Below is a color chart made up of the 216 browser safe colors. Browsers each use a palette consisting of the same 256 colors. However, 40 of those colors are slightly different on PCs and Macintosh computers. The 216 colors below are those that are the same on both PCs and Macintosh.
Back in the World Wide Web "Dark Ages" (sometime before the mid-1990's) the super-hot computers of the day could only display 256 colors. At that time any color outside of the browser safe range would not be displayed by the computers. Browsers, such as Netscape and Internet Explorer, would substitute safe colors for "non-safe" colors. The resulting displays were pixilated. It is an effect called "dithering." It could be considered a way to imitate browser safe colors through artifice.
The latest versions of the primary browsers, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, use improved graphics engines that allow them to display colors far better than previously possible. In addition, unlike early color computers which could only display 256 colors, modern computers will display many millions or colors. This means that it is not necessary to design Web graphics using strictly browser safe colors.
When writing the HTML/XHTML code for Web pages is still be useful to follow the browser safe color formula. Color is specified by hexadecimal code, as explained below. Older browsers may have difficulty with the hex code if it does not fit the standard format. Further, there is the issue of whether or not the page code will validate if non-standard colors are specified. In situations where validation is part of the criteria (such as in a class assignment), then limiting options to browser safe colors is necessary.
From the design standpoint it is often easier for designers without the "eye for color" to select from a narrow range of possibilities rather than from a nearly unlimited pallet.
As newer versions of HTML code are created, specifications about how color is presented on the Web are sure to change. It will be necessary for Web designers to keep up with developments as they appear. These newer code versions combined with improved browsers may cause the old browser safe color rules to eventually become totally obsolete.
The RGB (Red, Green, Blue) formulas that make up each color are mathematical calculations, not artistic choices. By examining the hexadecimal code representing each color you can see the math progression. Hexadecimal numbering is based on 0-f. The codes noted on the chart below consist of a two digit figure for each color. Thus, the code for red is ff0000. The code for green is 00ff00. The code for blue is 0000ff.
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