colorful
Terminal string styling done right, in Python.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Colorful is a mature, low-friction package with no security issues, permissive licensing, and a single lightweight dependency. It solves a common terminal styling problem with a clean API. The aging maintenance status (289 days since last release) is not a blocker for a stable utility, but verify compatibility with your specific Python version before adopting.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency (colorama).
- Last release 289 days ago; repository is active and not archived, with 540 stars.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — MIT license (permissive); you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.
last release 2025-10-29 (289 days) · last repo commit 2025-10-29 · 540 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 17,997,435 downloads/mo, #1,091 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install colorful
import colorful as cf
print(cf.bold_white('Hello World'))
print(cf.red('red ' + cf.white('white', nested=True) + ' red'))- Whether colorama is automatically installed or must be installed separately on Windows
- Whether the package works correctly with all listed Python versions (3.4 through 3.14) given the aging maintenance status
What it is and what it does
Colorful is a terminal styling library that translates color and text formatting requests into ANSI escape codes. It provides a method-based API (e.g., `cf.bold_red('text')`), format-string support, and operator-based composition (`cf.bold & cf.red | 'text'`). The package automatically detects terminal capabilities and adapts output to 8-color, 256-color, or true-color modes, with options to override detection via environment variables or context managers.
The library ships with X11 color names by default and supports custom color palettes, predefined styles (solarized, monokai), and nested styling. It depends on colorama for Windows compatibility. The package has been stable since its 2013 inception and supports modern Python versions through 3.14, though recent maintenance activity is sparse.
Use it for
- Add colored output to CLI tools and scripts without manually constructing ANSI escape sequences
- Build terminal user interfaces with consistent styling across different terminal capabilities
- Create branded terminal output using custom color palettes matching corporate identity
- Apply temporary color modes in specific code blocks using context managers
- Format log output or diagnostic messages with color for improved readability
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Colorful is a mature, low-friction package with no security issues, permissive licensing, and a single lightweight dependency. It solves a common terminal styling problem with a clean API. The aging maintenance status (289 days since last release) is not a blocker for a stable utility, but verify compatibility with your specific Python version before adopting.
Install
colorful on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency (colorama). Last release 289 days ago; repository is active and not archived, with 540 stars.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive); you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install colorful
import colorful as cf
print(cf.bold_white('Hello World'))
print(cf.red('red ' + cf.white('white', nested=True) + ' red'))Verify before relying
- Whether colorama is automatically installed or must be installed separately on Windows
- Whether the package works correctly with all listed Python versions (3.4 through 3.14) given the aging maintenance status
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagecolorama |
| Maintenance | Aging 289 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 17,997,435 / month, #1,091 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: MacOS :: MacOS XOperating System :: Microsoft :: WindowsOperating System :: POSIXOperating System :: POSIX :: LinuxProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.4Programming Language :: Python :: 3.5Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: ImplementationProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy |
Evidence: colorful-0.5.8-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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