---
title: "Color"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/MHAIRMATERIAL-HAIRMATERIAL_GROUP_COLOR.html"
section_path: "Simulate Menu > The Simulation System > Hair > Hair material > Hair Material > Color"
element_id: "MHAIRMATERIAL"
group_id: "HAIRMATERIAL_GROUP_COLOR"
description: "This gradient defines the color of the hair along the entire length of the hair. The left end of the gradient represents the hair root, the right the tip."
---

## Color

### Color

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_GRADIENT`

![Image: 005189.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/005189.jpg)\
The gradient (insert) was applied to the strand of hair.

This gradient defines the color of the hair along the entire length of the hair. The left end of the gradient represents the hair root, the right the tip.

### Brightness

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_BRIGHTNESS` · Range: [0..+∞%]

Use this setting to adjust the overall brightness. A value of 0 results in black hair. As is the case with many other parameters, **Brightness** can be manually set to a value greater than the maximum of 100% set by the slider.

### Texture

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_SHADER`

Load the texture here that you want projected onto each individual hair. You can find more details regarding this [here](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/THAIRMATERIAL.html.md).

### Blend

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_BLEND`

If you want to texture hairs using a texture you have loaded, use this setting to define how the texture color will be blended with the hair color. All blend modes are described later in this chapter, under [Blend Modes](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/11718.html.md). This particular menu is available in many channels into which textures can be loaded and mixed with existing colors.

### Mix

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_MIX` · Range: [0..100%]

Use this setting to define the degree to which a texture that has been loaded should be mixed with the hair color. This particular menu is available in many channels into which textures can be loaded, and mixed with existing colors.

### Var:

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_HSV_VAR`

### H

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_H_VAR` · Range: [0..100%]

### S

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_S_VAR` · Range: [0..100%]

### V

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_V_VAR` · Range: [0..100%]

Use this setting to vary the hair's H/S/V values. This prevents the overall color of the hair from being too uniform and results in a more realistic look. Even real hair does not have a uniform color.

![Image: subgroup.gif](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/subgroup.gif)\
Roots

![Image: 005190.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/005190.jpg)\
The texture at the top right, was loaded into the **Roots** channel's **Texture** field.

### Texture

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_HAIR_ROOTS_SHADER`

Use the **Roots** channel to define how color(s) should be distributed over a given area. The tips will assume the color of the roots. This can, though, be changed using the **Tips** channel, which is explained next.

### Blend

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_ROOTS_COLOR_BLEND`

See Blend Modes.

### Mix

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_ROOTS_COLOR_MIX` · Range: [0..100%]

See Blend Modes.

![Image: subgroup.gif](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/subgroup.gif)\
Tips

![Image: 005191.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/005191.jpg)\
The texture at the top right, was loaded into the **Tips** channel's **Texture** field.

### As Roots

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_HAIR_TIPS_LINK`

If the **As Roots** option is active, the tips of the hair will assume the color of the roots.

### Texture

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_HAIR_TIPS_SHADER`

If you want to use a different texture for the tips, deactivate this option and load the desired texture into the **Tips** channel. The color(s) between the root and tip will then be interpolated along the length of the hair.

### Blend

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_TIPS_COLOR_BLEND`

See Blend Modes.

### Mix

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_TIPS_COLOR_MIX` · Range: [0..100%]

See Blend Modes.

![Image: subgroup.gif](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/subgroup.gif)\
Tint

![Image: 005192.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/005192.jpg)\
The texture at the top right (in this case a single color) was loaded into the **Tint** channel's **Texture** field.

**Tint** can also be used to give hair a uniform color, e.g., gray, to simulate aged hair.

### Texture

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_MUTANT_COLOR`

If a texture is loaded into the **Tint** channel, it will define the color of the mixed in hair across the hair-covered surface.

### Hairs

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_MUTANT_LEVEL` · Range: [0..100%]

The **Hairs** setting in the **Tint** channel can be used to assign a different color to only a selected area of the hair. In the example above, **Hairs** was set to 20%, resulting in every fifth hair being colored red. **Tint** colors the hair uniformly from the root to the tip.

### Blend

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_MUTANT_BLEND`

See Blend Modes.

### Mix

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_MUTANT_MIX` · Range: [0..100%]

See Blend Modes.

> **Tip:** If you want to color specific hairs or specific areas, this is better done using the Hair Material tag (see [Hair Material tag](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/THAIRMATERIAL.html.md)).

![Image: subgroup.gif](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/subgroup.gif)\
Surface

The **Surface** settings are specially designed for rendering fur. **Surface** uses hair color, illumination and, if applicable, cast shadows to generate a fitting color for the fur. These settings (described below) will then be blended with the existing hair color.

The **Additive** blend mode will blend the least.

### Surface

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_SURFACE`

Activate this setting if you want the hair color should assume the color of the object surface.

> **Tip:** Tip:If the object surface is made up of quads and an Ambient Occlusion shader is applied to it, unwanted hair coloration can occur (primarily darkening). In this case, slightly increasing the [Offset](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/OHAIR-HAIRSTYLE_GROUP_HAIRS.html.md) value can help (optionally, non-planar quads can be triangluated - but this is generally not desireable).

### Color

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_SURFACE_COLOR`

![Image: 005193.jpg](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/005193.jpg)\
Left: **Color**, **Illumination** and **Shadows** active. Center: **Illumination** deactivated. Right: Only **Shadow** deactivated. Blend mode for all three was set to **Normal** and 100%.

If this setting is active, the color of the object will be assumed. If this setting has been deactivated, the fur will be combined with the color defined, thereby taking the mix mode into account.

### Illumination

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_SURFACE_ILLUMINATION`

Here you can define if the color should be affected by the scene lighting.

### Shadows

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_COLOR_SURFACE_SHADOW`

Deactivate this setting if you do not want to include any cast shadows (see example above, image at right).

### Blend

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_SURFACE_BLEND`

See Blend Modes.

### Mix

Parameter ID: `HAIRMATERIAL_SURFACE_MIX` · Range: [0..100%]

See Blend Modes.