Apple UI Colors

iOS Label

UIColor.label
Typographic & Foreground Hierarchy
Adaptive System Token•iOS 13.0+, iPadOS 13.0+, macCatalyst 13.0+

Complete technical specification and developer reference for Label in Apple's iOS & iPadOS design system. In light appearance, it resolves to HEX #000000; in dark appearance, it dynamically adapts to HEX #FFFFFF. Features wide-gamut Display P3 values, UIKit bridge (UIColor.label), AppKit bridge (NSColor.labelColor), WCAG contrast audit, and Xcode drop-in initializers.

Light Mode#000000
Dark Mode#FFFFFF
Label Color Preview

The primary color for text labels.

ColorUIColor.label
Copy:
Dynamic Asset
Typographic & Foreground Hierarchy
iOS 13.0+, iPadOS 13.0+, macCatalyst 13.0+
Initializers & Color Spaces
Color(r:g:b:)Color(red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000)
Color(r:g:b:op:)Color(red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(hue:sat:bri:)HSBColor(hue: 0.000, saturation: 0.000, brightness: 0.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(.displayP3)Wide GamutColor(.displayP3, red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(.sRGB)Color(.sRGB, red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(hex:)ExtensionColor(hex: "#000000")
#colorLiteralXcode#colorLiteral(red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, alpha: 1.00)
Color(uiColor:)iOSColor(uiColor: UIColor(red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, alpha: 1.00))
Active HEX: #000000P3 R: 0.000 G: 0.000 B: 0.000

Technical Color Specifications

Exact resolved HEX codes, sRGB 8-bit components, HSL, and normalized Swift floating-point decimals for Light and Dark modes.

Color Metric / SpaceLight AppearanceDark AppearanceSwift Code Literal
HEX Code#000000#FFFFFFColor(hex: "#000000")
sRGB (0–255)rgb(0, 0, 0)rgb(255, 255, 255)(r: 0.000, g: 0.000, b: 0.000)
Display P3 (Wide Gamut)P3 (0.000, 0.000, 0.000)P3 (1.000, 1.000, 1.000)Color(.displayP3, ...)
HSL / HSBhsl(0, 0%, 0%)hsl(0, 0%, 100%)Color(hue:sat:bri:)
Platform BridgeUIKit: UIColor.labelAppKit: NSColor.labelColorColor(uiColor:) / Color(nsColor:)

Light Appearance

Light Theme
HEX Code
#000000
RGB (0–255)
rgb(0, 0, 0)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 0%)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 0.000, g: 0.000, b: 0.000)

Dark Appearance

Dark Theme
HEX Code
#FFFFFF
RGB (0–255)
rgb(255, 255, 255)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 100%)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 1.000, g: 1.000, b: 1.000)

Drop-In Developer Snippets

Ready-to-paste code blocks for Xcode asset catalogs and Swift files.

Xcode Location: Save as Contents.json inside Assets.xcassets/Label.colorset/
Includes Light + Dark Modes
Contents.json
{
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.000",
          "green": "0.000",
          "blue": "0.000",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    },
    {
      "appearances": [
        {
          "appearance": "luminosity",
          "value": "dark"
        }
      ],
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "1.000",
          "green": "1.000",
          "blue": "1.000",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

Live UI Component Sandbox

Preview Color.label inside standard Apple interface components.

Interactive Controls
Active TagBadge 99+
Toggle Tint
Container & Typography Styling

●SwiftUI Notification

Just now

Demonstrates how Apple designers pair system background tints with dynamic Label accents.

Dynamic Headline in Label

.foregroundStyle(UIColor.label)

Platform Implementation Snippets

Ready-to-use Swift code for SwiftUI, UIKit, and AppKit applications.

UIKit (Swift)
// UIKit (iOS, tvOS, watchOS)
let view = UIView()
view.backgroundColor = UIColor.label

// Label Tinting
let label = UILabel()
label.textColor = UIColor.label

// Bridging UIKit into SwiftUI
let swiftUIColor = Color(uiColor: .label)

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Contrast Audit

Contrast calculations of Label against pure white and iOS OLED dark surfaces.

Light Mode (#000000)on White (#FFF)
Contrast Ratio:21.00:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Pass (AA)
Dark Mode (#FFFFFF)on Dark (#1C1C1E)
Contrast Ratio:17.01:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Pass (AA)

Recommended HIG Use Cases

  • Text labels, headings, and subtitles
  • SF Symbols and vector glyphs
  • Hierarchical content reading order

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

  • Large solid background container fills
  • Divider hair lines or decorative borders

Browse More iOS & iPadOS Colors

Quickly jump to other Apple system colors and semantic tokens.

All 35 Colors →
System Blue
System Green
System Indigo
System Orange
System Pink
System Purple
System Red
System Teal
System Yellow
System Gray
System Gray 2
System Gray 3
System Gray 4
System Gray 5
System Gray 6
System Background
Secondary System Background
Tertiary System Background

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use UIColor.label in iOS and iPadOS apps?

In UIKit, assign UIColor.label directly to properties like view.backgroundColor, label.textColor, or tintColor. In SwiftUI, bridge it using Color(uiColor: .label).

What is the HEX code for iOS Label in light and dark mode?

In light appearance, Label resolves to #000000. In dark appearance, it automatically adapts to #FFFFFF.

How do I bridge UIColor.label into SwiftUI?

In SwiftUI views on iOS 15+, initialize Color(uiColor: .label) to utilize this system color with full appearance dynamism.

Does Label adapt automatically to dark appearance in iOS?

Yes, UIColor.label is an appearance-aware dynamic UIColor that automatically responds to UITraitCollection changes between light and dark appearances.

Why use UIKit system colors instead of hardcoded hex values?

System colors dynamically adapt to Dark Mode, Accessibility Increase Contrast mode, and future iOS visual refinements without manual color bookkeeping.