MicroStation stores the Active Color and the color attribute of each element in the DGN file. The color for an element can be defined through the Active Color dialog, which provides several ways to select a color, including a color table that assigns a color as a value from 0–255. You can also select a color graphically, by specifying values using a color model, or by selecting a color from a color book.

You can change the colors in the open DGN file by attaching a different color table to it. The attached color table is automatically activated each time the design file is reopened. Each seed design file supplied with MicroStation has a color table already attached.

Color tables are stored as independent files. The active color table can be saved to a file for future attachment to any design file.

Color can also be set ByCell or ByLevel. If ByCell is selected, when a cell is placed the active color is used in place of the color used when the cell was created. If ByLevel is selected, when an element is placed the color defined for the active level is used to display the element.