue	`§9`	`&9`	`\u00A79`	`#5555FF`	`#15153F`
Green	`§a`	`&a`	`\u00A7a`	`#55FF55`	`#153F15`
Aqua	`§b`	`&b`	`\u00A7b`	`#55FFFF`	`#153F3F`
Red	`§c`	`&c`	`\u00A7c`	`#FF5555`	`#3F1515`
Light Purple (Pink)	`§d`	`&d`	`\u00A7d`	`#FF55FF`	`#3F153F`
Yellow	`§e`	`&e`	`\u00A7e`	`#FFFF55`	`#3F3F15`
White	`§f`	`&f`	`\u00A7f`	`#FFFFFF`	`#3F3F3F`
Obfuscated (Magic)	`§k`	`&k`	`\u00A7k`	Cycles random characters of equal pixel width
Bold	`§l`	`&l`	`\u00A7l`	Increases glyph stroke weight by +1px
Strikethrough	`§m`	`&m`	`\u00A7m`	Draws horizontal line through text center
Underline	`§n`	`&n`	`\u00A7n`	Draws solid bar 1px below baseline
Italic	`§o`	`&o`	`\u00A7o`	Slants characters 14 degrees to the right
Reset	`§r`	`&r`	`\u00A7r`	Restores default color and clears all styles

Want to blend smooth multi-color transitions instead of picking individual flat codes? Switch over to our Minecraft Gradient Generator or Minecraft Text Gradient Generator, match building blocks in the Minecraft Block Gradient Generator, or preview Smithing Table armor dyes in the Minecraft Armor Trim Calculator.

How to Use the Minecraft Color Codes Generator Across Java & Bedrock

Understanding where to use § versus & saves massive frustration when decorating survival worlds or configuring server plugins. Here is the exact workflow supported by our Minecraft Color Codes Generator:

Choose Your Prefix Symbol: Leave the dropdown on Plugin Ampersand (&) if you play on a Java multiplayer server with EssentialsX, LuckPerms, or CMI. Switch the dropdown to Vanilla Section (§) if you are pasting into a Java Edition Book and Quill, typing in Bedrock Edition chat/signs, or naming a world folder.
Always Pick Color First, Then Style: Click a color chip (such as &6 Gold) before clicking &l Bold or &n Underline. In Minecraft's parser, clicking a color chip after a style chip immediately cancels the bold or underline effect.
Mix Legacy Codes with 1.16+ HEX Tokens: On modern Paper and Spigot 1.21 servers, you can combine classic codes like &7[ with custom 24-bit HEX colors like &#55efc4 inside the same line using the custom color picker in our chat formatting tool.

Exclusive Bedrock Edition Material Color Codes (§g – §u)

In addition to the 16 classic colors shared with Java Edition, Minecraft Bedrock Edition (1.19.80 through 1.21) added 11 extra ore and armor-trim color codes that work natively on signs, books, and chat without any add-ons: §g (Minecoin Gold #DDD605), §h (Material Quartz #E3D4D1), §i (Material Iron #CECACA), §j (Material Netherite #443A3B), §m (Material Redstone), §n (Material Copper #B4684D), §p (Material Gold), §q (Material Emerald #11A036), §s (Material Diamond #2CBAA8), §t (Material Lapis #21497B), and §u (Material Amethyst #9A5CC6).

Advanced Formatting Rules: Signs, Books, World Names & Server MOTDs

Mastering legacy and hexadecimal escape codes opens up hidden customization options across every menu in the game. Here is how experienced server builders and survival players apply codes from our Minecraft Color Codes Generator to four essential in-game surfaces:

Multi-Page Book and Quill Formatting: In vanilla Java Edition singleplayer and multiplayer, the Book and Quill interface accepts pasted section codes directly from your clipboard. Copy a string using the § prefix mode above and press Ctrl + V inside your book page to create colored chapter headings, bold warnings, and underlined table-of-contents links without needing operator commands.
Singleplayer World Names & Resource Pack Descriptions: When creating a new survival world or editing pack.mcmeta for a custom resource pack, you can paste § color codes directly into the world title or description field. If you edit server.properties for a dedicated server, convert each § symbol into its six-character Java Unicode escape sequence (\u00A7) so the Linux or Windows JVM parses the bytes cleanly on startup.
Team Prefixes & Glowing Entity Outlines: Did you know that the glowing outline effect from Spectral Arrows or the /effect give @p glowing command inherits its color from the player's scoreboard team? Running /team modify <team> color dark_aqua assigns one of the 16 standard palette colors listed in our reference chart above to both the player's nameplate and their 3D glowing silhouette.
Contrast & Readability Best Practices: Dark codes like &0 (Black), &1 (Dark Blue), and &8 (Dark Gray) have very low contrast against the translucent black multiplayer chat background. Reserve dark colors for bright parchment surfaces (such as Book and Quill pages or Birch signs) and choose high-luminance codes like &e (Yellow), &b (Aqua), &a (Green), and &6 (Gold) for dark chat boxes and scoreboard sidebars.

Frequently Asked Questions About Legacy & HEX Chat Color Codes

1. Why can't I type or paste the § section symbol in vanilla Java Edition chat or signs?

Mojang deliberately blocks the § character in vanilla Java client chat boxes and sign GUIs to prevent players from spoofing server operator messages. However, you can paste § strings generated by our Minecraft Color Codes Generator directly into a vanilla Book and Quill! For signs in survival Java 1.20+, simply right-click the sign with any of the 16 Dyes and a Glow Ink Sac.

2. How do I remove the default Italic style when renaming items with commands?

Whenever an item has a custom name in Minecraft, the game renders it in italics by default. In plugin GUIs, prefix your string with &r or explicit color codes from our interactive code picker. In vanilla 1.21 commands, include "italic":false inside the JSON text component.

3. What keyboard shortcut types the § section sign on Windows, Mac, Xbox, and PS5?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 21 or 0167 on your physical Numpad (or copy-paste directly from our section sign formatting tool). On macOS, press Option + 6. On Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch, open the on-screen virtual keyboard, switch to the symbols page (&%#), and hold down the & or § key.

4. Why does &m or §n not work in Bedrock Edition?

While Java Edition uses §m for Strikethrough and §n for Underline, Bedrock Edition reassigned §m to Material Redstone color and §n to Material Copper color in update 1.19.80. In Bedrock, stick to §l (Bold), §o (Italic), §k (Obfuscated), and §r (Reset).

5. How do I make glowing neon text on Hanging Signs in 1.21?

Craft your Hanging Sign or regular sign, type your text, and right-click the sign with a Dye (such as Lime, Cyan, or Magenta) followed by a Glow Ink Sac dropped by Glow Squids. This applies an bright outer outline identical to the preview box in our sign and chat color picker. And if you are enchanting gear next to your storage signs, check out our partner Minecraft Enchantment & Anvil Calculator!