Web Safe Colors (216)
All 216 web-safe colors (00, 33, 66, 99, CC, FF) in a chart and table, plus the nearest web-safe and 4096-color web-smart value for any color with its ΔE.
The 216 "web-safe" colors are the combinations of six levels per channel — 00, 33, 66, 99, CC and FF — that 1990s browsers could show without dithering on 256-color screens. This page shows all 216 in a chart and table and finds the nearest web-safe color (and the nearest of the 4096 "web-smart" colors) for any code, with the perceived difference ΔE2000 so you can see how much the color changes.
How to use this tool
- Type a color, or leave the box empty to just browse the palette.
- Read the nearest web-safe and web-smart codes and their ΔE2000.
- Use the chart: six blocks for the red levels, green down and blue across.
- Copy codes from the table — each also has a 3-digit short form.
Formula
web-safe channel = round(c ÷ 51) × 51 · web-smart channel = round(c ÷ 17) × 17
c is a channel from 0 to 255. Multiples of 51 are 0x00, 0x33, 0x66, 0x99, 0xCC, 0xFF; multiples of 17 are the doubled digits 0x00, 0x11 … 0xFF, which is exactly the set of 3-digit HEX codes.
Example
Dodger blue #1E90FF = rgb(30, 144, 255): 30 ÷ 51 = 0.59 rounds to 1 → 33, 144 ÷ 51 = 2.82 rounds to 3 → 99, 255 stays FF, so the nearest web-safe color is #3399FF. With 17 levels it becomes #2288FF. CSS gray #808080 maps to #999999 (web-safe) and #888888 (web-smart).
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need web-safe colors?
No. Every screen sold in the last 25 years shows millions of colors, so the restriction no longer matters for websites. The palette survives as a simple, evenly spaced color set and in old design tools.
Why are there 216 and not 256?
256-color systems reserved some palette entries for the operating system. Six levels per channel (6³ = 216) was the largest cube that fit in what remained on both Windows and Mac.
What is a web-smart color?
A color whose HEX code can be written with three digits, such as #28F. There are 16³ = 4096 of them. The name is informal; they were never a technical standard.
Sources
Last updated:
Page address with these inputs: https://kakao.mobile/tools/web-safe-color-tool/
Cite or embed this tool
kakaoCalc. (2026, November 8). Web Safe Colors (216). https://kakao.mobile/tools/web-safe-color-tool/
“Web Safe Colors (216).” kakaoCalc, 8 Nov. 2026, kakao.mobile/tools/web-safe-color-tool/.
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