tailwindcss/docs/source/backgrounds.md

---
extends: _layouts.markdown
title: "Backgrounds"
---

# Backgrounds

<div class="row pull-x-4 mb-4">
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="bg-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-light
    </div>
    <div class="bg-light-soft px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-light-soft
    </div>
    <div class="bg-light-softer px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-light-softer
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-dark-soft px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-dark-soft
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-dark-softer px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-dark-softer
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="row pull-x-4 mb-4">
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-red-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-red-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-red px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-red
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-red-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-red-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-red-dark bg-red-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-red-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-orange-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-orange-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-orange px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-orange
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-orange-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-orange-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-orange-dark bg-orange-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-orange-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-yellow-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-yellow-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-yellow px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-yellow
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-yellow-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-yellow-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-yellow-dark bg-yellow-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-yellow-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="row pull-x-4 mb-4">
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-green-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-green-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-green px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-green
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-green-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-green-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-green-dark bg-green-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-green-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-teal-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-teal-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-teal px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-teal
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-teal-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-teal-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-teal-dark bg-teal-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-teal-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-blue-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-blue-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-blue px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-blue
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-blue-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-blue-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-blue-dark bg-blue-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-blue-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="row pull-x-4 mb-4">
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-indigo-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-indigo-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-indigo px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-indigo
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-indigo-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-indigo-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-indigo-dark bg-indigo-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-indigo-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-purple-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-purple-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-purple px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-purple
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-purple-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-purple-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-purple-dark bg-purple-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-purple-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-12 md:col-4 px-4">
    <div class="text-light bg-pink-dark px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-pink-dark
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-pink px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-pink
    </div>
    <div class="text-light bg-pink-light px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-pink-light
    </div>
    <div class="text-pink-dark bg-pink-lightest px-6 py-4 text-sm">
      .bg-pink-lightest
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Using the utilities in HTML:

```html
<div class="bg-light"></div>
<div class="bg-light-soft"></div>
<div class="bg-light-softer"></div>
<div class="bg-light-softest"></div>

<div class="bg-dark"></div>
<div class="bg-dark-soft"></div>
<div class="bg-dark-softer"></div>
<div class="bg-dark-softest"></div>
```

Using the utilities in Less:

```less
div {
  .bg-light;
  .bg-light-soft;
  .bg-light-softer;
  .bg-light-softest;

  .bg-dark;
  .bg-dark-soft;
  .bg-dark-softer;
  .bg-dark-softest;
}
```

## Responsive

The background utitlies can also be used with <a href="/responsive">responsive</a> prefixes:

```html
<!-- Using the utilities in HTML: -->

<div class="bg-dark sm:bg-dark-soft md:bg-dark-softer lg:bg-dark-softest"></div>
```

```less
// Using the utilities in Less:

div {
  .screen(lg, {
    .bg-light;
  });
}
```


## Custom backgrounds

How to generate custom background utilities:

```less
.define-text-color('primary';
  default #3498db,
  'light' #a0cfee,
  'dark'  #2980b9
;);
```

How to use custom background utilities:

```html
<!-- Using custom utilities in HTML: -->

<div class="bg-primary"></div>
<div class="bg-primary-light"></div>
<div class="bg-primary-dark"></div>

<!-- Responsive example -->
<div class="bg-primary sm:bg-primary-dark"></div>
```

```less
// Using custom utilities in Less:

div {
  .bg-primary;
  .bg-primary-light;
  .bg-primary-dark;

  // Responsive example
  .screen(lg, {
    .bg-primary;
  });
}
```