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Color variables are one of the most powerful features in Figma for creating scalable, consistent, and themeable design systems. Rather than manually adjusting colors across hundreds of layers, you can define reusable variables that update your entire UI with just a few clicks.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to set, apply, and manage color variables in Figma — the right way.

🎨 What Are Color Variables in Figma?

Color variables allow you to define named colors once and then reuse them across your designs. They’re similar to CSS custom properties (like --primary-color) and are especially useful when:

• Creating design tokens
• Managing themes (dark/light mode)
• Building multi-brand systems
• Making global design updates

🛠 Step-by-Step: How to Set Color Variables

✅ 1. Open the Variables Panel

• Go to Figma → Local Variables (from the right-side bar or the Assets tab).
• Click “Create Variable Collection” and give it a name like “Color Tokens” or “Global Colors.”

✅ 2. Create a New Color Variable

• Click the + button to add a new variable.
• Choose type: Color
• Name your variable (e.g., Primary / Base, Text / Secondary, Background / Light)
• Choose a color using the color picker.

💡 Tip: Use a naming convention that reflects your design system (e.g., semantic names like Success/Fill).

✅ 3. Apply the Color Variable

• Select any object (text, shape, component).
• In the Fill section, click the style chip or color box.
• Click the “Variable” icon on the right of the color panel.
• Choose your variable from the list or use the search bar.

The object is now linked to the variable — any updates to the variable will reflect instantly on all linked elements.

🌓 Optional: Add Modes for Theming (Dark/Light)

To use color variables for theme switching:

1. In your variable collection, click “Add Mode”
2. Name modes like Light, Dark, or High Contrast
3. Assign different color values to each mode
4. Apply these variables across components and layouts

Figma will now automatically switch between modes when previewing or handing off designs — without changing components manually.

🎯 Pro Tips

Tip	Why It Helps
Group variables by purpose (Primary, Accent, Text)	Keeps system organized
Use “/” in names (e.g., Button/Background)	Creates nested structure
Limit number of variables per mode	Easier to maintain
Combine with Dev Mode	Developers can inspect color tokens directly

💡 Use Cases

• Building multi-brand UI libraries
• Enabling dark mode and light mode effortlessly
• Applying accessibility updates (contrast, color-blind safe palettes)
• Maintaining brand consistency across platforms

🧼 How to Clean Up Color Variables

Over time, unused or duplicate variables can clutter your system. Use the “Show All References” option to check where each variable is used. If it has no references, consider deleting or merging it.

🚀 Wrap-Up: Color Variables = Smarter Design Systems

Setting color variables in Figma is an essential skill for any designer working in a collaborative, component-driven, or developer-facing workflow. It saves time, improves consistency, and future-proofs your files.

Want to master Figma Variables, Tokens, and Dev Mode? Explore more at Designilo.com.