Web Safe Color Picker
Pick from the 216 web-safe colors guaranteed to display consistently across all browsers and devices. Ideal for legacy support and cross-platform compatibility.
Not Web Safe
Nearest: #3399FF
What Are Web-Safe Colors?
Web-safe colors are 216 specific colors that displayed consistently across all computers in the 1990s, when monitors could only show 256 colors. Each channel (red, green, blue) uses one of six values: 00, 33, 66, 99, CC, or FF in hex.
Do Web-Safe Colors Still Matter?
Modern displays show millions of colors, so the original technical limitation is gone. But web-safe colors remain useful for specific scenarios:
- Ensuring consistency across different devices and browsers
- Working with legacy systems or email clients with limited color support
- Creating retro or pixel-art aesthetics intentionally
- Guaranteeing colors render correctly on low-quality displays
How the Picker Works
Browse all 216 web-safe colors organized by hue. Click any color to select it and see its hex, RGB, and HSL values. The tool also checks if any arbitrary color is web-safe and suggests the nearest web-safe alternative.
A color is web-safe if each hex pair is one of: 00, 33, 66, 99, CC, FF. For example, #336699 is web-safe. #3B82F6 is not.
When to Use Web-Safe Colors Today
HTML Email Templates
Some email clients (especially older Outlook versions) have limited color support. Web-safe colors guarantee consistent rendering across all email platforms.
Cross-Platform Applications
Apps that run on diverse hardware (from high-end monitors to cheap tablets) benefit from colors that render predictably everywhere.
Retro Design Aesthetics
Intentionally using web-safe colors creates a nostalgic 90s web look. Combined with pixel fonts and simple graphics, it's a deliberate style choice.
Data Visualization
Charts and graphs with web-safe colors remain distinguishable even when viewed on low-quality displays or printed in black and white.
Finding the Nearest Web-Safe Color
When your color isn't web-safe, this tool finds the closest match by rounding each channel to the nearest web-safe value (00, 33, 66, 99, CC, or FF).
For #3B82F6:
- Red: 3B (59) rounds to 33 (51)
- Green: 82 (130) rounds to 99 (153)
- Blue: F6 (246) rounds to FF (255)
- Result: #3399FF
The nearest web-safe color might look slightly different, but it's the closest possible match within the 216-color palette.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there 216 colors instead of 256?
The full 256-color palette included 40 colors reserved for system use (window borders, scrollbars, etc.). The remaining 216 were available for web content.
Should I only use web-safe colors?
No, modern displays handle millions of colors. Use the full spectrum for most projects. Web-safe colors are a tool for specific edge cases, not a requirement.
How do I know if my color is web-safe?
Check if each hex pair is 00, 33, 66, 99, CC, or FF. This tool shows a "Web-Safe" badge for qualifying colors and warns when a color isn't web-safe.
What's the hex pattern for web-safe colors?
Web-safe hex codes use only these characters: 0, 3, 6, 9, C, F. Examples: #000000, #336699, #CCFF00, #FFFFFF. If you see any other digit, it's not web-safe.
Can I use web-safe colors for accessibility?
Web-safe doesn't mean accessible. You still need to check contrast ratios. Use our Contrast Checker to verify your web-safe color combinations meet WCAG standards.
How do I export web-safe palettes?
Use the Palette Export Tool to download your selected web-safe colors as CSS, JSON, or other formats. The hex codes will work in any project.
Web-Safe Color Reference
#000000#333333#666666#999999#CCCCCC#FFFFFFThe 216 web-safe colors include all combinations of 00, 33, 66, 99, CC, FF for each RGB channel.
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