Design Paper 3
Browser Safe Colours
This paper discusses web browser safe colours. A subject becoming topical again with the rise of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and the drive for more efficiency in image implementation.
In a time long long ago in a world far different than now computer displays had limited abilities to display colours. There were mono-chrome displays. There were 16 colour displays. There were 256 colour displays. Of the 256 colour displays only 216 of these colours were the same across most of the computers in use in these far off times. There was a lot of work in providing colour tables organised by hue and by lightness. This work is still very useful.
These sets of colours provide a good but restricted range of colours and so provide a good starting set for images which are to be used as logos, buttons and icons.
As WAP devices become more capable and handle wider ranges of colours they will follow the same evolutionary path as the computer displays years ago.
16 Safe Colours
These are the colours used on 16 colour displays. A number of portable devices are limited to displaying only the safe colours.
| XXX | Black | 000000 | XXX | Silver | C0C0C0 | XXX | Gray | 808080 | XXX | White | FFFFFF |
| XXX | Maroon | 800000 | XXX | Red | FF0000 | XXX | Purple | 800080 | XXX | Fuchsia | FF00FF |
| XXX | Green | 008000 | XXX | Lime | 00FF00 | XXX | Olive | 808000 | XXX | Yellow | FFFF00 |
| XXX | Navy | 000080 | XXX | Blue | 0000FF | XXX | Teal | 008080 | XXX | Aqua | 00FFFF |
216 Safe Colours
These are the colours accepted as "browser safe".
| XX | 000000 | XX | 000033 | XX | 000066 | XX | 000099 | XX | 0000CC | XX | 0000FF |
| XX | 003300 | XX | 003333 | XX | 003366 | XX | 003399 | XX | 0033CC | XX | 0033FF |
| XX | 006600 | XX | 006633 | XX | 006666 | XX | 006699 | XX | 0066CC | XX | 0066FF |
| XX | 009900 | XX | 009933 | XX | 009966 | XX | 009999 | XX | 0099CC | XX | 0099FF |
| XX | 00CC00 | XX | 00CC33 | XX | 00CC66 | XX | 00CC99 | XX | 00CCCC | XX | 00CCFF |
| XX | 00FF00 | XX | 00FF33 | XX | 00FF66 | XX | 00FF99 | XX | 00FFCC | XX | 00FFFF |
| XX | 330000 | XX | 330033 | XX | 330066 | XX | 330099 | XX | 3300CC | XX | 3300FF |
| XX | 333300 | XX | 333333 | XX | 333366 | XX | 333399 | XX | 3333CC | XX | 3333FF |
| XX | 336600 | XX | 336633 | XX | 336666 | XX | 336699 | XX | 3366CC | XX | 3366FF |
| XX | 339900 | XX | 339933 | XX | 339966 | XX | 339999 | XX | 3399CC | XX | 3399FF |
| XX | 33CC00 | XX | 33CC33 | XX | 33CC66 | XX | 33CC99 | XX | 33CCCC | XX | 33CCFF |
| XX | 33FF00 | XX | 33FF33 | XX | 33FF66 | XX | 33FF99 | XX | 33FFCC | XX | 33FFFF |
| XX | 660000 | XX | 660033 | XX | 660066 | XX | 660099 | XX | 6600CC | XX | 6600FF |
| XX | 663300 | XX | 663333 | XX | 663366 | XX | 663399 | XX | 6633CC | XX | 6633FF |
| XX | 666600 | XX | 666633 | XX | 666666 | XX | 666699 | XX | 6666CC | XX | 6666FF |
| XX | 669900 | XX | 669933 | XX | 669966 | XX | 669999 | XX | 6699CC | XX | 6699FF |
| XX | 66CC00 | XX | 66CC33 | XX | 66CC66 | XX | 66CC99 | XX | 66CCCC | XX | 66CCFF |
| XX | 66FF00 | XX | 66FF33 | XX | 66FF66 | XX | 66FF99 | XX | 66FFCC | XX | 66FFFF |
| XX | 990000 | XX | 990033 | XX | 990066 | XX | 990099 | XX | 9900CC | XX | 9900FF |
| XX | 993300 | XX | 993333 | XX | 993366 | XX | 993399 | XX | 9933CC | XX | 9933FF |
| XX | 996600 | XX | 996633 | XX | 996666 | XX | 996699 | XX | 9966CC | XX | 9966FF |
| XX | 999900 | XX | 999933 | XX | 999966 | XX | 999999 | XX | 9999CC | XX | 9999FF |
| XX | 99CC00 | XX | 99CC33 | XX | 99CC66 | XX | 99CC99 | XX | 99CCCC | XX | 99CCFF |
| XX | 99FF00 | XX | 99FF33 | XX | 99FF66 | XX | 99FF99 | XX | 99FFCC | XX | 99FFFF |
| XX | CC0000 | XX | CC0033 | XX | CC0066 | XX | CC0099 | XX | CC00CC | XX | CC00FF |
| XX | CC3300 | XX | CC3333 | XX | CC3366 | XX | CC3399 | XX | CC33CC | XX | CC33FF |
| XX | CC6600 | XX | CC6633 | XX | CC6666 | XX | CC6699 | XX | CC66CC | XX | CC66FF |
| XX | CC9900 | XX | CC9933 | XX | CC9966 | XX | CC9999 | XX | CC99CC | XX | CC99FF |
| XX | CCCC00 | XX | CCCC33 | XX | CCCC66 | XX | CCCC99 | XX | CCCCCC | XX | CCCCFF |
| XX | CCFF00 | XX | CCFF33 | XX | CCFF66 | XX | CCFF99 | XX | CCFFCC | XX | CCFFFF |
| XX | FF0000 | XX | FF0033 | XX | FF0066 | XX | FF0099 | XX | FF00CC | XX | FF00FF |
| XX | FF3300 | XX | FF3333 | XX | FF3366 | XX | FF3399 | XX | FF33CC | XX | FF33FF |
| XX | FF6600 | XX | FF6633 | XX | FF6666 | XX | FF6699 | XX | FF66CC | XX | FF66FF |
| XX | FF9900 | XX | FF9933 | XX | FF9966 | XX | FF9999 | XX | FF99CC | XX | FF99FF |
| XX | FFCC00 | XX | FFCC33 | XX | FFCC66 | XX | FFCC99 | XX | FFCCCC | XX | FFCCFF |
| XX | FFFF00 | XX | FFFF33 | XX | FFFF66 | XX | FFFF99 | XX | FFFFCC | XX | FFFFFF |