New computers support thousands or millions of colors, but many older color systems can only show up to 256 colors at a time. To cope with this, these browsers make do with colors from a fixed palette. The effect of this is often visible as a speckling of colors as the browser tries to approximate the true color at any point in the image. This problem will gradually go away as older computers are replaced by newer models.
Most browsers support the same so called "browser safe" palette. This uses 6 evenly spaced gradations in red, green and blue and their combinations. If you select image colors from this palette, you can avoid the speckling effect. This is particularly useful for background areas of images.
If the browser is using the browser safe palette, the page background uses the nearest color in the palette. If you set the page background to a color which isn't in the browser safe palette, you run the risk that the background will have different colors depending on whether the computer is using indexed or true-color.
These are constructed from colors where red, green and blue are restricted to the values:
| RGB | 00 | 51 | 102 | 153 | 204 | 255 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hex | 00 | 33 | 66 | 99 | CC | FF |
Here is a table of the browser safe colors and their hex values. My thanks to Bob Stein for this arrangement.
|
FFF FFF |
CCC CCC |
999 999 |
666 666 |
333 333 |
000 000 |
FFC C00 |
FF9 900 |
FF6 600 |
FF3 300 |
||||||
|
99C C00 |
CC9 900 |
FFC C33 |
FFC C66 |
FF9 966 |
FF6 633 |
CC3 300 |
CC0 033 |
||||||||
|
CCF F00 |
CCF F33 |
333 300 |
666 600 |
999 900 |
CCC C00 |
FFF F00 |
CC9 933 |
CC6 633 |
330 000 |
660 000 |
990 000 |
CC0 000 |
FF0 000 |
FF3 366 |
FF0 033 |
|
99F F00 |
CCF F66 |
99C C33 |
666 633 |
999 933 |
CCC C33 |
FFF F33 |
996 600 |
993 300 |
663 333 |
993 333 |
CC3 333 |
FF3 333 |
CC3 366 |
FF6 699 |
FF0 066 |
|
66F F00 |
99F F66 |
66C C33 |
669 900 |
999 966 |
CCC C66 |
FFF F66 |
996 633 |
663 300 |
996 666 |
CC6 666 |
FF6 666 |
990 033 |
CC3 399 |
FF6 6CC |
FF0 099 |
|
33F F00 |
66F F33 |
339 900 |
66C C00 |
99F F33 |
CCC C99 |
FFF F99 |
CC9 966 |
CC6 600 |
CC9 999 |
FF9 999 |
FF3 399 |
CC0 066 |
990 066 |
FF3 3CC |
FF0 0CC |
|
00C C00 |
33C C00 |
336 600 |
669 933 |
99C C66 |
CCF F99 |
FFF FCC |
FFC C99 |
FF9 933 |
FFC CCC |
FF9 9CC |
CC6 699 |
993 366 |
660 033 |
CC0 099 |
330 033 |
|
33C C33 |
66C C66 |
00F F00 |
33F F33 |
66F F66 |
99F F99 |
CCF FCC |
CC9 9CC |
996 699 |
993 399 |
990 099 |
663 366 |
660 066 |
|||
|
006 600 |
336 633 |
009 900 |
339 933 |
669 966 |
99C C99 |
FFC CFF |
FF9 9FF |
FF6 6FF |
FF3 3FF |
FF0 0FF |
CC6 6CC |
CC3 3CC |
|||
|
003 300 |
00C C33 |
006 633 |
339 966 |
66C C99 |
99F FCC |
CCF FFF |
339 9FF |
99C CFF |
CCC CFF |
CC9 9FF |
996 6CC |
663 399 |
330 066 |
990 0CC |
CC0 0CC |
|
00F F33 |
33F F66 |
009 933 |
00C C66 |
33F F99 |
99F FFF |
99C CCC |
006 6CC |
669 9CC |
999 9FF |
999 9CC |
993 3FF |
660 0CC |
660 099 |
CC3 3FF |
CC0 0FF |
|
00F F66 |
66F F99 |
33C C66 |
009 966 |
66F FFF |
66C CCC |
669 999 |
003 366 |
336 699 |
666 6FF |
666 6CC |
666 699 |
330 099 |
993 3CC |
CC6 6FF |
990 0FF |
|
00F F99 |
66F FCC |
33C C99 |
33F FFF |
33C CCC |
339 999 |
336 666 |
006 699 |
003 399 |
333 3FF |
333 3CC |
333 399 |
333 366 |
663 3CC |
996 6FF |
660 0FF |
|
00F FCC |
33F FCC |
00F FFF |
00C CCC |
009 999 |
006 666 |
003 333 |
339 9CC |
336 6CC |
000 0FF |
000 0CC |
000 099 |
000 066 |
000 033 |
663 3FF |
330 0FF |
|
00C C99 |
009 9CC |
33C CFF |
66C CFF |
669 9FF |
336 6FF |
003 3CC |
330 0CC |
||||||||
|
00C CFF |
009 9FF |
006 6FF |
003 3FF |
||||||||||||
Color swatches for the browser safe palette are available free for many popular graphics packages, from www.visibone.com.
| bg=white | bg=silver | bg=gray | bg=black |
|
black darkslategray slategray lightslategray dimgray gray darkgray silver lightgrey gainsboro white seashell snow ghostwhite floralwhite whitesmoke aliceblue azure oldlace mintcream papayawhip peachpuff linen palegoldenrod mistyrose moccasin navajowhite tan wheat lightgoldenrodyellow lightyellow cornsilk antiquewhite beige lemonchiffon ivory khaki lavender lavenderblush bisque blanchedalmond burlywood peru darkturquoise deepskyblue aquamarine dodgerblue cyan honeydew lightskyblue paleturquoise lightcyan lightblue lightsteelblue turquoise mediumturquoise aqua mediumslateblue midnightblue cornflowerblue mediumblue slateblue steelblue blue darkslateblue cadetblue skyblue royalblue powderblue navy darkblue blueviolet darkmagenta darkorchid darkviolet magenta fuchsia mediumvioletred mediumorchid mediumpurple crimson deeppink lightpink hotpink pink plum purple violet thistle orchid indigo brown darksalmon lightcoral indianred lightsalmon palevioletred sandybrown salmon tomato ornagered red maroon darkred firebrick chocolate saddlebrown sienna rosybrown coral darkorange orange darkgoldenrod gold yellow chartreuse lawngreen lime limegreen springgreen mediumseagreen greenyellow darkseagreen lightgreen palegreen yellowgreen seagreen mediumspringgreen lightseagreen mediumaquamarine forestgreen darkcyan teal darkgreen darkolivegreen green olive olivedrab darkkhaki goldenrod goldenrod |
black darkslategray slategray lightslategray dimgray gray darkgray silver lightgrey gainsboro white seashell snow ghostwhite floralwhite whitesmoke aliceblue azure oldlace mintcream papayawhip peachpuff linen palegoldenrod mistyrose moccasin navajowhite tan wheat lightgoldenrodyellow lightyellow cornsilk antiquewhite beige lemonchiffon ivory khaki lavender lavenderblush bisque blanchedalmond burlywood peru darkturquoise deepskyblue aquamarine dodgerblue cyan honeydew lightskyblue paleturquoise lightcyan lightblue lightsteelblue turquoise mediumturquoise aqua mediumslateblue midnightblue cornflowerblue mediumblue slateblue steelblue blue darkslateblue cadetblue skyblue royalblue powderblue navy darkblue blueviolet darkmagenta darkorchid darkviolet magenta fuchsia mediumvioletred mediumorchid mediumpurple crimson deeppink lightpink hotpink pink plum purple violet thistle orchid indigo brown darksalmon lightcoral indianred lightsalmon palevioletred sandybrown salmon tomato ornagered red maroon darkred firebrick chocolate saddlebrown sienna rosybrown coral darkorange orange darkgoldenrod gold yellow chartreuse lawngreen lime limegreen springgreen mediumseagreen greenyellow darkseagreen lightgreen palegreen yellowgreen seagreen mediumspringgreen lightseagreen mediumaquamarine forestgreen darkcyan teal darkgreen darkolivegreen green olive olivedrab darkkhaki goldenrod goldenrod |
black darkslategray slategray lightslategray dimgray gray darkgray silver lightgrey gainsboro white seashell snow ghostwhite floralwhite whitesmoke aliceblue azure oldlace mintcream papayawhip peachpuff linen palegoldenrod mistyrose moccasin navajowhite tan wheat lightgoldenrodyellow lightyellow cornsilk antiquewhite beige lemonchiffon ivory khaki lavender lavenderblush bisque blanchedalmond burlywood peru darkturquoise deepskyblue aquamarine dodgerblue cyan honeydew lightskyblue paleturquoise lightcyan lightblue lightsteelblue turquoise mediumturquoise aqua mediumslateblue midnightblue cornflowerblue mediumblue slateblue steelblue blue darkslateblue cadetblue skyblue royalblue powderblue navy darkblue blueviolet darkmagenta darkorchid darkviolet magenta fuchsia mediumvioletred mediumorchid mediumpurple crimson deeppink lightpink hotpink pink plum purple violet thistle orchid indigo brown darksalmon lightcoral indianred lightsalmon palevioletred sandybrown salmon tomato ornagered red maroon darkred firebrick chocolate saddlebrown sienna rosybrown coral darkorange orange darkgoldenrod gold yellow chartreuse lawngreen lime limegreen springgreen mediumseagreen greenyellow darkseagreen lightgreen palegreen yellowgreen seagreen mediumspringgreen lightseagreen mediumaquamarine forestgreen darkcyan teal darkgreen darkolivegreen green olive olivedrab darkkhaki goldenrod goldenrod |
black darkslategray slategray lightslategray dimgray gray darkgray silver lightgrey gainsboro white seashell snow ghostwhite floralwhite whitesmoke aliceblue azure oldlace mintcream papayawhip peachpuff linen palegoldenrod mistyrose moccasin navajowhite tan wheat lightgoldenrodyellow lightyellow cornsilk antiquewhite beige lemonchiffon ivory khaki lavender lavenderblush bisque blanchedalmond burlywood peru darkturquoise deepskyblue aquamarine dodgerblue cyan honeydew lightskyblue paleturquoise lightcyan lightblue lightsteelblue turquoise mediumturquoise aqua mediumslateblue midnightblue cornflowerblue mediumblue slateblue steelblue blue darkslateblue cadetblue skyblue royalblue powderblue navy darkblue blueviolet darkmagenta darkorchid darkviolet magenta fuchsia mediumvioletred mediumorchid mediumpurple crimson deeppink lightpink hotpink pink plum purple violet thistle orchid indigo brown darksalmon lightcoral indianred lightsalmon palevioletred sandybrown salmon tomato ornagered red maroon darkred firebrick chocolate saddlebrown sienna rosybrown coral darkorange orange darkgoldenrod gold yellow chartreuse lawngreen lime limegreen springgreen mediumseagreen greenyellow darkseagreen lightgreen palegreen yellowgreen seagreen mediumspringgreen lightseagreen mediumaquamarine forestgreen darkcyan teal darkgreen darkolivegreen green olive olivedrab darkkhaki goldenrod goldenrod |