Devicon Modifier Classes: Plain vs Colored SVG Icons

Learn how to use Devicon's plain and colored modifier classes to switch between official brand colors and custom CSS styling for developer icons.

Customizing Icon Colors with Plain and Colored Modifiers

The primary challenge when using Devicon is balancing brand accuracy with a site's specific design system. If you use the default brand colors, the icons may clash with your UI; if you use a generic monochrome style, you lose the instant recognition of the technology logo.

The solution lies in the modifier class system. Devicon separates the icon's shape (the base class) from its visual style (the modifier class). By switching between -plain and -colored modifiers, you can decide whether the icon should adhere to official brand guidelines or inherit colors from your own CSS.

How the Class System Works

Devicon uses a naming convention similar to BEM (Block Element Modifier). Every icon requires a base class to define the SVG path, and a modifier to define the fill properties:

Base Class: (e.g., devicon-python) Loads the specific SVG geometry.
Plain Modifier: (e.g., devicon-python-plain) Renders the icon as a single-color shape. This version is designed to respond to the CSS color property.
Colored Modifier: (e.g., devicon-python-colored) Applies the official brand colors using internal SVG fills, ignoring the parent element's text color.

Implementation Example

To implement these, first include the Devicon CSS via CDN in your HTML <head>. Ensure you pin the version number (e.g., v2.16.0) to prevent breaking changes when the library updates.

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/devicons/devicon@v2.16.0/devicon.min.css">

The following example demonstrates how to use a brand-colored icon alongside a custom-styled icon that matches a specific theme color (e.g., a deep purple):

<!-- Official Brand Colors -->
<i class="devicon-javascript-plain colored"></i>

<!-- Custom Theme Color -->
<i class="devicon-javascript-plain custom-theme-icon"></i>

<style>
  .custom-theme-icon {
    color: #6a0dad; /* Deep Purple */
    font-size: 32px;
  }
</style>

Diagnostic Comparison: Plain vs. Colored

When deciding which class to use, refer to this behavior matrix:

Modifier	Source of Color	CSS `color` property	Best Use Case
`-plain`	Current element color	Effective	Dark/Light mode toggles, hover effects
`-colored`	Hardcoded SVG fill	Ignored	Portfolio grids, tech stack lists

Common Pitfalls and Limitations

Specificity Conflicts: Avoid applying both -plain and -colored to the same element. Because of how the CSS is structured, the -colored class often overrides the -plain styling, but this can lead to unpredictable rendering in different browsers or versions of the library.

Performance at Scale: Devicon loads icons as background images or masks. If you render hundreds of unique icons on a single page (such as a massive directory of tools), you may see a slight delay in rendering as the browser fetches multiple SVG assets. For high-density pages, consider using a subset of icons or an SVG sprite.

Verifying the Result

To verify that your custom styling is working correctly:

Inspect the element in Browser Developer Tools.
Ensure the class -plain is present.
Manually change the color value in the Styles pane. If the icon color changes instantly, the modifier is correctly implemented. If the color remains static, you likely have the -colored class active or a CSS specificity conflict.

Controlling Devicon SVG Styles with Modifier Classes