THE HTML COLOUR CUBE

The First Page

The colour of background or text in HTML is coded by a 6-digit hexadecimal number. The first pair of digits determine the red content, the second the green and the third the blue content. "00" is a minimum and "FF" a maximum. Black, having zero colour, is coded by "000000", while white, with the maximum of all three colours, is coded by "FFFFFF". Any colour with six identical digits (except "0" or "F") is a grey with equal amounts of the three colours.

The fact that a particular colour is coded by these three bases means that it can be regarded as a particular address within a three dimensional cube - the dimensions being, of course, red, green and blue.

In order to see how the colours changed I have prepared a set of eight panes in this page in which the red value is constant in each pane, the green value increasing, in steps of 22, down the columns and the blue value increasing across from left to right. The panes are arranged so that the red value increases down the page.

You can see how the colours change (which I find fascinating); you can also see how they don't.
Go to near the bottom of this page for a bit more on that.

A Short Note on Colour Names

There are 140 discrete colour names listed in the COLD FUSION HTML Reference List that are supported by the Netscape Navigator.
As you will see, there are many distinct colours that go unnamed, and there are many names that are redundant. For instance, there are thirteen colours, the codes for which produce a shade indistinguishable from white! These, and others, leave a list of about 98 names for different colours. Another complication is that the same code can produce different results in different browsers.
If you code a colour by name it is important how you type it. For instance, if you type 'mediumvioletred' that is what you'll get, but if you type 'medium violet red' (with the words separated) you'll get limegreen! Don't ask me why. Uppercase letters don't seem to matter; spaces do.

Spelling can also be important; It's 'gray', 'darkgray', 'dimgray', but 'lightgrey'! Again ask me not why. The whole colour naming convention is a ludicrous mess.

THE RED PERSPECTIVE

"darkblue" includes 'navy'

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330000	330022	330044	330066	330088	3300AA	3300CC	3300EE
332200	332222	332244	332266	332288 dark slateblue	3322AA dark slateblue	3322CC	3322EE
334400	334422	334444	334466	334488 dark slateblue	3344AA dark slatebLue	3344CC	3344EE
336600	336622	336644	336666 dark slategray	336688	3366AA	3366CC royalblue	3366EE
338800	338822 forest green	338844 forest green	338866 seagreen	338888 light seagreen	3388AA light seagreen	3388CC steel blue	3388EE dodgerblue
33AA00	33AA22 forest green	33AA44 forest green	33AA66 seagreen	33AA88 light seagreen	33AAAA light seagreen	33AACC steel blue	33AAEE dodgerblue
33CC00	33CC22 limegreen	33CC44 limegreen	33CC66	33CC88	33CCAA	33CCCC deep skyblue	33CCEE
33EE00 lime	33EE22 lime	33EE44 lime	33EE66 spring green	33EE88 medium springgreen	33EEAA medium springgreen	33EECC	33EEEE cyan, aqua

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550000	550022	550044	550066	550088	5500AA	5500CC	5500EE
552200	552222	552244	552266	552288	5522AA	5522CC	5522EE
554400	554422	554444	554466	554488	5544AA	5544CC	5544EE
556600	556622 dark olivegreen	556644 dark olivegreen	556666	556688	5566AA	5566CC slateblue	5566EE medium slateblue
558800	558822 olivedrab	558844 olivedrab	558866	558888 cadetblue	5588AA cadetblue	5588CC	5588EE cornflower blue
55AA00	55AA22 olivedrab	55AA44 olivedrab	55AA66	55AA88 cadetblue	55AAAA cadetblue	55AACC	55AAEE cornflower blue
55CC00	55CC22	55CC44	55CC66	55CC88 medium aquamarine	55CCAA medium aquamarine	55CCCC	55CCEE
55EE00 chartreuse	55EE22 chartreuse	55EE44 chartreuse	55EE66	55EE88	55EEAA	55EECC aquamarine	55EEEE

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770000 darkred	770022	770044	770066	770088 purple	7700AA	7700CC	7700EE
772200	772222	772244	772266	772288	7722AA	7722CC	7722EE
774400	774422	774444	774466	774488	7744AA	7744CC	7744EE
776600	776622 dark olivegreen	776644 dark olivegreen	776666	776688	7766AA slateblue	7766CC	7766EE medium slateblue
778800 olive	778822 olivedrab	778844 olivedrab	778866	778888 grey	7788AA cadetblue	7788CC	7788EE cornflower blue
77AA00	77AA22 olivedrab	77AA44 olivedrab	77AA66	77AA88 cadetblue	77AAAA cadetblue	77AACC	77AAEE cornflower blue
77CC00	77CC22	77CC44	77CC66	77CC88 medium aquamarine	77CCAA medium aquamarine	77CCCC turquoise	77CCEE
77EE00 chartreuse	77EE22 chartreuse	77EE44 chartreuse	77EE66	77EE88	77EEAA	77EECC aquamarine	77EEEE

"chartreuse" includes 'lawngreen'

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990000 darkred	990022	990044	990066	990088	9900AA	9900CC dark violet	9900EE
992200 saddle brown	992222 brown	992244 brown	992266	992288	9922AA	9922CC blue violet	9922EE
994400 saddle brown	994422 brown	994444 brown	994466	994488	9944AA	9944CC blue violet	9944EE
996600	996622 sienna	996644 sienna	996666	996688	9966AA	9966CC medium purple	9966EE
998800	998822	998844	998866	998888	9988AA	9988CC	9988EE
99AA00	99AA22	99AA44	99AA66	99AA88	99AAAA	99AACC	99AAEE
99CC00 yellow green	99CC22 yellow green	99CC44 yellow green	99CC66	99CC88 dark seagreen	99CCAA dark seagreen	99CCCC	99CCEE light steelblue
99EE00 green yellow	99EE22 green yellow	99EE44 green yellow	99EE66	99EE88 palegreen	99EEAA palegreen	99EECC	99EEEE pale turquoise

"brown" includes 'firebrick'
"darkred" includes 'maroon'

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BB0000	BB0022 crimson	BB0044 crimson	BB0066	BB0088 medium violetred	BB00AA medium violetred	BB00CC	BB00EE
BB2200	BB2222	BB2244	BB2266	BB2288	BB22AA	BB22CC	BB22EE
BB4400	BB4422	BB4444	BB4466	BB4488	BB44AA	BB44CC	BB44EE
BB6600	BB6622 chocolate	BB6644 chocolate	BB6666 indianred	BB6688 pale violetred	BB66AA pale violetred	BB66CC orchid	BB66EE
BB8800	BB8822	BB8844	BB8866	BB8888 rosy brown	BB88AA rosy brown	BB88CC plum	BB88EE
BBAA00	BBAA22	BBAA44	BBAA66	BBAA88 rosy brown	BBAAAA dark gray	BBAACC plum	BBAAEE
BBCC00	BBCC22	BBCC44	BBCC66 dark khaki	BBCC88 tan	BBCCAA tan	BBCCCC light grey	BBCCEE light skyblue
BBEE00	BBEE22	BBEE44	BBEE66	BBEE88	BBEEAA	BBEECC	BBEEEE lightblue

"lightgray" includes 'gainsboro'
"lightskyblue" includes 'powderblue'
"tan" includes 'burleywood'

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DD0000	DD0022 crimson	DD0044 crimson	DD0066	DD0088 medium violetred	DD00AA medium violetred	DD00CC	DD00EE
DD2200	DD2222	DD2244	DD2266	DD2288	DD22AA	DD22CC	DD22EE
DD4400	DD4422	DD4444	DD4466	DD4488	DD44AA	DD44CC	DD44EE
DD6600	DD6622 chocolate	DD6644 chocolate	DD6666 indianred	DD6688 pale violetred	DD66AA pale violetred	DD66CC orchid	DD66EE
DD8800 dark goldenrod	DD8822 goldenrod	DD8844 goldenrod	DD8866	DD8888 rosy brown	DD88AA rosy brown	DD88CC plum	DD88EE
DDAA00 dark goldenrod	DDAA22 goldenrod	DDAA44 goldenrod	DDAA66	DDAA88 rosy brown	DDAAAA rosy brown	DDAACC plum	DDAAEE
DDCC00	DDCC22	DDCC44	DDCC66 dark khaki	DDCC88 tan	DDCCAA tan	DDCCCC light grey	DDCCEE
DDEE00	DDEE22	DDEE44	DDEE66	DDEE88	DDEEAA	DDEECC	DDEEEE light blue

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FF0000 red	FF0022	FF0044	FF0066	FF0088	FF00AA	FF00CC	FF00EE magenta
FF2200 orange red	FF2222	FF2244	FF2266	FF2288 deep pink	FF22AA deep pink	FF22CC	FF22EE
FF4400 orange red	FF4422	FF4444	FF4466	FF4488 deep pink	FF44AA deep pink	FF44CC	FF44EE
FF6600	FF6622 tomato	FF6644 tomato	FF6666 coral	FF6688	FF66AA	FF66CC hotpink	FF66EE
FF8800 orange	FF8822 orange	FF8844 orange	FF8866 salmon	FF8888	FF88AA	FF88CC	FF88EE violet
FFAA00 orange	FFAA22 orange	FFAA44 orange	FFAA66 salmon	FFAA88	FFAAAA	FFAACC	FFAAEE violet
FFCC00 gold	FFCC22 gold	FFCC44 gold	FFCC66	FFCC88 navajo white	FFCCAA navajo white	FFCCCC pink	FFCCEE
FFEE00 yellow	FFEE22 yellow	FFEE44 yellow	FFEE66	FFEE88 khaki	FFEEAA khaki	FFEECC light yellow	FFEEEE lavender

Redundancies in Colour Names

"salmon" includes 'sandybrown', lightsalmon, 'darksalmon' "Pink" includes: 'Moccasin', 'Peachpuff', 'Wheat', 'Misty Rose' and 'Light Pink'.
"Light Yellow" includes: 'Antique White', 'Beige', 'BlanchedAlmond', 'Cornsilk', 'Lemonchiffon', 'Light Goldenrod Yellow' and 'Papayawhip'.
"White" includes: 'AliceBlue', 'Azure', 'Lavender Blush', 'Linen', 'Old Lace', 'Floral White', 'GhostWhite', 'HoneyDew', 'Ivory', 'Mint Cream', 'Seashell', 'Snow' and 'Whitesmoke'.

Odd, is it not, that so many names get stuffed into so few colours while so many perfectly distinct colours languish in nameless anonymity! :-)

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Colour Change with Coding

Do Colours change gradually or by jumps?
Sometimes: Three colour strips show colours changing by very large jumps with lots of addresses showing identical colours in between these jumps.
On the other hand there are many cases where the colour change is subtle, such as that between FF8800 and FF8822.
There nearly seventeen million (16^6) possible addresses. Each colour, named or not, occupies many addresses, including at least one simple (3x2-digit) one. Kinda makes nonsense of these complex addresses with six different digits, dontcha think?

FFCCAA	FFC6AA	FFB4AA	FFB3AA	FFB2AA	FFB0AA	FFAFAA	FFAAAA

DD4444	444944	DD4A44	DD4C44	DD4D44	DD4E44	DD4F44	DD6644

FFCCAA	FFC6AA	FFB4AA	FFB3AA	FFB2AA	FFB0AA	FFAFAA	FFAAAA

Two further pages present the same cube from the GREEN and BLUE perspectives respectively.

Also take a look at our HTML COLORS, CODES AND NAMES' Page.

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LINKS

There are many, many web pages dealing with colour in HTML. One search for "html, color" yielded over 7700 hits. "html, colour" yielded 630 different sites. "color, html" yielded nothing obviously relevant.


CYBERJAZZ COLOR CHART
Lists 480 colours alphabetically and only the font is coloured.

THE HTML HEX CODE CHART
Shows about 410 colours by sytematic changes in code.
[rather like mine but not nearly as beautiful :-)] From Desktop Publishing

CHOOSE AN HTML COLOUR!
Much the same as the previous. From Electronic Publishing on the WWW.

HTML COLOR CODE TABLE
From Compuweb; an alphabetical listing illustrated with blocks of colour.

HTML COLOUR SAMPLER
A short collection of colours with simple 3-digit coding.

HTML COLOUR NAMES
List the 140 discrete possible colour names used by Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer.

DARK MOUNTAIN'S HTML COLOR GUIDE
Simple Codes in appropriately coloured fonts.

UNIX STANDARD COLOR CODES
Lists all 540 Colours by name and code.

Hexadecimal Color Codes for HTML programming
Short list of 65 colours. Coloured fonts only.

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Any questions, comments, suggestions etc., can be addressed to me at: Now or later at:
rjbw@shaw.ca

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CONTENT

Essay on M.E./C.F.S./C.F.I.D.S.*** Cyberstickers*** My Poem
John Meade Falkner Photographs & Biography*** HTML Colours, Names and Codes
A Center for Stamp Collectors*** Genealogy Central

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A Continuing Project. Last Modified 27 December, 2002