Question: Here is my color XML

```
<resources>
    <drawable name="red">#7f00</drawable>
    <drawable name="blue">#770000ff</drawable>
    <drawable name="green">#7700ff00</drawable>
    <drawable name="yellow">#77ffff00</drawable>

    <drawable name="screen_background_black">#ff000000</drawable>
    <drawable name="translucent_background">#e0000000</drawable>
    <drawable name="transparent_background">#00000000</drawable>

    <color name="solid_red">#ED1C24</color>
    <color name="solid_blue">#0000ff</color>
    <color name="solid_green">#39B54A</color>
    <color name="solid_yellow">#ffffff00</color>

</resources>

```

Here is my Java code:

```
if (floatedChange < 0)
                            changeText.setTextColor(R.color.solid_red); //red
                        else
                            changeText.setTextColor(R.color.solid_green); //green

```

This works when I use Color.RED or Color.GREEN, but when I use my own colors. The color doesn't show up. 

Why?

Answer: 
Do like this:

In your XML-file, use **style**:

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
   <style name="YourCustomText">
        <item name="android:textColor">#FFFF00</item>
    </style>
</resources>

```

then, in your .java code:

```
//Here you assign the style that is defined in YourCustomText
yourTextView.setTextAppearance(this, R.style.YourCustomText);

```
Sorry about answering an old question, but here is the correct answer for others with the same problem:
From <http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/resources/more-resources.html#Color>  

```
Resources res = getResources();
int color = res.getColor(R.color.opaque_red);

```

So just change your Java code to

```
if (floatedChange < 0)
    changeText.setTextColor( getResources().getColor(R.color.solid_red) ); //red
else
    changeText.setTextColor( getResources().getColor(R.color.solid_green) ); //green

```