Multi-coloured highlighting and highlight extraction

Help
1

What I’m trying to do

I used to use Zotero to markup PDF files, pulling the highlights into Obsidian for processing. However, these days, most of my sources have been converted into Markdown so I’d like to keep everything in Obsidian. My process uses multi-coloured highlighting of the text (to show the nature of the argument or use of other sources). Once done, for convenience I extract the highlights into a separate document.

Things I have tried

I have found plugins that handle standard markdown highlights, but I’m looking for a combination of coloured markup AND then subsequent extraction, all in Obsidian. Anyone doing this? (I tagged this as Zettelkasten, but it’s more Zeteelkasten-ish!)

2

I also use Zotero and multiple colors to differentiate between highlights.

You could try to install Dune from Obsidian’s community themes. Check out Dune’s wiki

3

I don’t know how you’re currently doing your multi-colored highlights, but if you’re open to making them with Dataview inline properties and CSS, you can easily collate them within and across notes.

A full setup with example files is explained in this r/Obsidian comment.

You can quickly apply the highlights with the keyboard or mouse, user’s choice.

The rest is CSS.

Old screenshot of the highlights (top) and Dataview results (bottom):

highlight and collate Screenshot 2025-04-06
highlight and collate Screenshot 2025-04-061920×2086 386 KB

The CSS at that link should still work even though Obsidian has since begun deprecating the RGB color variables. If it matters to you, you can replace what’s shown thusly:

Change

background-color: rgb(var(--color-yellow-rgb), 0.2);

to

background-color: color-mix(in oklab, var(--color-yellow) 20%, transparent);

for each respective color. This is one among several ways to stay up to date.

5

Thanks, that looks great… unfortunately I’m getting “Comment removed by moderator” when I look at that comment.

6

I was able to find an archive of the original Reddit comment - that works fantastically well. Thank you!

7

oh dear, did Obsidian shadow ban me on their subreddit? :face_holding_back_tears:

Logged in, my comment shows up with no indication anything is amiss. Not logged in, my comment is “removed by moderator”.

:person_shrugging: but thanks for letting me know. And glad it’s working for you!