ANSI escape code

Colors

Text colors (and SGR parameters in general) are manipulated using CSI n1 [;n2 [; ...]] m sequences, where each n1, n2, ... is an SGR parameter as shown above. Thus, for instance, you use codes 30+i to specify foreground color, 40+i to specify background color, where i is the number in the desired color's column header in the table below. The following examples can be used with the printf utility, where \x1b[ implements the CSI: To switch the foreground color to black, use \x1b[30m; to switch to red, use \x1b[31m; utilizing the "bold" parameter, gray would be \x1b[30;1m; to get bold red, use \x1b[31;1m. To reset colors to their defaults, use \x1b[39;49m (or reset all attributes with \x1b[0m).

Color table^[11]

Intensity	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Normal	Black	Red	Green	Yellow[12]	Blue	Magenta	Cyan	White
Bright	Black	Red	Green	Yellow	Blue	Magenta	Cyan	White

There are two other color standards CSS/HTML standard colors and X Window colors which standardize both the color names and associated RGB color values, but the escape sequence standard only specifies the color names, not RGB values. The chart below shows default RGB assignments for some common terminal programs, together with the CSS and the X Window System colors for these color names.^{[citation needed]}

	Color name	Standard VGA colors	Windows XP CMD	Terminal.app	PuTTY	mIRC	xterm	CSS/HTML	X
Normal	Black	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0	0, 0, 0
	Red	170, 0, 0	128, 0, 0	194, 54, 33	187, 0, 0	127, 0, 0	205, 0, 0	255, 0, 0	255, 0, 0
	Green	0, 170, 0	0, 128, 0	37, 188, 36	0, 187, 0	0, 147, 0	0, 205, 0	0, 255, 0	0, 128, 0
	Brown/yellow	170, 85, 0	128, 128, 0	173, 173, 39	187, 187, 0	252, 127, 0	205, 205, 0	255, 255, 0	255, 255, 0
	Blue	0, 0, 170	0, 0, 128	73, 46, 225	0, 0, 187	0, 0, 127	0, 0, 238	0, 0, 255	0, 0, 255
	Magenta	170, 0, 170	128, 0, 128	211, 56, 211	187, 0, 187	156, 0, 156	205, 0, 205	255, 0, 255	255, 0, 255
	Cyan	0, 170, 170	0, 128, 128	51, 187, 200	0, 187, 187	0, 147, 147	0, 205, 205	0, 255, 255	0, 255, 255
	Gray	170, 170, 170	192, 192, 192	203, 204, 205	187, 187, 187	210, 210, 210	229, 229, 229	255, 255, 255	255, 255, 255
Bright/light	Darkgray	85, 85, 85	128, 128, 128	129, 131, 131	85, 85, 85	127, 127, 127	127, 127, 127
	Red	255, 85, 85	255, 0, 0	252,57,31	255, 85, 85	255, 0, 0	255, 0, 0
	Green	85, 255, 85	0, 255, 0	49, 231, 34	85, 255, 85	0, 252, 0	0, 255, 0	144, 238, 144	144, 238, 144
	Yellow	255, 255, 85	255, 255, 0	234, 236, 35	255, 255, 85	255, 255, 0	255, 255, 0	255, 255, 224	225, 255, 224
	Blue	85, 85, 255	0, 0, 255	88, 51, 255	85, 85, 255	0, 0, 252	92, 92, 255	173, 216, 230	173, 216, 230
	Magenta	255, 85, 255	255, 0, 255	249, 53, 248	255, 85, 255	255, 0, 255	255, 0, 255
	Cyan	85, 255, 255	0, 255, 255	20, 240, 240	85, 255, 255	0, 255, 255	0, 255, 255	224, 255, 255	224, 255, 255
	White	255, 255, 255	255, 255, 255	233, 235, 235	255, 255, 255	255, 255, 255	255, 255, 255

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code