MolDraw Learn

How to change atom colours and colour a structure

Beginner 4 min 3 steps

Short answer: Turn on element colours in Settings. To colour part of a molecule, select it and pick a colour in Color and style.

You will learn to: Turn on element colours; Select a molecule; Colour it red.

1 Watch demo2 Try in editor

Watch the demo

Colours in about 20 seconds.

The steps in text

Step 1: Draw ethanol

  1. Draw one bond. Change the left atom to O.
  2. Click C in the palette. Then click the right atom with the bond tool.

Step 2: Turn on element colours

  1. Click Settings (the gear).
  2. Turn on Color atom labels by element. Close Settings.

Step 3: Colour the molecule red

  1. Press Ctrl+A to select all.
  2. Click Color and style (the palette button).
  3. Click the red swatch.

Try it in the editor

The full MolDraw editor opens here. It loads when you open this tab.

Questions and answers

How do I colour one part of a molecule?

Select that part, then pick a colour in Color and style.

How do I colour atoms by element?

Open Settings and turn on Color atom labels by element.

Do colours stay in exports?

Yes. Colours stay in SVG, PDF and PNG files.

For more detail, read the guide in the docs.