Often when in PvP, players will use swords and bows with custom, colored names. Items (except custom items) can't have colored names... so how did they do it? It's pretty simple. In fact, they didn't color the item name at all. Instead, they used formatting codes in the item's name that, when displayed in a death message, appear colored. Step 1 - Choosing the Name This part's obvious, but most important. Let's say I want my sword to be named Uber_Porq. And for the color... I choose green. I want no other formatting. Step 2 - Naming the Item Formatting codes are used to name the item - the same ones that are put on signs to make them colored. All you have to do is change the item's name in an anvil, using those formatting codes. A full list can be found here. This is what your item's name should look like, if you're naming it Uber_Porq and coloring it green: You can also use bold font, italics, underlines, and strikethroughs to name an item. Step 2a - Using Symbols You can use some symbols in your item's name, and can format them as you can with regular text. Here's a good example. Note the bio-hazard symbols in the name: To get a symbol into Minecraft, you have to copy it to your clipboard and use Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac) to paste it into the game. Here is a good website of symbols to choose from. Step 3 - Killing somebody You need to kill someone for your item's name to show up in the death message, but when you do kill someone it's rewarding to see that death message come up in chat. And that's all there is to it. It's really easy to have a nice new name for you to kill people with. If you want something clarified/explained more in detail, be sure to post here. Thanks for reading! -PenguinDJ
