# How to draw a double-color line with tikz

I would like to draw a rectangle with a double color border: the border should be a line dashed with two alternating colors (blue and red, for example). Is it possible?

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Related question: Two color line in gnuplot. The basic idea is to draw the line twice. Once solid with one color then dashed with the second one. –  Martin Scharrer Apr 17 '11 at 19:35
Thank you. I don't know how to equally divide the space (actually, I am using geogebra to generate the rectangle: how can I specify the parameters of the dashed line?) –  zar Apr 17 '11 at 19:56
For tikz you can define a dash pattern using e.g. dash pattern=on 2pt off 2pt. No idea how to handle geogebra here. –  Martin Scharrer Apr 17 '11 at 20:04

As mentionned in Martin's comment, the trick is to draw the line twice. One of the constraints on paths in Tikz/PGF is that the color is global to the path.

Other than drawing a solid line covered by a dashed line, you may draw two dashed lines, with spaces between the dashes, as given by the following example (you can find more information in the Tikz manual) :

\begin{tikzpicture}

\draw[blue,dash pattern= on 3pt off 5pt] (0,0) |- (1,1) to[out=0,in=90] (2,0);
\draw[red,dash pattern= on 3pt off 5pt,dash phase=4pt] (0,0) |- (1,1) to[out=0,in=90] (2,0);

\end{tikzpicture}


The outcome is

(Following a comment by Caramdir) : The same result can be achieved with a postaction, and the path only has to be specified once :

\draw[postaction={draw,red,dash pattern= on 3pt off 5pt,dash phase=4pt,thick}]
[blue,dash pattern= on 3pt off 5pt,thick] (0,0) |- (1,1) to[out=0,in=90] (2,0);


(Following a request for a rectangle) * I'm not sure this answers the question in the comment *

For a rectangle you would type in the command

\draw[postaction={draw,red,dash pattern= on 3pt off 5pt,dash phase=4pt,thick}]
[blue,dash pattern= on 3pt off 5pt,thick] (0,0) rectangle (3,2);


This rectangle does not have rounded corners, it is a "normal" rectangle. If ever you do want rounded corners, add rounded corners to the options :

\draw[postaction={draw,red,dash pattern= on 3pt off 5pt,dash phase=4pt,thick,rounded corners}]
[blue,dash pattern= on 3pt off 5pt,thick,rounded corners] (0,0) rectangle (3,2);

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Nice! You could even use three or more colors using this technique. –  Martin Scharrer Apr 17 '11 at 20:05
For more complicated paths, it might be more convenient to use a postaction, so that the path doesn't need to be specified twice. –  Caramdir Apr 17 '11 at 20:05
@Caramdir : Thanks for the suggestion –  Frédéric Apr 17 '11 at 20:12
Good! One last thing: how can I draw a "good" rectangle with this tecnique? I would like to have rounded corners, but now rounded dashes. –  zar Apr 17 '11 at 20:14
I'm not sure what you mean about a good rectangle, with rounded corners and now [to you mean not] rounded dashes. –  Frédéric Apr 17 '11 at 20:21