# TextKit string attribute keys AppKit-specific keys you use to apply attributes to ranges of characters in an attributed string. ## Overview AppKit defines these attribute keys you use to specify attribute values in and . ## Topics ### Getting rendering attribute keys [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSBackgroundColorAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSBackgroundColorAttributeName) The color of the background behind the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSBaselineOffsetAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSBaselineOffsetAttributeName) The vertical offset for the position of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSFontAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSFontAttributeName) The font of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSForegroundColorAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSForegroundColorAttributeName) The color of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSGlyphInfoAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSGlyphInfoAttributeName) The name of a glyph info object. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSKernAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSKernAttributeName) The kerning of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSLigatureAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSLigatureAttributeName) The ligature of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSParagraphStyleAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSParagraphStyleAttributeName) The paragraph style of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSStrikethroughColorAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSStrikethroughColorAttributeName) The color of the strikethrough. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSStrikethroughStyleAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSStrikethroughStyleAttributeName) The strikethrough style of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSStrokeColorAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSStrokeColorAttributeName) The color of the stroke. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSStrokeWidthAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSStrokeWidthAttributeName) The width of the stroke. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSSuperscriptAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSSuperscriptAttributeName) The superscript of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSTrackingAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTrackingAttributeName) The amount to modify the default tracking. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSUnderlineColorAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSUnderlineColorAttributeName) The color of the underline. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSUnderlineStyleAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSUnderlineStyleAttributeName) The underline style of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSWritingDirectionAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSWritingDirectionAttributeName) The writing direction of the text. ### Getting text attribute keys [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSCursorAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSCursorAttributeName) The cursor object. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSLinkAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSLinkAttributeName) The link for the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSMarkedClauseSegmentAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSMarkedClauseSegmentAttributeName) The index of the marked clause segment. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSShadowAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSShadowAttributeName) The shadow of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSSpellingStateAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSSpellingStateAttributeName) The spelling state of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSTextAlternativesAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextAlternativesAttributeName) The alternatives for the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSTextEffectAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextEffectAttributeName) An attribute that applies a text effect to the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSTextHighlightColorSchemeAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextHighlightColorSchemeAttributeName) The custom highlight color to apply to the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSTextHighlightStyleAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSTextHighlightStyleAttributeName) An attribute that adds a highlight color to the text to emphasize it. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSToolTipAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSToolTipAttributeName) The tooltip text. ### Getting attachment attribute keys [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAdaptiveImageGlyphAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAdaptiveImageGlyphAttributeName) The adaptive image glyph for the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSAttachmentAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAttachmentAttributeName) The attachment for the text. ### Getting accessibility attribute keys [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityAnnotationTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityAnnotationTextAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityAutocorrectedTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityAutocorrectedTextAttribute) Autocorrected text (`NSNumber` as a Boolean value). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityBackgroundColorTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityBackgroundColorTextAttribute) Text background color (`CGColorRef`). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityCustomTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityCustomTextAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityFontBoldAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityFontBoldAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityFontItalicAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityFontItalicAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityFontTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityFontTextAttribute) Font keys (`NSDictionary`). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityForegroundColorTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityForegroundColorTextAttribute) Text foreground color (`CGColorRef`). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityLanguageTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityLanguageTextAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityLinkTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityLinkTextAttribute) Text link (`id`). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityListItemIndexTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityListItemIndexTextAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityListItemLevelTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityListItemLevelTextAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityListItemPrefixTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityListItemPrefixTextAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityMarkedMisspelledTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityMarkedMisspelledTextAttribute) Misspelled text that is visibly marked as misspelled (`NSNumber` as a Boolean value). If you’re implementing a custom text-editing app, use `NSAccessibilityMarkedMisspelledTextAttribute` to ensure that VoiceOver properly identifies misspelled text to users. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityMisspelledTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityMisspelledTextAttribute) Misspelled text that isn’t necessarily visibly marked as misspelled (`NSNumber` as a Boolean value). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityShadowTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityShadowTextAttribute) Text shadow (`NSNumber` as a Boolean value). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityStrikethroughTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityStrikethroughTextAttribute) Text strikethrough (`NSNumber` as a Boolean value). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityStrikethroughColorTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityStrikethroughColorTextAttribute) Text strikethrough color (`CGColorRef`). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilitySuperscriptTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilitySuperscriptTextAttribute) Text superscript style (`NSNumber`). Values > 0 are superscript; values < 0 are subscript. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityTextAlignmentAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityTextAlignmentAttribute) [`let NSAccessibilityTextCompletionAttribute: String`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityTextCompletionAttribute) [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityUnderlineTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityUnderlineTextAttribute) Text underline style (`NSNumber`). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityUnderlineColorTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityUnderlineColorTextAttribute) Text underline color (`CGColorRef`). ### Writing Tools keys [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSWritingToolsExclusionAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSWritingToolsExclusionAttributeName) ### Deprecated keys [`extern NSAttributedStringKey const NSAccessibilityAttachmentTextAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSAccessibilityAttachmentTextAttribute) Text attachment (`id`). [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSExpansionAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSExpansionAttributeName) The expansion factor of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSObliquenessAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSObliquenessAttributeName) The obliqueness of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSVerticalGlyphFormAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSVerticalGlyphFormAttributeName) The vertical glyph form of the text. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSCharacterShapeAttributeName;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSCharacterShapeAttributeName) The character shape attribute. [`extern NSAttributedStringKey NSUsesScreenFontsDocumentAttribute;`](/documentation/AppKit/NSUsesScreenFontsDocumentAttribute) The screen fonts attribute. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)