The 216 "Safe" Browser Colours

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Although most computer monitors are capable of displaying millions of colours, PCs and Macs use different chips - and they display colours differently too. In fact, there are only 216 colours that are common between the two platforms.

As a result - if you want to be 100% certain that your web page looks just as good to everybody who might see it regardless of the machine they use - you need to stick to this very limited 216-colour palette.

What happens if you don't? Well, you might think your page looks just peachy... but wait until you see it on a different platform! You could be in for an unpleasant surprise.

This is because if you stray outside these "safe" colours, a browser will automatically dither whatever colour you've chosen to the nearest "safe" match it can find. And very often, the results are disastrous.

That's why we've prepared this Safe Colour Chart for you. The first line in each cell shows the hexadecimal value (which you should use when you specify the colour in a table cell or page background) and the remaining three sets of numbers show the corresponding Red, Green and Blue values (which is probably what your favourite paint program will show you, if you need to convert between RGB and Hex values ....and you probably will quite a lot).

PS: Don't be surprised if some cells in our chart appear to be the same colour. When we were preparing this chart we took the opportunity to test it out on several different monitors and not one of them showed 216 unique shades. What does this mean? Well, three things really:

• Many monitors and/or video cards on the market don't render colours very well (hint: use this chart the next time you buy a monitor or a video card to see how good it really is!)
• If you want to be absolutely sure that your pages will look uniformly good to the majority of viewers, try to keep to "mid-range" colours rather than some of the more extreme shades. A deep, rich chocolate brown on your monitor may look like jet black to someone else. And that's unfortunate if you've pinned a lot on having that colour faithfully rendered
• If you want to be sure your pages are legible, go for high contrast rather than limited differences (eg: dark text on a dark background). Someone with a dim or poor-quality monitor may find your low contrast pages illegible.  

You can print a hard-copy of this page for your own reference by clicking here.

And you can see an additional "safe enough" palette of 140 extra colours that was developed by Netscape back in the mid-1990s by clicking here.

 

The Web-Safe 216 Colour Palette FFFFFF R: 255 G: 255 B: 255 FFFFCC R: 255 G: 255 B: 204 FFFF99 R: 255 G: 255 B: 153 FFFF66 R: 255 G: 255 B: 102 FFFF33 R: 255 G: 255 B: 051 FFFF00 R: 255 G: 255 B: 000 CCFFFF R: 204 G: 255 B: 255 CCFFCC R: 204 G: 255 B: 204 CCFF99 R: 204 G: 255 B: 153 CCFF66 R: 204 G: 255 B: 102 CCFF33 R: 204 G: 255 B: 051 CCFF00 R: 204 G: 255 B: 000 99FFFF R: 153 G: 255 B: 255 99FFCC R: 153 G: 255 B: 204 99FF99 R: 153 G: 255 B: 153 99FF66 R: 153 G: 255 B: 102 99FF33 R: 153 G: 255 B: 051 99FF00 R: 153 G: 255 B: 000 66FFFF R: 102 G: 255 B: 255 66FFCC R: 102 G: 255 B: 204 66FF99 R: 102 G: 255 B: 153 66FF66 R: 102 G: 255 B: 102 66FF33 R: 102 G: 255 B: 051 66FF00 R: 102 G: 255 B: 000 33FFFF R: 051 G: 255 B: 255 33FFCC R: 051 G: 255 B: 204 33FF99 R: 051 G: 255 B: 153 33FF66 R: 051 G: 255 B: 102 33FF33 R: 051 G: 255 B: 051 33FF00 R: 051 G: 255 B: 000 00FFFF R: 000 G: 255 B: 255 00FFCC R: 000 G: 255 B: 204 00FF99 R: 000 G: 255 B: 153 00FF66 R: 000 G: 255 B: 102 00FF33 R: 000 G: 255 B: 051 00FF00 R: 000 G: 255 B: 000 FFCCFF R: 255 G: 204 B: 255 FFCCCC R: 255 G: 204 B: 204 FFCC99 R: 255 G: 204 B: 153 FFCC66 R: 255 G: 204 B: 102 FFCC33 R: 255 G: 204 B: 051 FFCC00 R: 255 G: 204 B 000 CCCCFF R: 204 G: 204 B: 255 CCCCCC R: 204 G: 204 B: 204 CCCC99 R: 204 G: 204 B: 153 CCCC66 R: 204 G: 204 B: 102 CCCC33 R: 204 G: 204 B: 051 CCCC00 R: 204 G: 204 B: 000 99CCFF R: 153 G: 204 B: 255 99CCCC R: 153 G: 204 B: 204 99CC99 R: 153 G: 204 B: 153 99CC66 R: 153 G: 204 B: 102 99CC33 R: 153 G: 204 B: 051 99CC00 R: 153 G: 204 B: 000 66CCFF R: 102 G: 204 B: 255 66CCCC R: 102 G: 204 B: 204 66CC99 R: 102 G: 204 B: 153 66CC66 R: 102 G: 204 B: 102 66CC33 R: 102 G: 204 B: 051 66CC00 R: 102 G: 204 B: 000 33CCFF R: 051 G: 204 B: 255 33CCCC R: 051 G: 204 B: 204 33CC99 R: 051 G: 204 B: 153 33CC66 R: 051 G: 204 B: 102 33CC33 R: 051 G: 204 B: 051 33CC00 R: 051 G: 204 B: 000 00CCFF R: 000 G: 204 B: 255 00CCCC R: 000 G: 204 B: 204 00CC99 R: 000 G: 204 B: 153 00CC66 R: 000 G: 204 B: 102 00CC33 R: 000 G: 204 B: 051 00CC00 R: 000 G: 204 B: 000 FF99FF R: 255 G: 153 B: 255 FF99CC R: 255 G: 153 B: 204 FF9999 R: 255 G: 153 B: 153 FF9966 R: 255 G: 153 B: 102 FF9933 R: 255 G: 153 B: 051 FF9900 R: 255 G: 153 B: 000 CC99FF R: 204 G: 153 B: 255 CC99CC R: 204 G: 153 B: 204 CC9999 R: 204 G: 153 B: 153 CC9966 R: 204 G: 153 B: 102 CC9933 R: 204 G: 153 B: 051 CC9900 R: 204 G: 153 B: 000 99FFFF R: 153 G: 153 B: 255 9999CC R: 153 G: 153 B: 204 999999 R: 153 G: 153 B: 153 999966 R: 153 G: 153 B: 102 999933 R: 153 G: 153 B: 051 999900 R: 153 G: 153 B: 000 6699FF R: 102 G: 153 B: 255 6699CC R: 102 G: 153 B: 204 669999 R: 102 G: 153 B: 153 669966 R: 102 G: 153 B: 102 669933 R: 102 G: 153 B: 051 669900 R: 102 G: 153 B: 000 3399FF R: 051 G: 153 B: 255 3399CC R: 051 G: 153 B: 204 339999 R: 051 G: 153 B: 153 339966 R: 051 G: 153 B: 102 339933 R: 051 G: 153 B: 051 339900 R: 051 G: 153 B: 000 0099FF R: 000 G: 153 B: 255 0099CC R: 000 G: 153 B: 204 009999 R: 000 G: 153 B: 153 009966 R: 000 G: 153 B: 102 009933 R: 000 G: 153 B: 051 009900 R: 000 G: 153 B: 000 FF66FF R: 255 G: 102 B: 255 FF66CC R: 255 G: 102 B: 204 FF6699 R: 255 G: 102 B: 153 FF6666 R: 255 G: 102 B: 102 FF6633 R: 255 G: 102 B: 051 FF6600 R: 255 G: 102 B: 000 CC66FF R: 204 G: 102 B: 255 CC66CC R: 204 G: 102 B: 204 CC6699 R: 204 G: 102 B: 153 CC6666 R: 204 G: 102 B: 102 CC6633 R: 204 G: 102 B: 051 CC6600 R: 204 G: 102 B: 000 9966FF R: 153 G: 102 B: 255 9966CC R: 153 G: 102 B: 204 996699 R: 153 G: 102 B: 153 996666 R: 153 G: 102 B: 102 996633 R: 153 G: 102 B: 051 996600 R: 153 G: 102 B: 000 6666FF R: 102 G: 102 B: 255 6666CC R: 102 G: 102 B: 204 666699 R: 102 G: 102 B: 153 666666 R: 102 G: 102 B: 102 666633 R: 102 G: 102 B: 051 666600 R: 102 G: 102 B: 000 3366FF R: 051 G: 102 B: 255 3366CC R: 051 G: 102 B: 204 336699 R: 051 G: 102 B: 153 336666 R: 051 G: 102 B: 102 336633 R: 051 G: 102 B: 051 336600 R: 051 G: 102 B: 000 0066FF R: 000 G: 102 B: 255 0066CC R: 000 G: 102 B: 204 006699 R: 000 G: 102 B: 153 006666 R: 000 G: 102 B: 102 006633 R: 000 G: 102 B: 051 006600 R: 000 G: 102 B: 000 FF33FF R: 255 G: 051 B: 255 FF33CC R: 255 G: 051 B: 204 FF3399 R: 255 G: 051 B: 153 FF3366 R: 255 G: 051 B: 102 FF3333 R: 255 G: 051 B: 051 FF3300 R: 255 G: 051 B: 000 CC33FF R: 204 G: 051 B: 255 CC33CC R: 204 G: 051 B: 204 CC3399 R: 204 G: 051 B: 153 CC3366 R: 204 G: 051 B: 102 CC3333 R: 204 G: 051 B: 051 CC3300 R: 204 G: 051 B: 000 9933FF R: 153 G: 051 B: 255 9933CC R: 153 G: 051 B: 204 993399 R: 153 G: 051 B: 153 993366 R: 153 G: 051 B: 102 993333 R: 153 G: 051 B: 051 993300 R: 153 G: 051 B: 000 6633FF R: 102 G: 051 B: 255 6633CC R: 102 G: 051 B: 204 663399 R: 102 G: 051 B: 153 663366 R: 102 G: 051 B: 102 663333 R: 102 G: 051 B: 051 663300 R: 102 G: 051 B: 000 3333FF R: 051 G: 051 B: 255 3333CC R: 051 G: 051 B: 204 333399 R: 051 G: 051 B: 153 333366 R: 051 G: 051 B: 102 333333 R: 051 G: 051 B: 051 333300 R: 051 G: 051 B: 000 0033FF R: 000 G: 051 B: 255 0033CC R: 000 G: 051 B: 204 003399 R: 000 G: 051 B: 153 003366 R: 000 G: 051 B: 102 003333 R: 000 G: 051 B: 051 003300 R: 000 G: 051 B: 000 FF00FF R: 255 G: 000 B: 255 FF00CC R: 255 G: 000 B: 204 FF0099 R: 255 G: 000 B: 153 FF0066 R: 255 G: 000 B: 102 FF0033 R: 255 G: 000 B: 051 FF0000 R: 255 G: 000 B: 000 CC00FF R: 204 G: 000 B: 255 CC00CC R: 204 G: 000 B: 204 CC0099 R: 204 G: 000 B: 153 CC0066 R: 204 G: 000 B: 102 CC0033 R: 204 G: 000 B: 051 CC0000 R: 204 G: 000 B: 000 9900FF R: 153 G: 000 B: 255 9900CC R: 153 G: 000 B: 204 990099 R: 153 G: 000 B: 153 990066 R: 153 G: 000 B: 102 990033 R: 153 G: 000 B: 051 990000 R: 153 G: 000 B: 000 6600FF R: 102 G: 000 B: 255 6600CC R: 102 G: 000 B: 204 660099 R: 102 G: 000 B: 153 660066 R: 102 G: 000 B: 102 660033 R: 102 G: 000 B: 051 660000 R: 102 G: 000 B: 000 3300FF R: 051 G: 000 B: 255 3300CC R: 051 G: 000 B: 204 330099 R: 051 G: 000 B: 153 330066 R: 051 G: 000 B: 102 330033 R: 051 G: 000 B: 051 330000 R: 051 G: 000 B: 000 0000FF R: 000 G: 000 B: 255 0000CC R: 000 G: 000 B: 204 000099 R: 000 G: 000 B: 153 000066 R: 000 G: 000 B: 102 000033 R: 000 G: 000 B: 051 000000 R: 000 G: 000 B: 000