How to Color Sentences in Obsidian: A Quick Guide for Beginners

If you’re using Obsidian, the popular note-taking app, you might have noticed how sleek and minimalist its interface is. But sometimes, that minimalism makes it hard to emphasize certain parts of your text, like sentences or keywords. Wouldn’t it be great if you could color sentences to make them stand out? Good news—you can!

In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to add color to your notes in Obsidian using simple tips and tricks. Let’s dive in!

Why Color Sentences in Obsidian?

Before we get to the how, let’s talk about why you might want to color your sentences:

• Highlight Important Ideas: Make key points pop.
• Organize Notes: Assign colors to different themes or categories.
• Visual Appeal: Let’s be real—color-coded notes just look better!

The Basics of Adding Color in Obsidian

Obsidian doesn’t have a built-in feature for coloring text (yet), but you can use a combination of Markdown and CSS snippets to make it happen. Don’t worry if that sounds technical—I’ll break it down step by step.

Step 1: Enable Custom CSS in Obsidian

To start coloring sentences, you’ll need to enable custom CSS in Obsidian:

1. Go to Settings > Appearance.
2. Scroll down and enable the option for CSS Snippets.
3. If you don’t see the CSS Snippets option, make sure you’ve installed the latest version of Obsidian.

Step 2: Create a CSS Snippet

Now let’s create the magic file that will allow you to add colors:

1. Navigate to your Obsidian vault folder on your computer.
2. Look for a folder named .obsidian/snippets. If it doesn’t exist, create it.
3. Inside the snippets folder, create a new file and name it something like text-colors.css.

Step 3: Add CSS Code for Text Colors

Copy and paste the following code into your text-colors.css file:

Save the file.

Step 4: Activate the Snippet in Obsidian

Go back to Settings > Appearance > CSS Snippets.

1. You should see your new text-colors.css snippet listed.
2. Click on the toggle to activate it.

Step 5: Add Colored Sentences in Your Notes

Now that your snippet is active, you can start coloring sentences in your notes:

• Use HTML-like tags in your Obsidian notes to apply the colors. For example:

Once you’ve written these in your notes, they’ll render as colored text when you switch to Preview Mode.

Pro Tips for Coloring Text in Obsidian

1. Keep It Simple: Don’t overdo it with too many colors—stick to 2-3 shades for better readability.
2. Match Your Workflow: Use specific colors for specific purposes, like red for warnings or blue for ideas.
3. Experiment with Styles: You can modify your CSS snippet to include bold, italics, or even background highlights for more variety.

FAQs About Coloring Sentences in Obsidian

1. Can I Use Pre-Made CSS Snippets?

Absolutely! You can find pre-made CSS snippets shared by the Obsidian community online. Just make sure to download them from reliable sources.

2. Will These Colors Work on Mobile?

Yes, as long as your custom snippet is synced with your mobile vault, the colors will work across devices.

3. Can I Add More Colors?

Definitely! Just add more lines to your CSS file, like this:

Final Thoughts

Customizing your Obsidian notes with colored sentences is a game-changer, especially if you’re a visual learner. With a little bit of setup, you can make your notes both functional and visually appealing.

Got questions about adding colors or other Obsidian features? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to help you out!

Ready to bring some color to your notes? Let’s make it happen!