ANSI Reset Codes - How to Reset Terminal Formatting

ANSI Reset Codes

Reset codes restore terminal attributes to their default state. Using proper resets prevents color and style bleeding into subsequent terminal output.

The Universal Reset (Code 0)

Code 0 clears all formatting attributes at once:

echo -e "\033[1;31;4mStyled text\033[0m Normal text"

This is the most commonly used reset and should be appended to the end of every styled output.

Specific Reset Codes

Code	Resets	Counterpart
0	Everything	All codes
22	Bold and Dim	1, 2
23	Italic	3
24	Underline	4
25	Blink	5
27	Reverse	7
28	Hidden	8
29	Strikethrough	9
39	Foreground color	30-37, 90-97, 38;5;N, 38;2;R;G;B
49	Background color	40-47, 100-107, 48;5;N, 48;2;R;G;B

Why Use Specific Resets?

When you want to change one attribute while keeping others:

# Remove underline but keep bold and color
echo -e "\033[1;4;31mBold underline red\033[24m Bold red only\033[0m"

# Change foreground color but keep background
echo -e "\033[31;42mRed on green \033[34mBlue on green\033[0m"

# Remove all colors but keep formatting
echo -e "\033[1;4;31mBold underline red \033[39;49mBold underline default\033[0m"

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to reset:

# BAD - color bleeds to the next line
echo -e "\033[31mRed text"
echo "This will also be red!"

# GOOD - always reset
echo -e "\033[31mRed text\033[0m"
echo "This is normal"

Resetting too broadly:

# BAD - loses the background color
echo -e "\033[42m\033[1mBold \033[0mno longer green background"

# GOOD - only reset bold
echo -e "\033[42m\033[1mBold \033[22mnormal weight, still green\033[0m"

Reset at Script Exit

Always reset terminal state when your script exits:

trap 'printf "\033[0m"' EXIT

This ensures the terminal returns to its normal state even if the script crashes or is interrupted.