ColEscape="\033"; ColBlackF="${ColEscape}[30m"; ColRedF="${ColEscape}[31m"; ColGreenF="${ColEscape}[32m"; ColYellowF="${ColEscape}[33m"; ColBlueF="${ColEscape}[34m"; ColPurplef="${ColEscape}[35m"; ColCyanF="${ColEscape}[36m"; ColWhiteF="${ColEscape}[37m"; ColBlackB="${ColEscape}[40m"; ColRedB="${ColEscape}[41m"; ColGreenB="${ColEscape}[42m"; ColYellowB="${ColEscape}[43m"; ColBlueB="${ColEscape}[44m"; ColPurpleB="${ColEscape}[45m"; ColCyanB="${ColEscape}[46m"; ColWhiteB="${ColEscape}[47m"; ColBoldOn="${ColEscape}[1m"; ColBoldOff="${ColEscape}[22m"; ColItalicsOn="${ColEscape}[3m"; ColItalicsOff="${ColEscape}[23m"; ColUnderlineOn="${ColEscape}[4m"; ColUnderlineOff="${ColEscape}[24m"; ColBlinkOn="${ColEscape}[5m"; ColBlinkOff="${ColEscape}[25m"; ColInvertOn="${ColEscape}[7m"; ColInvertOff="${ColEscape}[27m"; ColReset="${ColEscape}[0m"; echo -e "${ColGreenF}Here is a green text.${ColReset}" Another version compatible with "read" : ColRedF=$'\e[31m'; ColReset=$'\e[0m'; read -p "${ColRedF}Foobar${ColReset}:" foobar echo -e ${ColRedF}Foobar${ColReset}" {{tag>bash}}