Colors, Tags, and Conditional Formatting

Introduction

Colors, tags, and conditional formatting are three different ways to make a document easier to scan.

  • Use Colors for direct visual emphasis on specific items.
  • Use Tags to classify items with reusable labels.
  • Use Conditional Formatting to style items automatically when they match rules.

They can work together. For example, you can create a tag called “Waiting”, apply it to blocked tasks, and add a conditional formatting rule that highlights every item with that tag.

Open Document Settings

Tags and conditional formatting rules belong to the current document. To configure them, open Document Settings.

You can open Document Settings from the application menu, or open the Command Menu and run Document Settings. For every document-specific option, see Document Configuration.

Application-wide settings, such as editor triggers, are separate. For those options, see Application Configuration.

Colors

Colors are direct item-level choices. Use them when you want to mark a specific item manually, such as a task that needs attention or a section that should stand out while planning.

Setting an item color to Default removes the explicit color from that item.

Apply a Color

You can apply colors from several places:

  • Select one or more items, then click a color in the toolbar Colors group.
  • Right-click an item or selection and use the Colors submenu.
  • Open the Command Menu and run a Color … command for the current selection.

For color-related drag-and-drop actions, see Drag & Drop.

Tags

Tags are reusable labels stored in the document. They are useful for categories such as “Waiting”, “Client”, “Urgent”, “Admin”, or any other grouping you want to reuse across a file.

Each tag has a name, icon, color, and position in the tag list. The tag color helps identify the tag itself; it is not the same as the direct item color described above.

Configure Tags

Open Document Settings > Tags to manage the tag list.

From there, you can:

  • Click Add Tag to create a new tag.
  • Edit the tag name.
  • Pick an icon from the icon catalog.
  • Choose the tag color.
  • Reorder tags in the list.
  • Delete a tag when you no longer need it.

Deleting a tag removes it from items and also removes references to that tag from conditional formatting rules.

Apply Tags

Once a document has tags, the toolbar shows a Tags group when there is enough space.

You can apply tags from several places:

  • Select one or more taggable items, then click a tag in the toolbar Tags group. Clicking toggles the tag for the selected taggable items.
  • Right-click a taggable item and use the Tags submenu.
  • Use Edit Tags in the context menu to jump directly to Document Settings > Tags.
  • Open the Command Menu and run Add Tag … or Remove Tag … commands for the current selection.

For tag-related drag-and-drop actions, see Drag & Drop.

Tags can be applied to item types that support tags, such as tasks and text items. When a tag action is not valid for the current selection, Colonnes disables or hides that action.

Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting styles items automatically when they match rules in the current document.

Use it when you want Colonnes to keep visual cues up to date for you, such as highlighting overdue tasks, marking items with a specific tag, or emphasizing folders whose progress is below a threshold.

Create a Rule

Open Document Settings > Conditional Formatting, then click Add Rule.

Choose one of the rule types:

  • Task Rule for task-style items.
  • Folder Rule for folder-style containers.

Select the rule in the list to edit it. You can reorder rules in the list.

Rule Properties

The Properties tab controls the rule itself:

  • Name is the label shown in the rule list.
  • Logic decides whether all conditions must match or whether any condition can match.
  • Enabled lets you keep a rule configured while temporarily ignoring it.
  • Duplicate Rule creates a copy you can adjust.
  • Delete Rule removes the rule.

Rule Conditions

The Conditions tab defines what the rule checks.

Task rules can check tags, text, space, schedule date, and finished state.

Folder rules can check tags, text, space, progress, total tasks, finished tasks, and unfinished tasks.

You can add multiple conditions and choose All conditions or Any condition in the Properties tab. Conditions can also be reordered when the order helps you keep the rule readable.

Rule Style

The Style tab defines what happens when the rule matches.

A rule can apply:

  • Bold
  • Italic
  • Strikethrough
  • Text color
  • Accent color (Icon color)

If multiple enabled rules match the same item, Colonnes combines the matching style settings. Use rule order and specific conditions to keep the result predictable.

Choose the Right Tool

Use direct colors for manual exceptions. They are fast, visible, and intentional.

Use tags for durable classification. Tags are especially useful when the same idea should apply to many items or drive conditional formatting.

Use conditional formatting for automatic highlighting. It is best when the styling should follow the item’s data, such as tags, text, space, dates, completion state, or folder progress.