0
0
Tokens
I was born in 2001 and oh boy did my Power Point SLAP when it was time to open that rainbow hexagon!
Little did 10yr old me know those were all what’s called websafe colours.
So now I have designer brain, here’s what you need to know and if it’s relevant in 2024 🙂
Back in the day—like, way back when the internet was just getting started—computer screens were pretty limited. They could only show a certain number of colours, and different screens showed colours differently. To make sure your website didn’t end up looking like a mess of weird shades, designers used a set of 216 colours called “websafe colours.” These colours were guaranteed to look the same on any screen.
Now it’s 2024, and things have changed a lot. Most screens can display millions of colours, so sticking to that old set of 216 colours isn’t really necessary anymore. You’ve got way more freedom to choose colours without worrying that they’ll look strange on someone else’s screen.
For most designs, websafe colours aren’t something you need to worry about. If you’re designing a website, game, or app that people will view on modern devices, feel free to use all the colours you want. But, if you’re working on something that needs to be super accessible or will be viewed on older tech, you might want to keep things simple. You don’t have to go all the way back to websafe colours, but it’s smart to consider how your colours might look on different screens.
Tints are like the cool, modern twist on colours. They’re lighter versions of your base colours and can add a lot of depth to your designs. Should you use tint colours instead of RGB or CMYK?
Well… Tints are awesome, but they’re not a replacement for RGB (which is for screens) or CMYK (which is for print). Think of tints as another tool in your design kit—they add variety and make your designs more interesting without needing to change your whole colour system. Using tint colours in printing can save ink but it can also lead to less vibrant colours and potential inconsistencies due to dot gain (where ink spreads more than expected on the paper).
sRGB is the default colour space for most digital designs and is considered the industry standard. It was created to keep colours consistent across different devices, like your phone, laptop, and printer. In 2024, sticking with sRGB is a smart move for web and digital projects since it’s a very reliable choice for most design work. While other colour spaces exist, like Adobe RGB, the go-to for everyday digital design if sRGB.
So, websafe colours? They’re mostly a thing of the past. In 2024, you don’t need to stress about websafe colours unless you’re working on something very specific. So go ahead and explore the full spectrum of colours, but remember to keep your audience in mind. I hope this helped!
Keep being awesome!
Love, Jaden
Australia, AEST
$AUD
Copyright © 2024 DFJ Leaf
© 2020 Dragonfruit Jaden
All rights reserved