Web Safe Colors
For many years computers only supported a maximum of 256 different colors, a list of 216 “Web Safe Colors” was created as a Web standard, reserving 40 fixed system colors. The 216 cross-browser color palette was developed to make sure all computers would correctly display the colors when running a 256 color palette.
Today this standard is no longer strictly followed as most computers can display millions of different colors.
Below is a list of the original 216 “Web Safe Colors” with their hexadecimal values.
| 000000 | 000033 | 000066 | 000099 | 0000CC | 0000FF |
| 003300 | 003333 | 003366 | 003399 | 0033CC | 0033FF |
| 006600 | 006633 | 006666 | 006699 | 0066CC | 0066FF |
| 009900 | 009933 | 009966 | 009999 | 0099CC | 0099FF |
| 00CC00 | 00CC33 | 00CC66 | 00CC99 | 00CCCC | 00CCFF |
| 00FF00 | 00FF33 | 00FF66 | 00FF99 | 00FFCC | 00FFFF |
| 330000 | 330033 | 330066 | 330099 | 3300CC | 3300FF |
| 333300 | 333333 | 333366 | 333399 | 3333CC | 3333FF |
| 336600 | 336633 | 336666 | 336699 | 3366CC | 3366FF |
| 339900 | 339933 | 339966 | 339999 | 3399CC | 3399FF |
| 33CC00 | 33CC33 | 33CC66 | 33CC99 | 33CCCC | 33CCFF |
| 33FF00 | 33FF33 | 33FF66 | 33FF99 | 33FFCC | 33FFFF |
| 660000 | 660033 | 660066 | 660099 | 6600CC | 6600FF |
| 663300 | 663333 | 663366 | 663399 | 6633CC | 6633FF |
| 666600 | 666633 | 666666 | 666699 | 6666CC | 6666FF |
| 669900 | 669933 | 669966 | 669999 | 6699CC | 6699FF |
| 66CC00 | 66CC33 | 66CC66 | 66CC99 | 66CCCC | 66CCFF |
| 66FF00 | 66FF33 | 66FF66 | 66FF99 | 66FFCC | 66FFFF |
| 990000 | 990033 | 990066 | 990099 | 9900CC | 9900FF |
| 993300 | 993333 | 993366 | 993399 | 9933CC | 9933FF |
| 996600 | 996633 | 996666 | 996699 | 9966CC | 9966FF |
| 999900 | 999933 | 999966 | 999999 | 9999CC | 9999FF |
| 99CC00 | 99CC33 | 99CC66 | 99CC99 | 99CCCC | 99CCFF |
| 99FF00 | 99FF33 | 99FF66 | 99FF99 | 99FFCC | 99FFFF |
| CC0000 | CC0033 | CC0066 | CC0099 | CC00CC | CC00FF |
| CC3300 | CC3333 | CC3366 | CC3399 | CC33CC | CC33FF |
| CC6600 | CC6633 | CC6666 | CC6699 | CC66CC | CC66FF |
| CC9900 | CC9933 | CC9966 | CC9999 | CC99CC | CC99FF |
| CCCC00 | CCCC33 | CCCC66 | CCCC99 | CCCCCC | CCCCFF |
| CCFF00 | CCFF33 | CCFF66 | CCFF99 | CCFFCC | CCFFFF |
| FF0000 | FF0033 | FF0066 | FF0099 | FF00CC | FF00FF |
| FF3300 | FF3333 | FF3366 | FF3399 | FF33CC | FF33FF |
| FF6600 | FF6633 | FF6666 | FF6699 | FF66CC | FF66FF |
| FF9900 | FF9933 | FF9966 | FF9999 | FF99CC | FF99FF |
| FFCC00 | FFCC33 | FFCC66 | FFCC99 | FFCCCC | FFCCFF |
| FFFF00 | FFFF33 | FFFF66 | FFFF99 | FFFFCC | FFFFFF |
Web Safe Colors and “Really Safe” colors.
It was eventually discovered that 16-bit computer displays only showed 22 of the 216 web safe colors reliably. The 22 are made up of mostly shades of green and yellow, these are known as the “really safe” colors. The following are the 216 web safe colors with the 22 “really safe” colors demarcated with an asterisk on either side and underlined. Note: Hex color abbreviations are used below. The color code listed is a short-hand notation; for example, code 609 is equivalent to HEX code #660099.
| *000* | 300 | 600 | 900 | C00 | *F00* |
| *003* | 303 | 603 | 903 | C03 | *F03* |
| 006 | 306 | 606 | 906 | C06 | F06 |
| 009 | 309 | 609 | 909 | C09 | F09 |
| 00C | 30C | 60C | 90C | C0C | F0C |
| *00F* | 30F | 60F | 90F | C0F | *F0F* |
| 030 | 330 | 630 | 930 | C30 | F30 |
| 033 | 333 | 633 | 933 | C33 | F33 |
| 036 | 336 | 636 | 936 | C36 | F36 |
| 039 | 339 | 639 | 939 | C39 | F39 |
| 03C | 33C | 63C | 93C | C3C | F3C |
| 03F | 33F | 63F | 93F | C3F | F3F |
| 060 | 360 | 660 | 960 | C60 | F60 |
| 063 | 363 | 663 | 963 | C63 | F63 |
| 066 | 366 | 666 | 966 | C66 | F66 |
| 069 | 369 | 669 | 969 | C69 | F69 |
| 06C | 36C | 66C | 96C | C6C | F6C |
| 06F | 36F | 66F | 96F | C6F | F6F |
| 090 | 390 | 690 | 990 | C90 | F90 |
| 093 | 393 | 693 | 993 | C93 | F93 |
| 096 | 396 | 696 | 996 | C96 | F96 |
| 099 | 399 | 699 | 999 | C99 | F99 |
| 09C | 39C | 69C | 99C | C9C | F9C |
| 09F | 39F | 69F | 99F | C9F | F9F |
| 0C0 | 3C0 | 6C0 | 9C0 | CC0 | FC0 |
| 0C3 | 3C3 | 6C3 | 9C3 | CC3 | FC3 |
| 0C6 | 3C6 | 6C6 | 9C6 | CC6 | FC6 |
| 0C9 | 3C9 | 6C9 | 9C9 | CC9 | FC9 |
| 0CC | 3CC | 6CC | 9CC | CCC | FCC |
| 0CF | 3CF | 6CF | 9CF | CCF | FCF |
| *0F0* | 3F0 | *6F0* | 9F0 | CF0 | *FF0* |
| 0F3 | *3F3* | *6F3* | 9F3 | CF3 | *FF3* |
| *0F6* | *3F6* | 6F6 | 9F6 | *CF6* | *FF6* |
| 0F9 | 3F9 | 6F9 | 9F9 | CF9 | FF9 |
| *0FC* | *3FC* | 6FC | 9FC | CFC | FFC |
| *0FF* | *3FF* | *6FF* | 9FF | CFF | *FFF* |