macOS Selected Text Background

NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor

Typographic & Label Hierarchy

Adaptive System Token•macOS 10.10+ / 10.14+, AppKit

Complete technical specification and developer reference for Selected Text Background in Apple's macOS design system. In light appearance, it resolves to HEX #B3D7FF; in dark appearance, it dynamically adapts to HEX #3F638B. Features wide-gamut Display P3 values, UIKit bridge (UIColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor), AppKit bridge (NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor), WCAG contrast audit, and Xcode drop-in initializers.

Light Mode#B3D7FF

Dark Mode#3F638B

Selected Text Background Color Preview

The background of selected text.

ColorNSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor

Copy:

Dynamic Asset

Typographic & Label Hierarchy

macOS 10.10+ / 10.14+, AppKit

Initializers & Color Spaces

Color(r:g:b:)Color(red: 0.702, green: 0.843, blue: 1.000)

Color(r:g:b:op:)Color(red: 0.702, green: 0.843, blue: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)

Color(hue:sat:bri:)HSBColor(hue: 0.588, saturation: 0.298, brightness: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)

Color(.displayP3)Wide GamutColor(.displayP3, red: 0.729, green: 0.839, blue: 0.984, opacity: 1.00)

Color(.sRGB)Color(.sRGB, red: 0.702, green: 0.843, blue: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)

Color(hex:)ExtensionColor(hex: "#B3D7FF")

#colorLiteralXcode#colorLiteral(red: 0.702, green: 0.843, blue: 1.000, alpha: 1.00)

Color(uiColor:)iOSColor(uiColor: UIColor(red: 0.702, green: 0.843, blue: 1.000, alpha: 1.00))

Active HEX: #B3D7FFP3 R: 0.729 G: 0.839 B: 0.984

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 / Space	Light Appearance	Dark Appearance	Swift Code Literal
HEX Code	#B3D7FF	#3F638B	Color(hex: "#B3D7FF")
sRGB (0–255)	rgb(179, 215, 255)	rgb(63, 99, 139)	(r: 0.702, g: 0.843, b: 1.000)
Display P3 (Wide Gamut)	P3 (0.729, 0.839, 0.984)	P3 (0.278, 0.384, 0.533)	Color(.displayP3, ...)
HSL / HSB	hsl(212, 100%, 85%)	hsl(212, 38%, 40%)	Color(hue:sat:bri:)
Platform Bridge	UIKit: `UIColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor`	AppKit: `NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor`	Color(uiColor:) / Color(nsColor:)

Light Appearance

Light Theme

HEX Code

#B3D7FF

RGB (0–255)

rgb(179, 215, 255)

HSL

hsl(212, 100%, 85%)

Normalized Swift Literal:

(r: 0.702, g: 0.843, b: 1.000)

Dark Appearance

Dark Theme

HEX Code

#3F638B

RGB (0–255)

rgb(63, 99, 139)

HSL

hsl(212, 38%, 40%)

Normalized Swift Literal:

(r: 0.247, g: 0.388, b: 0.545)

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/Selected Text Background.colorset/

Includes Light + Dark Modes

Contents.json

{
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.702",
          "green": "0.843",
          "blue": "1.000",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    },
    {
      "appearances": [
        {
          "appearance": "luminosity",
          "value": "dark"
        }
      ],
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.247",
          "green": "0.388",
          "blue": "0.545",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

Live UI Component Sandbox

Preview Color.selected text background 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 Selected Text Background accents.

Dynamic Headline in Selected Text Background

.foregroundStyle(NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor)

Platform Implementation Snippets

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

AppKit (macOS Swift)

// AppKit (macOS)
let button = NSButton()
button.contentTintColor = NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor

// Custom Layer Tint
let layer = CALayer()
layer.backgroundColor = NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor.cgColor

// Bridging AppKit into SwiftUI
let swiftUIColor = Color(nsColor: .selectedTextBackgroundColor)

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Contrast Audit

Contrast calculations of Selected Text Background against pure white and iOS OLED dark surfaces.

Light Mode (#B3D7FF)on White (#FFF)

Contrast Ratio:1.49:1

Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail

Dark Mode (#3F638B)on Dark (#1C1C1E)

Contrast Ratio:2.73:1

Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail

Recommended HIG Use Cases

Table view and outline view cells
Window title bar text and dialog headings
Form field captions and status labels

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Full window background surfaces
Thick border fills

Browse More macOS Colors

Quickly jump to other Apple system colors and semantic tokens.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor in macOS AppKit apps?

In AppKit, assign NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor to NSView, NSTextField, or NSButton styling. In SwiftUI on macOS, bridge it using Color(nsColor: .selectedTextBackgroundColor).

What is the HEX code for macOS Selected Text Background in light and dark mode?

In light appearance, Selected Text Background resolves to #B3D7FF. In dark appearance, it automatically adapts to #3F638B.

How do I bridge NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor into SwiftUI?

In SwiftUI views on macOS, instantiate Color(nsColor: .selectedTextBackgroundColor) to access the native AppKit dynamic color token.

Does Selected Text Background adapt to Dark Mode and vibrancy in macOS?

Yes, NSColor.selectedTextBackgroundColor is an appearance-aware NSColor that updates automatically when switching between light and dark modes or across vibrant desktop materials.

Why use AppKit system colors instead of hardcoded hex values?

NSColor system tokens adapt automatically to user accent color preferences, Dark Mode, and accessibility contrast settings.