This list of monochrome and RGB palettes includes generic repertoires of colors (
color palettes) to produce
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
and
RGB color pictures by a computer's display
hardware. RGB is the most common method to produce colors for displays; so these complete RGB color repertoires have every possible combination of R-G-B triplets within any given maximum number of levels per component.
Each palette is represented by a series of color patches. When the number of colors is low, a 1-pixel-size version of the palette appears below it, for easily comparing relative palette sizes. Huge palettes are given directly in one-color-per-pixel color patches.
For each unique palette, an image color test chart and sample image (
truecolor original follows) rendered with that palette (without
dithering
Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often ...
) are given. The test chart shows the full 256 levels of the red, green, and blue (RGB) primary colors and cyan, magenta, and yellow complementary colors, along with a full 256-level grayscale. Gradients of RGB intermediate colors (orange, lime green, sea green, sky blue, violet, and fuchsia), and a full
hue spectrum are also present. Color charts are not
gamma
Gamma (uppercase , lowercase ; ''gámma'') is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 3. In Ancient Greek, the letter gamma represented a voiced velar stop . In Modern Greek, this letter r ...
corrected.
:
These elements illustrate the color depth and distribution of the colors of any given palette, and the sample image indicates how the color selection of such palettes could represent real-life images. These images are not necessarily representative of how the image would be displayed on the original graphics hardware, as the hardware may have additional limitations regarding the maximum display
resolution,
pixel aspect ratio
Pixel aspect ratio (often abbreviated PAR) is a mathematical ratio that describes how the width of a pixel in a digital image compares to the height of that pixel.
Most digital imaging systems display an image as a grid of tiny, square pix ...
and color placement.
Implementation of these formats is specific to each machine. Therefore, the number of colors that can be simultaneously displayed in a given text or graphic mode might be different. Also, the actual displayed colors are subject to the output format used -
PAL or
NTSC
The first American standard for analog television broadcast was developed by National Television System Committee (NTSC)National Television System Committee (1951–1953), Report and Reports of Panel No. 11, 11-A, 12–19, with Some supplement ...
,
composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...
or
component video
Component video is an analog video signal that has been split into two or more component channels. In popular use, it refers to a type of component analog video (CAV) information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals. Compo ...
, etc. - and might be slightly different.
For simulated images and specific hardware and alternate methods to produce colors other than RGB (ex: composite), see the
List of 8-bit computer hardware palettes
This is a list of notable 8-bit computer color palettes, and graphics, which were primarily manufactured from 1975 to 1985. Although some of them use RGB palettes, more commonly they have 4, 16 or more color palettes that are not bit nor level c ...
, the
List of 16-bit computer hardware palettes and the
List of video game console palettes.
For various software arrangements and sorts of colors, including other possible full RGB arrangements within 8-bit
color depth
Color depth or colour depth (see spelling differences), also known as bit depth, is either the number of bits used to indicate the color of a single pixel, or the number of bits used for each color component of a single pixel. When referring ...
displays, see the
List of software palettes.
Monochrome palettes
These palettes only have some shades of gray, from black to white (considered the darkest and lightest "grays", respectively). The general rule is that those palettes have 2
n different shades of gray, where ''n'' is the number of bits needed to represent a single
pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device.
In most digital display devices, pixels are the ...
.
Monochrome (1-bit grayscale)
Monochrome
A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, monochr ...
graphics displays typically have a black background with a white or light gray image, though green and amber
monochrome monitor
A monochrome monitor is a type of computer monitor in which computer text and images are displayed in varying tones of only one color, as opposed to a color monitor that can display text and images in multiple colors. They were very common in t ...
s were also common. Such a palette requires only one bit per pixel.
:
Where photo-realism was desired, these early computer systems had a heavy reliance on
dither
Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often ...
ing to make up for the limits of the technology.
:
:
In some systems, as
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the ...
and
CGA graphic cards for the
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a team ...
, a bit value of 1 represents white pixels (light on) and a value of 0 the black ones (light off); others, like the
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first per ...
and
Apple Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software ...
with monochrome monitors, a bit value of 0 means a white pixel (no ink) and a value of 1 means a black pixel (dot of ink), which it approximates to the printing logic.
2-bit Grayscale
In a 2-bit color palette each pixel's value is represented by 2 bits resulting in a 4-value palette (2
2 = 4).
:
2-bit dithering:
:
It has black, white and two intermediate levels of gray as follows:
:
A monochrome 2-bit palette is used on:
*The
Monochrome Display Adapter for the
IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a team ...
*
NeXT Computer
NeXT Computer (also called the NeXT Computer System) is a workstation computer that was developed, marketed, and sold by NeXT Inc. It was introduced in October 1988 as the company's first and flagship product, at a price of , aimed at the hig ...
,
NeXTcube and
NeXTstation monochrome graphic displays.
*Original
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...
system portable
video game console
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
.
*
Macintosh PowerBook 150 monochrome LC displays.
*
Commodore Amiga with A2024 monochrome monitor in high-resolution mode.
*The original
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store. ...
*The original
Wonderswan
*The
Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics Ltd. (also known as Tiger and Tiger Toys) was an independent American toy manufacturer best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, the Talkboy, Giga Pets, the 2-XL robot, and audio games such as ''Brain Warp'' and th ...
Game.com portable
video game console
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
*The original
Neo Geo Pocket.
4-bit Grayscale
In a 4-bit color palette each pixel's value is represented by 4 bits resulting in a 16-value palette (2
4 = 16):
:
4-bit grayscale dithering does a fairly good job of reducing visible banding of the level changes:
:
:
A monochrome 4-bit palette is used on:
*
MOS Technology VDC (on the
Commodore 128
The Commodore 128, also known as the C128, C-128, C= 128,The "C=" represents the graphical part of the logo. is the last 8-bit home computer that was commercially released by Commodore Business Machines (CBM). Introduced in January 1985 at the ...
with monochrome monitor)
*
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Si ...
series with a GT64/GT65 Green Monitor (16 unique green shades)
*
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Si ...
Plus series with the MM12 Monochrome monitor (16 shades of grey)
* Some Apple
PowerBook
The PowerBook (known as Macintosh PowerBook before 1997) is a family of Macintosh laptop computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1991 to 2006. During its lifetime, the PowerBook went through several major revisions and r ...
s equipped with monochrome displays like the
PowerBook 5300
8-bit Grayscale
:
In an 8-bit color palette each pixel's value is represented by 8 bits resulting in a 256-value palette (2
8 = 256). This is usually the maximum number of grays in ordinary monochrome systems; each image pixel occupies a single memory
byte
The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable uni ...
.
:
Most
scanners can capture images in 8-bit grayscale, and
image file format
An Image file format is a file format for a digital image. There are many formats that can be used, such as JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Most formats up until 2022 were for storing 2D images, not 3D ones. The data stored in an image file format may be ...
s like
TIFF
Tag Image File Format, abbreviated TIFF or TIF, is an image file format for storing raster graphics images, popular among graphic artists, the publishing industry, and photographers. TIFF is widely supported by scanning, faxing, word process ...
and
JPEG
JPEG ( ) is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and imag ...
natively support this monochrome palette size.
Alpha channels employed for
video overlay also use (conceptually) this palette. The gray level indicates the opacity of the blended image pixel over the background image pixel.
Dichrome palettes
16-bit RG palette
The RG or red–green color space is a
color space
A color space is a specific organization of colors. In combination with color profiling supported by various physical devices, it supports reproducible representations of colorwhether such representation entails an analog or a digital represen ...
that uses only two primary colors:
red and
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...
. It was used on early color processes for films.
It was used as an
additive format, similar to the
RGB color model
The RGB color model is an additive color model in which the red, green and blue primary colors of light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three ad ...
but without a blue channel, on processes such as
Kinemacolor
Kinemacolor was the first successful colour motion picture process, used commercially from 1908 to 1914. It was invented by George Albert Smith in 1906. He was influenced by the work of William Norman Lascelles Davidson and, more directly, E ...
,
Prizma,
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
I,
Raycol, etc., producing shades of black, red, green and yellow. Alternatively, it was used as a
subtractive format on
Brewster Color I,
Kodachrome I, Prizma II,
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
II,
[Kalmus, Herbert. "Technicolor Adventures in Cinemaland", ''Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers'', December 1938]
etc., producing shades of transparent, red, green and black.
Until recently, its primary use was in low-cost
light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
displays in which red and green tended to be far more common than the still nascent
blue LED technology, but full-color LEDs with blue have become more common in recent years.
ColorCode 3-D
ColorCode 3-D is an anaglyph 3D stereoscopic viewing system deployed in the 2000s that uses amber and blue filters. It is intended to provide the perception of nearly full colour viewing with existing television, digital and print mediums. Danish c ...
, a
anaglyph stereoscopic
Stereoscopy (also called stereoscopics, or stereo imaging) is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word ''stereoscopy'' derives . Any stereoscopic image is ...
color scheme, uses the RG color space to simulate a broad spectrum of color in one eye, while the blue portion of the spectrum transmits a black-and-white (black-and-blue) image to the other eye to give depth perception.
:
16-bit RB palette
:
16-bit GB palette
:
Regular RGB palettes
Here are grouped those full RGB hardware palettes that have the same number of binary levels (i.e., the same number of
bits) for every red, green and blue components using the full
RGB color model. Thus, the total number of colors are always the number of possible levels by component, ''n'', raised to a power of 3: ''n''×''n''×''n'' = ''n''
3.
3-bit RGB
:
3-bit RGB dithering:
:
Systems with a 3-bit RGB palette use 1 bit for each of the red, green and blue color components. That is, each component is either "on" or "off" with no intermediate states. This results in an 8-color palette ((2
1)
3 = 2
3 = 8) that has black, white, the three RGB primary colors red, green and blue and their correspondent complementary colors cyan, magenta and yellow as follows:
:
The color indices vary between implementations; therefore, index numbers are not given.
The 3-bit RGB palette is used by:
*The ECMA-48 standard for
text terminals (sometimes known as the "ANSI standard", although
ANSI X3.128 does not define colors)
*
Teletext
A British Ceefax football index page from October 2009, showing the three-digit page numbers for a variety of football news stories
Teletext, or broadcast teletext, is a standard for displaying text and rudimentary graphics on suitably equipp ...
Level 1/1.5 Teletext.
*
Videotex
Videotex (or interactive videotex) was one of the earliest implementations of an end-user information system. From the late 1970s to early 2010s, it was used to deliver information (usually pages of text) to a user in computer-like format, typi ...
*
Oric
*
BBC Micro
*The original NEC
PC-8801 up to the MkII
*The original NEC
PC-9801 with original 8086 CPU before the VM/VX models
*All
Sharp X1 models before the X1 Turbo Z
*The
Sharp MZ 700
*Fujitsu
FM-7, FM New 7, FM 77 before the FM77AV
*
Sinclair QL
*The
Macintosh SE
The Macintosh SE is a personal computer designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer, from March 1987 to October 1990. It marked a significant improvement on the Macintosh Plus design and was introduced by Apple at the same time as the Ma ...
with a color printer or external monitor
*The
SECAM
SECAM, also written SÉCAM (, ''Séquentiel de couleur à mémoire'', French for ''color sequential with memory''), is an analog color television system that was used in France, some parts of Europe and Africa, and Russia. It was one of th ...
version of the
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocesso ...
*The Color
Maximite Maximite Microcomputer is a Microchip PIC32 microcontroller-based microcomputer. Originally designed as a hobby kit, the Maximite was introduced in a three-part article in Silicon Chip magazine in autumn of 2011 by Australian designer Geoff Graha ...
, a PIC32 based microcomputer
*
Arcadia 2001
The Arcadia 2001 is a second-generation 8-bit home video game console released by Emerson Radio in May 1982 for a price of US$ 99, several months before the release of ColecoVision. It was discontinued only 18 months later, with a total of 35 ...
*Casio
PV-1000 (using the
TMS9918 graphics chip
)
6-bit RGB
:
Systems with a 6-bit RGB palette use 2 bits for each of the red, green, and blue color components. This results in a (2
2)
3 = 4
3 = 64-color palette as follows:
:
6-bit RGB systems include the following:
*
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) is an IBM PC graphics adapter and de facto computer display standard from 1984 that superseded the CGA standard introduced with the original IBM PC, and was itself superseded by the VGA standard in 1987. In ...
(EGA) for
IBM PC/AT (16 colors at once)
*
Sega Master System
The is an 8-bit
third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...
video game console
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
(32 colors at once)
*GIME for
TRS-80 Color Computer 3
The RadioShack TRS-80 Color Computer, later marketed as the Tandy Color Computer and sometimes nicknamed the CoCo, is a line of home computers developed and sold by Tandy Corporation. Despite sharing a name with the earlier TRS-80, the Color Com ...
(16 colors at once)
*
Pebble Time
Pebble Time is a discontinued smartwatch developed by Pebble Technology and assembled by Foxlink, released on 14 May 2015. This is the first Pebble to introduce a color e-paper display, as well as a microphone, a new charging cable and a new Pe ...
smartwatch which has a 6-bit (64 color) e-paper display
*
Parallax Propeller using the reference VGA circuit
9-bit RGB
:
Systems with a 9-bit RGB palette use 3 bits for each of the red, green, and blue color components. This results in a (2
3)
3 = 8
3 = 512-color palette as follows:
:
9-bit RGB systems include the following:
*
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first per ...
(Normally 4 to 16 at once without tricks)
*
MSX2 computers (up to 16 at once)
*
Sega Genesis
The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
video game console
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
(64 colors at once)
*
Sega Nomad
The Genesis Nomad, also known as Sega Nomad, is a handheld game console manufactured by Sega and released in North America in October 1995. The Nomad is a portable variation of the Sega Genesis home video game console (known as the Mega Drive ...
*
TurboGrafx-16
The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, thoug ...
(NEC PC-Engine)
*
ZX Spectrum Next
ZX Spectrum Next is an 8-bit home computer, initially released in 2017, which is compatible with software and hardware for the 1982 ZX Spectrum. It also has enhanced capabilities. It is intended to appeal to retrocomputing enthusiasts and to "e ...
*The NEC
PC-8801 Mk II SR and later models (8 colors at once)
*The
Mindset computer (16 colors at once)
12-bit RGB
:
Systems with a 12-bit RGB palette use 4 bits for each of the red, green, and blue color components. This results in a (2
4)
3 = 16
3 = 4096-color palette. 12-bit color can be represented with three hexadecimal digits, also known as
shorthand hexadecimal form, which is commonly used in web design. The palette is as follows:
:
12-bit RGB systems include the following:
*
Amiga OCS/
ECS (32, 64, or 4,096 colors)
*
Apple IIGS
The Apple IIGS (styled as II), the fifth and most powerful of the Apple II family, is a 16-bit personal computer produced by Apple Computer. While featuring the Macintosh look and feel, and resolution and color similar to the Amiga and Atari ST ...
Video Graphics Chip (3,200 colors)
*
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first per ...
e (16 colors)
*
Acorn Archimedes
Acorn Archimedes is a family of personal computers designed by Acorn Computers of Cambridge, England. The systems are based on Acorn's own ARM architecture processors and the proprietary operating systems Arthur and RISC OS. The first mode ...
*
Sega Game Gear
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, ...
(32 colors)
*
Hi-Text Level 2.5+ Teletext
*
Neo Geo Pocket Color
The is a 16-bit color handheld video game console manufactured by SNK. It is a successor to SNK's monochrome Neo Geo Pocket handheld which debuted in 1998 in Japan, with the Color being fully backward compatible. The Neo Geo Pocket Color wa ...
(147 colors)
*
Atari Lynx (16 colors)
*NEC
PC-9801 VM/VX models typically equipped with a NEC V30 or better, but before the PC9821 Series.
*The
Sharp X1 Turbo Z Series
*Fujitsu
FM-77AV
*The
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Si ...
664Plus, 6128Plus and GX4000 (32 colors)
*
NeXTstation Color and NeXTstation Turbo Color
*
WonderSwan Color
The (ワンダースワン) is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. It was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, and was the last piece of hardware Yokoi developed before his death in 1997. Released ...
*
Thomson TO8
The
Allegro library
Allegro is a software library for video game development. The functionality of the library includes support for basic 2D graphics, image manipulation, text output, audio output, MIDI music, input and timers, as well as additional routines for fix ...
supported in the (legacy) version 4, an emulated 12-bit color mode example code ("ex12bit.c"), using 8-bit indexed color in VGA/SVGA. It used two pixels for each emulated pixel, paired horizontally, and a specifically adapted 256-color palette. One range of the palette was many brightnesses of one primary color (say green), and another range of the other two primaries mixed together at different amounts and brightnesses (red and blue). It effectively reduced the horizontal resolution by half, but allowed a 12-bit "true color" in DOS and other 8-bit VGA/SVGA modes. The effect also somewhat reduced the total brightness of the screen.
15-bit RGB
:
Systems with a 15-bit RGB palette use 5 bits for each of the red, green, and blue color components. This results in a (2
5)
3 = 32
3 = 32,768-color palette (commonly known as
Highcolor
High color graphics is a method of storing image information in a computer's memory such that each pixel is represented by two bytes. Usually the color is represented by all 16 bits, but some devices also support 15-bit high color.
More recentl ...
) as follows:
:
15-bit systems include:
*
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eu ...
(256 colors)
*
Truevision
Truevision, Inc. was a maker of digital video processing add-on boards for PC computers. It was founded by Cathleen Asch, Carl Calabria, Joseph Haaf, Bryan Hunt, Brad Pillow, Joe Shepard and Jeff Walters and others when AT&T split off their El ...
TARGA
Targa or TARGA may refer to:
Car racing events
*Targa Adelaide, in Australia
* Targa Canada West, in British Columbia
*Targa Florio, in Sicily, Italy, 1906–1977
* Targa Florio Rally, in Sicily, Italy, from 1978
* Targa High Country, in Victoria ...
and AT-Vista graphic cards for
IBM PC/AT and compatibles, and NU-Vista for
Apple Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software ...
*Later models of
Super VGA (SVGA)
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones ...
graphic cards
*
Nintendo
is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...
Game Boy Color
The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
/
Advance/
SP/
Micro
Micro may refer to:
Measurement
* micro- (μ), a metric prefix denoting a factor of 10−6
Places
* Micro, North Carolina, town in U.S.
People
* DJ Micro, (born Michael Marsicano) an American trance DJ and producer
* Chii Tomiya (都宮 ち ...
pocket video game consoles (Color: 56 colors, Advance/SP/Micro: 512 colors)
*
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in t ...
(2D output)
*
Neo Geo AES/
Neo Geo CD video game consoles (4096 colors)
*The
Sega 32X
The 32X is an add-on for the Sega Genesis video game console. Codenamed "Project Mars", it was designed to expand the power of the Genesis and serve as a transitional console into the 32-bit era until the release of the Sega Saturn. The 32X us ...
Addon for the Mega Drive/Genesis
*While the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
utilized a 24-bit color depth for calculations and video, textures applied to 3D objects had a maximum color depth of 15-bit.
18-bit RGB
:
Systems with an 18-bit RGB palette use 6 bits for each of the red, green, and blue color components. This results in a (2
6)
3 = 64
3 = 262,144-color palette as follows:
:
18-bit RGB systems include the following:
*
IBM 8514,
MCGA,
VGA
Video Graphics Array (VGA) is a video display controller and accompanying de facto graphics standard, first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, which became ubiquitous in the PC industry within three years. The term can now ...
for
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones ...
s (256 colors out of 262,144)
*
Atari Falcon
The Atari Falcon030 (usually shortened to Atari Falcon), released in 1992, was the final personal computer product from Atari Corporation. A high-end model of the Atari ST line, the machine is based on a Motorola 68030 CPU and a Motorola 56001 d ...
(256 colors)
*
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in t ...
(3D output and 2D ''blended'' output)
*Used internally by many LCD monitors
24-bit RGB
:
Often known as
truecolor and millions of colors, 24-bit color is the highest color depth normally used, and is available on most modern display systems and software. Its color palette contains (2
8)
3 = 256
3 = 16,777,216 colors. 24-bit color can be represented with six hexadecimal digits.
The complete palette (shown above) needs a squared image of 4,096 pixels wide (50.33 MB uncompressed), and there is not enough room in this page to show it at full.
This can be imagined as 256 stacked squares like the following, every one of them having the same given value for the red component, from 0 to 255.
The color transitions in these patches must be seen as continuous. If ''color stepping'' (
banding) inside is visible, then probably the display is set to a
Highcolor
High color graphics is a method of storing image information in a computer's memory such that each pixel is represented by two bytes. Usually the color is represented by all 16 bits, but some devices also support 15-bit high color.
More recentl ...
(15- or 16- bits RGB, 32,768 or 65,536 colors) mode or lesser.
:
This is also the number of colors used in true color image files, like
Truevision TGA
Truevision TGA, often referred to as TARGA, is a raster graphics file format created by Truevision Inc. (now part of Avid Technology). It was the native format of TARGA and VISTA boards, which were the first graphic cards for IBM-compatib ...
,
TIFF
Tag Image File Format, abbreviated TIFF or TIF, is an image file format for storing raster graphics images, popular among graphic artists, the publishing industry, and photographers. TIFF is widely supported by scanning, faxing, word process ...
,
JPEG
JPEG ( ) is a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images, particularly for those images produced by digital photography. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and imag ...
(the last internally encoded as
YCbCr) and
Windows Bitmap, captured with
scanners and
digital camera
A digital camera is a camera that captures photographs in digital memory. Most cameras produced today are digital, largely replacing those that capture images on photographic film. Digital cameras are now widely incorporated into mobile devices ...
s, as well as those created with
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for th ...
software.
24-bit RGB systems include:
*
Amiga Advanced Graphics Architecture (256 or 262144 colors)
*
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
*
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
*
PlayStation Vita
The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international terri ...
* Later models of
Super VGA (SVGA)
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones ...
graphic cards
*
Truevision
Truevision, Inc. was a maker of digital video processing add-on boards for PC computers. It was founded by Cathleen Asch, Carl Calabria, Joseph Haaf, Bryan Hunt, Brad Pillow, Joe Shepard and Jeff Walters and others when AT&T split off their El ...
AT-Vista graphic cards for
IBM PC/AT and compatibles, and NU-Vista for
Apple Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software ...
.
* The
Philips CD-i
The Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I, later CD-i) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was mostly developed and marketed by Dutch company Philips. It was created as an extension of CDDA and CD-ROM and specified in the '' Green Book ...
*
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
30-bit RGB
Some newer graphics cards support
30-bit RGB and higher. Its color palette contains (2
10)
3 = 1024
3 = 1,073,741,824 colors. However, there are few operating systems or applications that support this mode yet. For some people, it may be hard to distinguish between higher color palettes than 24-bit color offers. However, the range of
luminance
Luminance is a photometric measure of the luminous intensity per unit area of light travelling in a given direction. It describes the amount of light that passes through, is emitted from, or is reflected from a particular area, and falls with ...
, or gray scale, offered in a 30-bit color system would have 1,024 levels of luminance rather than the 256 of the common standard 24-bit, to which the human eye is more sensitive than to hue. This reduces the
banding effect for gradients across large areas.
Non-regular RGB palettes
These also are full RGB palette repertories, but either they do not have the same number of levels for every red, green and blue components, or they are bit levels based. Nevertheless, all of them are used in very popular
personal computer
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or te ...
s.
For further details on color palettes for these systems, see the article
List of 8-bit computer hardware palettes
This is a list of notable 8-bit computer color palettes, and graphics, which were primarily manufactured from 1975 to 1985. Although some of them use RGB palettes, more commonly they have 4, 16 or more color palettes that are not bit nor level c ...
.
4-bit RGBI
:
The 4-bit RGBI palette is similar to the 3-bit RGB palette but adds one bit for ''intensity''. This allows each of the colors of the 3-bit palette to have a ''dark'' and ''bright'' variant, potentially giving a total of 2
3×2 = 16 colors. However, some implementations had only 15 effective colors due to the "dark" and "bright" variations of black being displayed identically.
This 4-bit RGBI schema is used in several platforms with variations, so the table given below is a simple reference for the palette richness, and not an actual implemented palette. For this reason, no numbers are assigned to each color, and color order is arbitrary.
:
Note that "dark white" is a lighter gray than "bright black" in this example.
IBM PC graphics
A common use of 4-bit RGBI was on
IBM PCs and compatible computers that used a 9-pin
DE-9 connector for color output. These computers used a modified "dark yellow" color that appeared to be brown. On displays designed for the IBM PC, setting a color "bright" added ⅓ of the maximum to ''all three'' channels' brightness, so the "bright" colors were whiter shades of their 3-bit counterparts. Each of the other bits increased a channel by ⅔, except that dark yellow had only ⅓ green and was therefore brown instead of ochre.
PC graphics standards using this RGBI mode include:
* IBM's original
Color Graphics Adapter
The Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), originally also called the ''Color/Graphics Adapter'' or ''IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter'', introduced in 1981, was IBM's first color graphics card for the IBM PC and established a De facto standard, de fact ...
.
* IBM's
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) is an IBM PC graphics adapter and de facto computer display standard from 1984 that superseded the CGA standard introduced with the original IBM PC, and was itself superseded by the VGA standard in 1987. In ...
, in CGA modes
* "
Tandy graphics" on IBM's
PCjr
The IBM PCjr (pronounced "PC junior") was a home computer produced and marketed by IBM from March 1984 to May 1985, intended as a lower-cost variant of the IBM PC with hardware capabilities better suited for video games, in order to compete mor ...
and
Tandy 1000-series computers.
*
Plantronics Colorplus on a limited number of PC-compatible computers.
The CGA palette is also used by default by IBM's later
EGA,
MCGA, and
VGA
Video Graphics Array (VGA) is a video display controller and accompanying de facto graphics standard, first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, which became ubiquitous in the PC industry within three years. The term can now ...
graphics standards for backward compatibility, but these standards allow the palette to be changed, since they either provide extra video signal lines or use analog RGB output.
The
MOS Technology 8563 and
8568 Video Display Controller chips used on the
Commodore 128
The Commodore 128, also known as the C128, C-128, C= 128,The "C=" represents the graphical part of the logo. is the last 8-bit home computer that was commercially released by Commodore Business Machines (CBM). Introduced in January 1985 at the ...
series for its 80-column mode (and the unreleased
Commodore 900 workstation) also used the same palette used on the IBM PC, since these chips were designed to work with existing CGA PC monitors.
Other uses
Other systems using a variation of the 4-bit RGBI mode include:
*The
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...
series of computers, which lack distinct "dark" and "light" black colors, resulting in an effective 15-color palette.
*The
Sharp MZ-800 series computers.
*The
Thomson MO5 and
TO7 where the intensity bit created a variation of saturation ("saturated" or "pastel").
*The
Mattel Aquarius and
AlphaTantel (using the
TEA1002 video encoder chip
) where the intensity bit created a variations of brightness and saturation.
There are three bits for the RGB components (generating 8 primary colors at full saturation but 75% luminance - similar to the
EBU colour bars) and an ''intensity'' bit that controls a variation of the base color (a 75% ''luminance'' decrease for white, creating gray; a 50% ''chroma'' saturation decrease for the RGB primary colors).
3-level RGB
:
3-level RGB dithering:
:
The 3-level, or 1-trit (''not'' 3 bits) RGB uses three levels for every red, green and blue color component, resulting in a 3
3 = 27 colors palette as follows:
:
This palette is used by:
* The
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Si ...
series of personal computers excluding the Plus models (up to 16 colors simultaneously)
* The
Toshiba Pasopia 7
Toshiba Pasopia 7 (also known as PA7007) is a computer from manufacturer Toshiba, released in 1983 and only available in Japan. It was intended as the successor of the Toshiba Pasopia, offering improved sound and graphics. Graphic memory is inc ...
(uses hardware
dithering
Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images. Dither is routinely used in processing of both digital audio and video data, and is often ...
to simulate intermediate color intensities, based on a mix of the full intensity RGB primaries.)
8-bit RGB (also known as 3-3-2 bit RGB and 8-8-4 bit RGB)
:
The 3-3-2 bit RGB use 3 bits for each of the red and green color components, and 2 bits for the blue component, due to the human eyes having lesser sensitivity to blue. This results in an 8×8×4 = 256-color palette as follows:
:
This palette is used by
*The
MSX2 series of personal computers
*Palette 4 of the
IBM PGC (palette 2 gives 2-3-3 bit RGB and palette 3 gives 3-2-3 bit RGB)
*
Extended Graphics Array (XGA)
*
Enterprise
Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to:
Business and economics
Brands and enterprises
* Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company
* Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company
* Enterprise ...
Computer
*
Vector-06C, a home computer from the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nati ...
*VGA built-in output of the Digilent Inc. NEXYS 2, NEXYS 3 and BASYS2
FPGA
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturinghence the term '' field-programmable''. The FPGA configuration is generally specified using a hardware d ...
boards
*The
Uzebox gaming console
*
SGI Indy 8-bit XL graphics
*The
Tiki 100 personal computer (only 16 colors can be displayed simultaneously)
*
Wear OS
Wear OS (also known simply as Wear and formerly Android Wear) is a version of Google's Android operating system designed for smartwatches and other wearables. By pairing with mobile phones running Android version 6.0 "Marshmallow" or newer, or ...
smartwatches with ambient display mode (only 16 colors can be displayed simultaneously)
16-bit RGB (also known as RGB565)
:
Most modern systems support 16-bit color. It is sometimes referred to as
High color (along with the 15-bit RGB), medium color or thousands of colors. It utilizes a color palette of 32×64×32 = 65,536 colors. Usually, there are 5 bits allocated for the red and blue color components (32 levels each) and 6 bits for the green component (64 levels), due to the greater sensitivity of the common human eye to this color. This doubles the 15-bit RGB palette.
The 16-bit RGB palette using 6 bits for the green component:
:
The
Atari Falcon
The Atari Falcon030 (usually shortened to Atari Falcon), released in 1992, was the final personal computer product from Atari Corporation. A high-end model of the Atari ST line, the machine is based on a Motorola 68030 CPU and a Motorola 56001 d ...
and the
Extended Graphics Array (XGA) for
IBM PS/2 use the 16-bit RGB palette.
It must be noticed that not all systems using 16-bit color depth employ the 16-bit, 32-64-32 level RGB palette. Platforms like the Sharp
X68000
The is a home computer created by Sharp Corporation. It was first released in 1987 and sold only in Japan.
The initial model has a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM, and lacks a hard drive. The final model was released in 1993 wi ...
home computer or the
Neo Geo
Neo Geo is a family of video game hardware developed by SNK. On the market from 1990 to 2004, the brand originated with the release of an arcade system, the Neo Geo MVS and its home console counterpart, the Neo Geo AES.
The Neo Geo MVS was ...
video game console employs the 15-bit RGB palette (5 bits are used for red, green, and blue), but the last bit specifies a less significant intensity or luminance. The 16-bit mode of the
Truevision
Truevision, Inc. was a maker of digital video processing add-on boards for PC computers. It was founded by Cathleen Asch, Carl Calabria, Joseph Haaf, Bryan Hunt, Brad Pillow, Joe Shepard and Jeff Walters and others when AT&T split off their El ...
TARGA
Targa or TARGA may refer to:
Car racing events
*Targa Adelaide, in Australia
* Targa Canada West, in British Columbia
*Targa Florio, in Sicily, Italy, 1906–1977
* Targa Florio Rally, in Sicily, Italy, from 1978
* Targa High Country, in Victoria ...
/AT-Vista/NU-Vista graphic cards and its associated TGA file format also uses 15-bit RGB, but it devotes its remaining bit as a simple
alpha channel for
video overlay. The
Atari Falcon
The Atari Falcon030 (usually shortened to Atari Falcon), released in 1992, was the final personal computer product from Atari Corporation. A high-end model of the Atari ST line, the machine is based on a Motorola 68030 CPU and a Motorola 56001 d ...
can also be switched into a matching mode by setting of an "overlay" bit in the graphics processor mode register when in 16-bit mode, meaning it can actually display in ''either'' 15- or 16-bit color depth depending on application.
Color palette comparison side-by-side
Basic color palettes
4-bit grayscale
3-bit RGB
4-bit RGBI
3 level RGB
Notes
* Color values in bold exist in 2-bit (four color) grayscale palette. Color values in very bold exist in 1-bit, monochrome palette.
* In 4-bit RGBI, dark colors have rds intensity of the bright colors, not .
Advanced color palettes
8-bit RGB (VGA)
See also
*
Bitmap
In computing, a bitmap is a mapping from some domain (for example, a range of integers) to bits. It is also called a bit array or bitmap index.
As a noun, the term "bitmap" is very often used to refer to a particular bitmapping application: t ...
*
Palette (computing)
In computer graphics, a palette is the set of available colors from which an image can be made. In some systems, the palette is fixed by the hardware design, and in others it is dynamic, typically implemented via a color lookup table (CLUT), ...
*
Grayscale
In digital photography, computer-generated imagery, and colorimetry, a grayscale image is one in which the value of each pixel is a single sample representing only an ''amount'' of light; that is, it carries only intensity information. Graysc ...
*
Indexed color
*
List of home computers by video hardware
*
List of 8-bit computer hardware graphics
This is a list of notable 8-bit computer color palettes, and graphics, which were primarily manufactured from 1975 to 1985. Although some of them use RGB palettes, more commonly they have 4, 16 or more color palettes that are not bit nor level c ...
*
List of 16-bit computer color palettes
*
List of video game console palettes
*
List of software palettes
*
Computer display
A computer monitor is an output device that displays information in pictorial or textual form. A discrete monitor comprises a visual display, support electronics, power supply, housing, electrical connectors, and external user controls.
The ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monochrome and RGB palettes
Computer graphics
Color depths
Computing output devices