LaTeX tcolorbox package for colored and framed boxes. Use when helping users create theorem boxes, callouts, code listings in boxes, definition boxes, or any styled framed content.
LaTeX tcolorbox package for colored and framed boxes. Use when helping users create theorem boxes, callouts, code listings in boxes, definition boxes, or any styled framed content.
\begin{tcolorbox}
This is a simple colored box.
\end{tcolorbox}
\begin{tcolorbox}[colback=blue!5, colframe=blue!75!black, title=My Title]
A box with title and custom colors.
\end{tcolorbox}
Common Options
Option
Default
Description
colback
black!5!white
Background color
colframe
black!75!white
Frame color
coltitle
white
Title text color
colbacktitle
(from colframe)
Title background
coltext
black
Body text color
title
(none)
Box title
fonttitle
Title font (\bfseries\large)
fontupper
Upper (main) body font
fontlower
Lower part font
arc
1mm
Corner radius
boxrule
0.5mm
Frame thickness
leftrule
(from boxrule)
Left rule only
toprule
(from boxrule)
Top rule only
width
\linewidth
Box width
left
4mm
Left padding
right
4mm
Right padding
top
2mm
Top padding
bottom
2mm
Bottom padding
boxsep
1mm
All-sides padding
sharp corners
Remove rounding
rounded corners
✅
Default
halign
justify
left, center, right, justify
valign
top
top, center, bottom
Box Styles
Titled Box
\begin{tcolorbox}[
colback=yellow!10,
colframe=yellow!50!black,
title=Warning,
fonttitle=\bfseries,
coltitle=black,
]
Be careful with this operation.
\end{tcolorbox}
Left Bar (callout style)
\begin{tcolorbox}[
enhanced,
colback=blue!5,
colframe=blue!5, % hide frame
borderline west={3pt}{0pt}{blue!70},
sharp corners,
boxrule=0pt,
]
\textbf{Note:} This is a callout-style box.
\end{tcolorbox}
\begin{tcolorbox}[
colback=white,
colframe=blue!50!black,
title=Theorem,
]
$a^2 + b^2 = c^2$
\tcblower
This is the proof part (lower section).
\end{tcolorbox>
Breakable Boxes (Multi-Page)
\tcbuselibrary{breakable}
\begin{tcolorbox}[breakable, colback=white, colframe=blue!50!black]
Very long content that may span multiple pages...
% The box will automatically break at page boundaries
\end{tcolorbox}
% Enhanced breakable (better visuals)
\begin{tcolorbox}[enhanced jigsaw, breakable, colback=white, colframe=blue!50!black]
Long content...
\end{tcolorbox}
Theorem Boxes
\tcbuselibrary{theorems}
% Define theorem types
\newtcbtheorem[number within=section]{theorem}{Theorem}{
colback=blue!5,
colframe=blue!50!black,
fonttitle=\bfseries,
}{thm}
\newtcbtheorem[number within=section]{definition}{Definition}{
colback=green!5,
colframe=green!50!black,
fonttitle=\bfseries,
}{def}
\newtcbtheorem[number within=section]{example}{Example}{
colback=yellow!5,
colframe=yellow!50!black,
fonttitle=\bfseries,
}{ex}
\newtcbtheorem[number within=section]{proposition}{Proposition}{
colback=red!5,
colframe=red!50!black,
fonttitle=\bfseries,
}{prop}
% Usage — two arguments: title and label
\begin{theorem}{Pythagoras}{pythagoras}
For a right triangle with legs $a$, $b$ and hypotenuse $c$:
\[ a^2 + b^2 = c^2 \]
\end{theorem}
\begin{definition}{Group}{group}
A \emph{group} is a set $G$ with a binary operation...
\end{definition}
% Reference: Theorem~\ref{thm:pythagoras}
Theorem with Proof Below
\newtcbtheorem{mythm}{Theorem}{
colback=blue!5,
colframe=blue!50!black,
fonttitle=\bfseries,
separator sign={\ ---},
description delimiters parenthesis,
}{thm}
\begin{mythm}{Fundamental Theorem}{fundamental}
Every continuous function on $[a,b]$ is integrable.
\tcblower
\textit{Proof.} By construction... $\square$
\end{mythm}
Code Boxes (Listings)
\tcbuselibrary{listings}
% or \tcbuselibrary{listingsutf8} for UTF-8
% Inline listing box
\begin{tcblisting}{
colback=gray!5,
colframe=gray!75!black,
listing only, % show only code (not rendered)
title=Python Example,
listing options={language=Python, basicstyle=\ttfamily\small},
}
def hello():
print("Hello, world!")
\end{tcblisting}
% Side-by-side: code + output
\begin{tcblisting}{
colback=white,
colframe=blue!50!black,
listing side text, % code left, text right
title=LaTeX Example,
}
$\int_0^1 x^2\, dx = \frac{1}{3}$
\end{tcblisting}
