This template lists as a wikitable row a template name and up to three arguments, a color sample and its hex value.

{{Template:system color}}

Sample: hexval

{{Template:system color|argument_1}}

Sample: hexval

{{Template:system color|argument_1}} or …|argument_2}}

Sample: hexval

{{Template:system color|argument_1}} or …|argument_2}} or …|argument_3}}

Sample: hexval

The template itself is contained between table start and end markup:

{| class="wikitable"
{{Color template doc|argument_1|argument_2|argument_3}}
|}

argument_1 can be omitted if the color template has only one value, or it is desired to show the default color; argument_2 and argument_3 are optional. All three are valid inputs for the color template.

When used on the page Template:Amtrak color/doc, the code {{Color template doc|}} produces

{{Template:Amtrak color}} Sample:   005480

while the code {{Color template doc|#default}} produces

{{Template:Amtrak color|#default}} Sample:   005480

Additional information can be added to the table. On the page Template:NYCS color/doc the code

{{Color template doc|blue}}
| [[IND Eighth Avenue Line|Eighth Avenue]]
| A / C / E / Eighth

produces

{{Template:NYCS color|blue}} Sample: style="background:#সাঁচ:NYCS color; border-top:solid 1px gray; " |   সাঁচ:nycs color Eighth Avenue A / C / E / Eighth