How to Enable ANSI Escape Codes in Windows 10 cmd.exe for Python Coloring

However, none of these will work in CMD.exe without enabling virtual terminal processing.

How to Enable ANSI Escape Codes in CMD.exe

There are multiple ways to enable ANSI color support on Windows.

Method 1: Using os.system('color')

This command resets the console color settings and sometimes enables ANSI support.

import os
os.system('color')
print("\x1b[31mThis text is red\x1b[0m")

🔹 Downside: This doesn’t always work in all CMD environments.

Method 2: Using colorama (Recommended)

The colorama library automatically enables ANSI escape code processing on Windows.

Install it first:

pip install colorama

Then use it in your Python script:

from colorama import init, Fore, Back, Style

init()
print(Fore.RED + "This text is red.")
print(Back.GREEN + "This background is green.")
print(Style.BRIGHT + "Bright text.")
print(Style.RESET_ALL + "Back to normal.")

🔹 Why use colorama?

• No need to manually enable ANSI support.
• Works consistently across different Windows versions.
• Compatible with Linux and macOS too.

Method 3: Enabling ANSI with Windows API (ctypes)

You can directly enable ANSI processing in CMD.exe using the Windows API.

import ctypes

kernel32 = ctypes.windll.kernel32
kernel32.SetConsoleMode(kernel32.GetStdHandle(-11), 7)

print("\x1b[1;31mTest\x1b[0m")

🔹 How this works:

• Gets the console handle using GetStdHandle(-11).
• Enables ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_PROCESSING mode.

This approach is useful if you don’t want external dependencies like colorama.

Method 4: Conditional Enabling Based on Environment

If your Python script is used in different environments, ensure colors only apply when running interactively.

import sys, os

if sys.stdout.isatty():
    os.system('color')

print("\x1b[32mThis is green text\x1b[0m")

Fixing Common Issues

If ANSI escape codes still don’t work, try these troubleshooting steps:

• Ensure CMD.exe is updated (older versions lack ANSI support).
• Try running python inside cmd.exe instead of PowerShell (PowerShell may handle ANSI differently).
• Run scripts with start /B python script.py if needed.
• Check terminal type using echo %TERM% (should be compatible with ANSI).
• Try a different terminal emulator, like Windows Terminal or ConEmu.

Taking It Further with Fancy Output

If you want better-structured and visually appealing output, consider using the rich library:

pip install rich

from rich.console import Console

console = Console()
console.print("[bold red]Error:[/] Something went wrong!")

This provides rich text formatting, boxes, and progress bars.

Now Your CMD.exe Can Display Colors

Windows 10 now supports ANSI codes, but they need manual enabling.

• The easiest method is to use colorama.
• If needed, ctypes can enable ANSI directly.
• If colors still don’t show, try checking your terminal settings.

Colorful output makes debugging easier and your CLI applications more readable. Try it out now!