What are Styles in Figma?

Intro (short definition)

Styles in Figma let you save and reuse design properties like colors, typography, effects, and grids. Instead of manually setting values on each element, you can apply a style once and update it everywhere at the same time.

Deep Dive (how they work + why they matter)

Many beginners struggle with file hygiene — especially when juggling emails, social ads, and product screens. Styles solve this by making typography, color, and effects reusable across all projects. Update a style once, and it instantly applies everywhere.

Styles are the backbone of consistency in design. For example, you can create a “Primary Color” style and use it across dozens of components. If you ever need to update that color, you change it in one place, and Figma applies it everywhere. The same works for text styles (like headings and body copy), effects (like shadows or blurs), and layout grids.

When combined with Variables and Components, styles become even more powerful. You can build design systems where tokens, variables, and styles all work together to ensure consistency and speed. Styles also make collaboration easier since everyone on the team is working with the same set of visual rules.

Use Cases (practical examples)

• Creating a color palette that stays consistent across all screens

• Defining text styles for headings, paragraphs, and captions

• Applying shadow or blur effects consistently in your UI

• Setting up layout grids to align content across breakpoints