Tutorial text and format by Joe Burns, Ph.D.
The non-dithering color codes by Lynda Weinman.
As if there isn't enough to be concerned about in terms of colors - here's one more little deal. This is a chart of 216 "non-dithering" colors. In layman's terms, these colors will look like the color you ask for on all browsers and all computer screen resolution settings.
Have you ever seen a color created by what appeared to be one solid color and then a few lighter colored dots laid across the top? It didn't blend at all, but sort of created the color. Have you ever printed something in color, and instead of being a straight color, it appeared to be a series of different colored dots?
I guess if you were able to truly mix those colors together, you would get the color you are looking for. But they're not mixed. That's dithering.
They won't dither. They always give a nice smooth color on web pages and in graphics.
The reason is because these are the 216 colors chosen by Windows and MAC operating platforms to make up their palettes of colors. The colors that aren't represented here are the colors that these try to make up by dithering. Get it?
The color list comes from a mathematical formula using the shades 00, 33, 66, 99, CC, and FF from hex codes.
Using just those 6 hex combinations over red, blue, and green hues, gives us a
total of 216 colors that will render perfectly on your screen.
That said - here you go. These are the chosen 216.
| FFFFFF | FFFFCC | FFFF99 | FFFF66 | FFFF33 |
| FFFF00 | CCFFFF | CCFFCC | CCFF99 | CCFF66 |
| CCFF33 | CCFF00 | 99FFFF | 99FFCC | 99FF99 |
| 66FFFF | 99FF66 | 99FF33 | 66FFCC | FFCCFF |
| 99FF00 | 33FFFF | FFCCCC | 33FFCC | 00FFFF |
| 66FF99 | FFCC99 | 66FF66 | 66FF33 | 00FFCC |
| 66FF00 | 33FF99 | FFCC66 | FFCC33 | CCCCFF |
| 33FF66 | 33FF33 | 00FF99 | FFCC00 | 33FF00 |
| 00FF66 | 00FF33 | 00FF00 | CCCCCC | CCCC99 |
| 99CCFF | CCCC66 | CCCC00 | CCCC33 | 99CCCC |
| FF99FF | 99CC99 | 66CCFF | FF99CC | 99CC66 |
| 66CCCC | 99CC33 | 00CCFF | 33CCFF | 99CC00 |
| FF9999 | 66CC99 | FF9966 | 66CC66 | 33CCCC |
| CC99FF | 00CCCC | FF9933 | FF9900 | 66CC33 |
| 66CC00 | 33CC99 | 00CC99 | CC99CC | 33CC66 |
| 00CC66 | CC9999 | FF66FF | 33CC33 | 33CC00 |
| CC9966 | 00CC33 | 9999FF | 00CC00 | CC9933 |
| CC9900 | FF66CC | 9999CC | FF6699 | 999999 |
| 6699FF | FF6666 | CC66FF | 999966 | 6699CC |
| 999933 | FFCC33 | FF6600 | FF33FF | 3399FF |
| 999900 | 669999 | CC66CC | 0099FF | FF33CC |
| 3399CC | CC6699 | 669966 | FF00FF | 339999 |
| 669933 | 669900 | FF3399 | 0099CC | 9966FF |
| CC6666 | 009999 | CC6633 | CC6600 | 339966 |
| FF00CC | FF3366 | 009966 | CC33FF | FF3333 |
| 339933 | 009933 | 9966CC | FF3300 | FF0099 |
| 339900 | 009900 | 6666FF | CC33CC | FF0066 |
| 996699 | FF0033 | FF0000 | CC00FF | CC3399 |
| 996666 | 6666CC | 996633 | 996600 | 3366FF |
| CC3366 | CC00CC | 9933FF | 0066FF | 666699 |
| CC3333 | CC3300 | 3366CC | CC0099 | 9933CC |
| 666666 | 666633 | 0066CC | 9900FF | 666600 |
| CC0066 | 336699 | 993399 | CC0033 | 6633FF |
| 336666 | 006699 | CC0000 | 993366 | 9900CC |
| 336633 | 006666 | 336600 | 6633CC | 3333FF |
| 006633 | 993333 | 993300 | 6600FF | 990099 |
| 006600 | 0033FF | 663399 | 009966 | 3333CC |
| 663366 | 6600CC | 990033 | 0033CC | 990000 |
| 3300FF | 663333 | 663300 | 660099 | 0000FF |
| 333399 | 3300CC | 003399 | 333300 | 660066 |
| 333333 | 003366 | 0000CC | 660033 | 333300 |
| 660000 | 330099 | 003333 | 003300 | 000099 |
| 330066 | 330033 | 000066 | 330000 | 000033 |
| 000000 | ||||