Design Tokens Pills

Design Tokens Pills

The Difference Between Background and Surface Tokens

Discover the key differences between 'background' and 'surface' in color token naming and practical tips to choose the right one for your own.

Francesco Improta's avatar
Francesco Improta
Sep 04, 2025
∙ Paid

When defining color tokens in a design system, you often need to name the layers behind your content. Should you use background or surface?

At first glance, they seem similar: both describe something …

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