Web safe colors chart
The web safe palette uses only the values 00, 33, 66, 99, cc and ff for red, green and blue: six levels per channel, 6 × 6 × 6 = 216 colors. Click any square to copy its code in the format you choose.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Choose a code format: HEX, short HEX or
rgb().
- Click a square. It is selected and its code is copied to the clipboard.
- Use Copy all to take the whole list, one color per line.
How it works
Each of red, green and blue takes one of six values: 0, 51, 102, 153, 204, 255. The 216 combinations are listed with red changing slowest and blue fastest. The short HEX form uses one digit per channel (0–f), which works because each value is a doubled pair, such as 66.
Example
Red level 51, green level 102 and blue level 153 give #336699, also written #369 or rgb(51, 102, 153).
Tips
- Short codes are easy to type: #fc0 is a bright yellow-orange.
- Check text contrast before using a pair of web safe colors together; many pairs in the palette are too close.
Frequently asked questions
What are web safe colors?
They are 216 colors made only from the channel values 0, 51, 102, 153, 204 and 255 (00, 33, 66, 99, cc and ff in hex). In the 1990s they were the colors that looked the same on screens that could show only 256 colors.
Do I still need web safe colors?
No. Today's screens show millions of colors, so the palette is mainly used for its tidy, easy-to-remember codes and for retro design.
Why do many codes have a short form?
Every web safe channel is a doubled pair, so each color can be written with three digits: #336699 is #369. CSS treats both forms as the same color.
In what order are the colors shown?
By red first, then green, then blue: the first row starts with #000000 and the grid ends at #ffffff.