How do I make my own custom UIColor's other than the preset ones?

Question

I want to make my own RGB colors that are UIColors and that I could use just like UIColor blackColor or any other.

Solution 1

You can write your own method for UIColor class using categories.

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
@interface UIColor(NewColor)
+(UIColor *)MyColor;
@end

#import "UIColor-NewColor.h"
@implementation UIColor(NewColor)
+(UIColor *)MyColor {
     return [UIColor colorWithRed:0.0-1.0 green:0.0-1.0 blue:0.0-1.0 alpha:1.0f];
}

By this way, you create a new color and now you can call it like

[UIColor MyColor];

You can also implement this method to obtain random color. Hope this helps.

Solution 2

I needed to define a couple of custom colors for use in several places in an app - but the colours are specific to that app. I thought about using categories, but didn't want to have extra files to include every time. I've therefore created a couple of static methods in my App delegate.

In MyAppDelegate.h

+ (UIColor*)myColor1;

In MyAppDelegate.m

+ (UIColor*)myColor1 {  
return [UIColor colorWithRed:26.0f/255.0f green:131.0f/255.0f blue:32.0f/255.0f alpha:1.0f];  
}

I have a method per color, or you could do a single method and add a parameter.

I can then use it anywhere in the app like this:

myView.backgroundColor = [MyAppDelegate myColor1];

I hope this helps someone else.

Solution 3

Swift 3

Creating a Swift extension allows you to define your own custom colors and use them just like the built in colors.

UIColor+CustomColor.swift

import UIKit

extension UIColor {

    class var customGreen: UIColor {
        let darkGreen = 0x008110
        return UIColor.rgb(fromHex: darkGreen)
    }

    class func rgb(fromHex: Int) -> UIColor {

        let red =   CGFloat((fromHex & 0xFF0000) >> 16) / 0xFF
        let green = CGFloat((fromHex & 0x00FF00) >> 8) / 0xFF
        let blue =  CGFloat(fromHex & 0x0000FF) / 0xFF
        let alpha = CGFloat(1.0)

        return UIColor(red: red, green: green, blue: blue, alpha: alpha)
    }
}

Usage:

view.backgroundColor = UIColor.customGreen

Solution 4

[UIColor colorWithRed:51.0 / 255.0, green:0.0, blue:153.0 / 255.0];

As long as you use a floating point value in your division you don't have to cast anything. Make sure you use floating point values. For example: 33 / 255 = 0. Which will become black.

Solution 5

There are a couple of ways to create a color.

I prefer to use the RGB method. If you use the RGB values, divide them by 255 (I do not remember why, but I know you need to do it).

float rd = 225.00/255.00;
float gr = 177.00/255.00;
float bl = 140.00/255.00;
[label setTextColor:[UIColor colorWithRed:rd green:gr blue:bl alpha:1.0]];

Hope this helps.....

View more solutions

Comments

[Jab]

But would that allow me to say something like: UIColor *orangeColor = [UIColor alloc] initWithRed:greenLblue:alpha:]; and then use it later?

[gerry3]

Yes, with the correct syntax. I added code examples. Make sure to properly manage the memory: if you use the class convenience constructor, then you need to retain the color object or set a retained property to it.

[gerry3]

The red, green, blue, and alpha values that are passed to the constructor need to be between 0.0 and 1.0.

[griotspeak]

App delegates want to be good. But then they learn about things. They learn about things they have no business knowing.

[adjwilli]

I'm using a similar solution but I have to called something like: [[UIColor alloc] MyColor] for it to work. Is there a way to not have to allocate it?

[Joe Masilotti]

@adjwilli Make sure you are using a + in front of the method declaration, not a -. This will make it a class method vs. an instance method.

[amallard]

This needs to be at the top of the answers list.