Separate Color and Opacity Variables for More Flexibility

[rahend]

Hey Figma,

I wanted to share an idea that could make managing colors in Figma a bit easier. Right now, each color variable handles both the hex value and opacity together. What if we could separate them into two variables—one for color and one for opacity?

Why?

• Cleaner Palettes: You’d have a pure color palette without the opacity mixed in, and a separate set of opacity variables. This keeps your color palette simple and organized.
• Easier Alpha Combinations: Want to create a color with different opacities? Just mix the color variable with an opacity variable, no need to manually create new color versions with alpha values.
• Less Redundancy: By separating these, you avoid duplicating colors just to achieve different opacities, making it easier to maintain and update.

This separation could make our design workflows more flexible and efficient. What do you think? Would this be useful for you too?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

[Junko3]

Hi @rahend, Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Your detailed feedback is incredibly helpful.

I see how this could be beneficial. I’ve noticed a similar request from another community member at Variables: Color alias with alpha / opacity (rgba ideally), so I’ll go ahead and merge yours. This way, we can better assess the overall interest on the same topic and ensure it gets the visibility it deserves.

Once again, thanks for your valuable input!