256-Color Support in Windows

 Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
Article ID: Q64190
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11

SUMMARY

Microsoft Windows allows you to run Windows applications that have 256- color support built into them; however, the graphics card and the Windows screen driver must support 256 colors. Windows applications that do not have 256-color support built into them are unable to use the 256-color support of Windows. For example, if you are using an application such as Paintbrush and you have only 16 colors, your 16-color limitation may occur because the graphics card or the screen driver only supports 16 colors.

MORE INFORMATION

Each Windows application is written to support a maximum number of colors. For example, Microsoft Paintbrush supports 256 colors; however, Microsoft PowerPoint supports 16.8 million colors.

Color support for Windows applications is determined by the following:

  • What the application was written to support.
  • What the graphics card supports.
  • What the Windows screen driver supports.

KBCategory: kbhw kbgraphics
KBSubcategory: win30 win31
Additional reference words: 3.00 3.0 3.0a 3.00a 3.10 3.11

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Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
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