diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index 3befee13..83a9e7e9 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ static struct cmd_results *cmd_border(int argc, char **argv) {
 static struct cmd_results *parse_border_color(struct border_colors *border_colors, const char *cmd_name, int argc, char **argv) {
 	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
 	if (argc != 5) {
-		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, cmd_name, "Requires exact 5 color values");
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, cmd_name, "Requires exactly five color values");
 	}
 
 	uint32_t colors[5];
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ static struct cmd_results *cmd_client_background(int argc, char **argv) {
 	uint32_t background;
 
 	if (argc != 1) {
-		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "client.background", "Expect exact 1 value");
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "client.background", "Requires exactly one color value");
 	}
 
 	error = add_color("client.background", buffer, argv[0]);
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ static struct cmd_results *cmd_floating_minimum_size(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 	}
 
-	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "New floating_minimum_size: '%d' x '%d'", config->floating_minimum_width, 
+	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "New floating_minimum_size: '%d' x '%d'", config->floating_minimum_width,
 		config->floating_minimum_height);
 
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/sway/sway-bar.5.txt b/sway/sway-bar.5.txt
index 322dc32b..d0727440 100644
--- a/sway/sway-bar.5.txt
+++ b/sway/sway-bar.5.txt
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ Colors
 ------
 
 Colors are defined within a _colors { }_ block inside a _bar { }_ block. Colors
-must be defined in hex. E.g. _#fff000_ or _#fff000ff_ when including the alpha
+must be defined in hex. i.e. _#rrggbb_ or _#rrggbbaa_ when including the alpha
 channel.
 
 **background** <color>::
diff --git a/sway/sway.5.txt b/sway/sway.5.txt
index 021b3736..ffa181f7 100644
--- a/sway/sway.5.txt
+++ b/sway/sway.5.txt
@@ -150,6 +150,54 @@ or triggered at runtime.
 	**bindcode** <code> <command> is also available for binding with key codes
 	instead of key names.
 
+**client**.<color_class> <border> <background> <text> <indicator> <child_border>::
+	The client commands control the colors of the view borders and title bars. All
+	of the client commands _require_ five color values. (The one exception is
+	**client.background** which _requires_ one color value.) If you only want to
+	specify a subset, supply default colors for all the others. Colors must be
+	defined in hex. i.e. _#rrggbb_ or _#rrggbbaa_ when including the alpha
+	channel.
+	+
+	The command tokens are:
+		**color_class**::: Specifies the view to which the colors apply.
+			**client.background**:::: The color a view will be painted, underneath the
+			client itself. This will only be visible if a client does not fully
+			cover its allocated view space. This command only requires one color. _Note_:
+			This is not currently implemented.
+			**client.focused**:::: The view that has focus.
+			**client.focused_inactive**:::: A view that has focus within its
+			container, but the container is not focused.
+			**client.placeholder**:::: Used when drawing placeholder view contents.
+			Only background and text colors are used. _Note_: This is not
+			currently implemented.
+			**client.unfocused**:::: A view that does not have focus.
+			**client.urgent**:::: A view with an urgency hint. _Note_: This is not
+			currently implemented.
+		**border**::: The border around the title bar.
+		**background**::: The background of the title bar.
+		**text**::: The text color of the title bar.
+		**indicator**::: The color used to indicate where a new view will open. In a
+		tiled container, this would paint the right border of the current view if
+		a new view would be opened to the right. _Note_: This is not currently
+		implemented.
+		**child_border**::: The border around the view itself.
+
++
+The default colors are:
++
+--
+[options="header"]
+|===========================================================================
+|color_class      |border    |background |text      |indicator |child_border
+|background       |n/a       |#ffffffff  |n/a       |n/a       |n/a
+|focused          |#4c7899ff |#285577ff  |#ffffffff |#2e9ef4ff |#285577ff
+|focused_inactive |#333333ff |#5f676aff  |#ffffffff |#484e50ff |#5f676aff
+|unfocused        |#333333ff |#222222ff  |#888888ff |#292d2eff |#222222ff
+|urgent           |#2f343aff |#900000ff  |#ffffffff |#900000ff |#900000ff
+|placeholder      |#000000ff |#0c0c0cff  |#ffffffff |#000000ff |#0c0c0cff
+|===========================================================================
+--
+
 **debuglog** <on|off|toggle>::
 	Enables, disables or toggles logging for debug. The toggle argument cannot
 	be used in the configuration file.
diff --git a/swaylock/main.c b/swaylock/main.c
index 2c69f7fd..cc543056 100644
--- a/swaylock/main.c
+++ b/swaylock/main.c
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 		{
 			int colorlen = strlen(optarg);
 			if (colorlen < 6 || colorlen == 7 || colorlen > 8) {
-				sway_log(L_ERROR, "color must be specified in 3 or 4 byte format, e.g. ff0000 or ff0000ff");
+				sway_log(L_ERROR, "color must be specified in 3 or 4 byte format, e.g. rrggbb or rrggbbaa");
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
 			render_data.color = strtol(optarg, NULL, 16);