# Colour BPMN elements

Colour carries no meaning in BPMN, which makes it safe to use for emphasis: marking what is changing, highlighting a path under discussion, or shading a lane.

Recolouring is done from the context pad, and it is stored in the BPMN file.

![image-20260907-085904.png](https://help.gocapable.com/images/f664fd25-9143-426c-946b-048f5edb6552.webp)

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## What this is for

* Highlighting the path being discussed in a review.
* Marking which parts of a process are changing.
* Distinguishing current state from proposed state.

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## How it works

| **Action**        | **How**                                                     |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Recolour          | Select elements, then the colour option on the context pad. |
| Multiple elements | Select several first; the colour applies to all of them.    |
| Reset             | Choose the default colour to return to standard rendering.  |
| Storage           | Colour is stored in the file, so it survives export.        |

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## A few things that catch people out

* Colour is not notation. Never use it as the only way to express something meaningful.
* Some readers cannot distinguish colours. Pair colour with a label or an annotation.
* Colour survives export to other BPMN tools, though not every tool renders it.

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## Related

[Import and export BPMN XMLMoving processes in and out.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/import-and-export-bpmn-xml.html)

[BPMN keyboard shortcutsSelection, editing and undo.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/bpmn-keyboard-shortcuts.html)

[BPMN editorBack to the editor overview.](https://help.gocapable.com/diagrams/bpmn-editor.html)

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_Simulate it before you publish it._