Using the Image Editor Palette

The Image Editor palette defines available and currently selected colors for drawing and display. The Image Editor displays two types of colors in the palette: true colors and “dithered” colors, which are simulations using two or more available colors. When you are creating a bitmap or icon, the 16 colors that the Image Editor displays in the leftmost eight columns of the palette are true colors. The remaining colors are dithered. When you are creating a cursor, all colors of the palette are true colors.

The 16 true colors are red, green, and blue (RGB) values guaranteed to be
distinct on a device that displays 16 or more colors.

If you are working with icons or cursors, you can get information about the RGB values of a color on the palette by first selecting the color and then choosing the Edit Colors command from the Palette menu. If you are editing a bitmap image, you can also get the information by double-clicking the color. The editor lists RGB values of the selected color in the Edit Colors dialog box.

The palette differs with the type of resource you are editing. Figure 3.3 illustrates the palette that the Image Editor displays when you are editing a bitmap.

The palette displays 16 true and 12 dithered colors that you can use to define screen background.

Figure 3.4 illustrates the palette that the Image Editor displays when you are editing an icon.

The palette displays 16 true and 12 dithered colors.

Figure 3.5 illustrates the palette that the Image Editor displays when you are editing a cursor.

The palette indicates that you can use only black and white opaque colors to define a cursor. The palette also displays 16 true colors that you can use for screen and inverse color.

The following section describes how to use the colors that the palette displays.