When selecting colors, try to pick ones that Netscape and Internet Explorer do not dither. Dithering is basically a process of making one color by mixing pixels of other colors, as opposed to setting the pixel to the color you want. This is not always a good effect. There is a minor problem for us when selecting colors. If your reader has their video set for 256 colors, then Netscape will only display the 216 colors you see on this tall chart up and to the left. Here is the basic concept of what are called the SAFE COLORS. We previously mentioned that there are 256 X 256 X 256 colors (around 16 million), but if a video card is set to 256 colors, something has to give. What gave is most of the colors! Here is how it exactly how to figure out if your color is safe. In HEX (see below), each red, green, or blue component must start with: 00 or 33 or 66 or 99 or CC or FF So, instead of 256 levels of red, green and blue, you have only 6. This results in 6 X 6 X 6 or 216 colors!

FFF  FFF CCC  CCC 999  999 666  666 333  333 000  000 FFC  C00 FF9  900 FF6  600 FF3  300 99C  C00 CC9  900 FFC  C33 FFC  C66 FF9  966 FF6  633 CC3  300 CC0  033 CCF  F00 CCF  F33 333  300 666  600 999  900 CCC  C00 FFF  F00 CC9  933 CC6  633 330  000 660  000 990  000 CC0  000 FF0  000 FF3  366 FF0  033 99F  F00 CCF  F66 99C  C33 666  633 999  933 CCC  C33 FFF  F33 996  600 993  300 663  333 993  333 CC3  333 FF3  333 CC3  366 FF6  699 FF0  066 66F  F00 99F  F66 66C  C33 669  900 999  966 CCC  C66 FFF  F66 996  633 663  300 996  666 CC6  666 FF6  666 990  033 CC3  399 FF6  6CC FF0  099 33F  F00 66F  F33 339  900 66C  C00 99F  F33 CCC  C99 FFF  F99 CC9  966 CC6  600 CC9  999 FF9  999 FF3  399 CC0  066 990  066 FF3  3CC FF0  0CC 00C  C00 33C  C00 336  600 669  933 99C  C66 CCF  F99 FFF  FCC FFC  C99 FF9  933 FFC  CCC FF9  9CC CC6  699 993  366 660  033 CC0  099 330  033 33C  C33 66C  C66 00F  F00 33F  F33 66F  F66 99F  F99 CCF  FCC CC9  9CC 996  699 993  399 990  099 663  366 660  066 006  600 336  633 009  900 339  933 669  966 99C  C99 FFC  CFF FF9  9FF FF6  6FF FF3  3FF FF0  0FF CC6  6CC CC3  3CC 003  300 00C  C33 006  633 339  966 66C  C99 99F  FCC CCF  FFF 339  9FF 99C  CFF CCC  CFF CC9  9FF 996  6CC 663  399 330  066 990  0CC CC0  0CC 00F  F33 33F  F66 009  933 00C  C66 33F  F99 99F  FFF 99C  CCC 006  6CC 669  9CC 999  9FF 999  9CC 993  3FF 660  0CC 660  099 CC3  3FF CC0  0FF 00F  F66 66F  F99 33C  C66 009  966 66F  FFF 66C  CCC 669  999 003  366 336  699 666  6FF 666  6CC 666  699 330  099 993  3CC CC6  6FF 990  0FF 00F  F99 66F  FCC 33C  C99 33F  FFF 33C  CCC 339  999 336  666 006  699 003  399 333  3FF 333  3CC 333  399 333  366 663  3CC 996  6FF 660  0FF 00F  FCC 33F  FCC 00F  FFF 00C  CCC 009  999 006  666 003  333 339  9CC 336  6CC 000  0FF 000  0CC 000  099 000  066 000  033 663  3FF 330  0FF 00C  C99 009  9CA 33C  CFF 66C  CFF 669  9FF 336  6FF 003  3CC 330  0CC Color Charts and Graphics © 2000 VisiBone 00C  CFF 009  9FF 006  6FF 003  3FF If you want to see a great online color scheme picker, or download free swatches for Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and many others, stop by www.visibone.com. They also make a very nice color reference poster you can order. Another item I have come across is an incredible piece of mousecandy! All the safe colors arranged on a round mousepad, with the Hex-to-Decicmal equivalents around the edge. When I got mine, I washed down the mouse before using it. Check out The Utilitarian Mousepad from Designbrand.com. Here is a nice printable chart courtesy of Doug Jacobson. Editor's Note: Doug has ALS (Lou Gerhig's Disease), please stop by his site for info on signing the petition to Congress.

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