The Web-safe color palette for Web Developers


by Jason A. Salas
KUAM.COM
July 11, 2000

Web developers … have you ever checkout a Website only to be scared off because you nearly went nuts due to inconsistencies in the page’s color scheme?  

Even the most experienced Web developers get stuck every now and then trying to manage nice, pleasing color schemes that work well for the page.   We don’t have the luxury that many print or graphic design artists do of having access to the entire color spectrum.  One of the biggest challenges for Web developers is managing color.  Specifically, getting colors to work just right.  Most Web authoring tools these days include a color table that you can choose from, but it’s also nice to have a reference to guide you to see what colors work well with other.

If a browser isn’t able to interpret and display a color, if defaults to an incorrect shade, defeating the purpose and possibly making your site look ugly.  Although there are approximately 16,777,216 recognized colors in the scientific spectrum, only 256 are seen by Netscape, and only 216 by Microsoft Internet Explorer.  The following colors are supported by both Microsoft Internet Explorer and by Netscape browsers.  Colors used outside of this range tend to be displayed incorrectly.  

You may use either the HEX (hexadecimal value = FFFFFF) or the RGB code (red, green, blue = 255,255,255) to insert colors into your Website's backgrounds.

The Web-safe Color Palette

Color Color HEX RGB Values
Index Sample Color Code Red Green Blue
0   FFFFFF 255 255 255
1   FFFFCC 255 255 204
2   FFFF99 255 255 153
3   FFFF66 255 255 102
4   FFFF33 255 255 51
5   FFFF00 255 255 0
6   FFCCFF 255 204 255
7   FFCCCC 255 204 204
8   FFCC99 255 204 153
9   FFCC66 255 204 102
10   FFCC33 255 204 51
11   FFCC00 255 204 0
12   FF99FF 255 153 255
13   FF99CC 255 153 204
14   FF9999 255 153 153
15   FF9966 255 153 102
16   FF9933 255 153 51
17   FF9900 255 153 0
18   FF66FF 255 102 255
19   FF66CC 255 102 204
20   FF6699 255 102 153
21   FF6666 255 102 102
22   FF6633 255 102 51
23   FF6600 255 102 0
24   FF33FF 255 51 255
25   FF33CC 255 51 204
26   FF3399 255 51 153
27   FF3366 255 51 102
28   FF3333 255 51 51
29   FF3300 255 51 0
30   FF00FF 255 0 255
31   FF00CC 255 0 204
32   FF0099 255 0 153
33   FF0066 255 0 102
34   FF0033 255 0 51
35   FF0000 255 0 0
36   CCFFFF 204 255 255
37   CCFFCC 204 255 204
38   CCFF99 204 255 153
39   CCFF66 204 255 102
40   CCFF33 204 255 51
41   CCFF00 204 255 0
42   CCCCFF 204 204 255
43   CCCCCC 204 204 204
44   CCCC99 204 204 153
45   CCCC66 204 204 102
46   CCCC33 204 204 51
47   CCCC00 204 204 0
48   CC99FF 204 153 255
49   CC99CC 204 153 204
50   CC9999 204 153 153
51   CC9966 204 153 102
52   CC9933 204 153 51
53   CC9900 204 153 0
54   CC66FF 204 102 255
55   CC66CC 204 102 204
56   CC6699 204 102 153
57   CC6666 204 102 102
58   CC6633 204 102 51
59   CC6600 204 102 0
60   CC33FF 204 51 255
61   CC33CC 204 51 204
62   CC3399 204 51 153
63   CC3366 204 51 102
64   CC3333 204 51 51
65   CC3300 204 51 0
66   CC00FF 204 0 255
67   CC00CC 204 0 204
68   CC0099 204 0 153
69   CC0066 204 0 102
70   CC0033 204 0 51
71   CC0000 204 0 0
72   99FFFF 153 255 255
73   99FFCC 153 255 204
74   99FF99 153 255 153
75   99FF66 153 255 102
76   99FF33 153 255 51
77   99FF00 153 255 0
78   99CCFF 153 204 255
79   99CCCC 153 204 204
80   99CC99 153 204 153
81   99CC66 153 204 102
82   99CC33 153 204 51
83   99CC00 153 204 0
84   9999FF 153 153 255
85   9999CC 153 153 204
86   999999 153 153 153
87   999966 153 153 102
88   999933 153 153 51
89   999900 153 153 0
90   9966FF 153 102 255
91   9966CC 153 102 204
92   996699 153 102 153
93   996666 153 102 102
94   996633 153 102 51
95   996600 153 102 0
96   9933FF 153 51 255
97   9933CC 153 51 204
98   993399 153 51 153
99   993366 153 51 102
100   993333 153 51 51
101   993300 153 51 0
102   9900FF 153 0 255
103   9900CC 153 0 204
104   990099 153 0 153
105   990066 153 0 102
106   990033 153 0 51
107   990000 153 0 0
108   66FFFF 102 255 255
109   66FFCC 102 255 204
110   66FF99 102 255 153
111   66FF66 102 255 102
112   66FF33 102 255 51
113   66FF00 102 255 0
114   66CCFF 102 204 255
115   66CCCC 102 204 204
116   66CC99 102 204 153
117   66CC66 102 204 102
118   66CC33 102 204 51
119   66CC00 102 204 0
120   6699FF 102 153 255
121   6699CC 102 153 204
122   669999 102 153 153
123   669966 102 153 102
124   669933 102 153 51
125   669900 102 153 0
126   6666FF 102 102 255
127   6666CC 102 102 204
128   666699 102 102 153
129   666666 102 102 102
130   666633 102 102 51
131   666600 102 102 0
132   6633FF 102 51 255
133   6633CC 102 51 204
134   663399 102 51 153
135   663366 102 51 102
136   663333 102 51 51
137   663300 102 51 0
138   6600FF 102 0 255
139   6600CC 102 0 204
140   660099 102 0 153
141   660066 102 0 102
142   660033 102 0 51
143   660000 102 0 0
144   33FFFF 51 255 255
145   33FFCC 51 255 204
146   33FF99 51 255 153
147   33FF66 51 255 102
148   33FF33 51 255 51
149   33FF00 51 255 0
150   33CCFF 51 204 255
151   33CCCC 51 204 204
152   33CC99 51 204 153
153   33CC66 51 204 102
154   33CC33 51 204 51
155   33CC00 51 204 0
156   3399FF 51 153 255
157   3399CC 51 153 204
158   339999 51 153 153
159   339966 51 153 102
160   339933 51 153 51
161   339900 51 153 0
162   3366FF 51 102 255
163   3366CC 51 102 204
164   336699 51 102 153
165   336666 51 102 102
166   336633 51 102 51
167   336600 51 102 0
168   3333FF 51 51 255
169   3333CC 51 51 204
170   333399 51 51 153
171   333366 51 51 102
172   333333 51 51 51
173   333300 51 51 0
174   3300FF 51 0 255
175   3300CC 51 0 204
176   330099 51 0 153
177   330066 51 0 102
178   330033 51 0 51
179   330000 51 0 0
180   00FFFF 0 255 255
181   00FFCC 0 255 204
182   00FF99 0 255 153
183   00FF66 0 255 102
184   00FF33 0 255 51
185   00FF00 0 255 0
186   00CCFF 0 204 255
187   00CCCC 0 204 204
188   00CC99 0 204 153
189   00CC66 0 204 102
190   00CC33 0 204 51
191   00CC00 0 204 0
192   0099FF 0 153 255
193   0099CC 0 153 204
194   009999 0 153 153
195   009966 0 153 102
196   009933 0 153 51
197   009900 0 153 0
198   0066FF 0 102 255
199   0066CC 0 102 204
200   006699 0 102 153
201   006666 0 102 102
202   006633 0 102 51
203   006600 0 102 0
204   0033FF 0 51 255
205   0033CC 0 51 204
206   003399 0 51 153
207   003366 0 51 102
208   003333 0 51 51
209   003300 0 51 0
210   0000FF 0 0 255
211   0000CC 0 0 204
212   000099 0 0 153
213   000066 0 0 102
214   000033 0 0 51
215   000000 0 0 0

 

This has helped me over the years in managing my own color scheme on various projects.  Hope it does the same for you!


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Jason Salas is Web Manager for KUAM.COM. He also owns the Pi Internet Solutions Group, a consulting agency dedicated towards "Internet Evangelism".  

He spent the previous 3 years at IT&E in the marketing and business development group of Talaya 2000, Guam’s largest Internet service provider.  He intends someday to host Saturday Night Live, with Metallica as the special musical guest.

He has an AAS in Music Theory, a BBA in Marketing, and an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix.

Comments may be directed to jason@kuam.com

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