1-bit
2 values per channelNative RGB
Screen RGB
Total colors8
Color error
What does “bits per RGB channel” mean?
Every screen color is created using three channels: Red, Green, and Blue. More bits give every channel more possible values.
Values in one channel
2bits
Example: 2-bit gives 2² = 4 values.
Native channel range
0 to 2bits − 1
Example: 4-bit uses values from 0 to 15.
Total RGB colors
(2bits)³
Because RGB has three separate channels.
Important: A 1-bit red value is written as (1, 0, 0). To display it on a normal 8-bit screen, it becomes (255, 0, 0). The color is the same; only the numbering scale is different.
Compare the same target color
Choose any color. The four cards will show the closest color each precision level can represent.
Target color
RGB(220, 70, 45)
2-bit
4 values per channelNative RGB
Screen RGB
Total colors64
Color error
4-bit
16 values per channelNative RGB
Screen RGB
Total colors4,096
Color error
8-bit
256 values per channelNative RGB
Screen RGB
Total colors16,777,216
Color error
The shaded ball uses the same size and number of pixels in every card. Only the available RGB values change. Fewer values create visible bands; more values produce smoother shading.
Explore one precision level
Select a bit depth, then change the native R, G, and B values. The slider limits automatically change.
Precision
1-bit
Native RGB
(1, 0, 0)
Screen RGB
(255, 0, 0)
Hex color
#FF0000
Quick comparison table
| Precision | Native values per channel | Number of values per channel | Total possible RGB colors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bit | 0–1 | 2 | 8 |
| 2-bit | 0–3 | 4 | 64 |
| 4-bit | 0–15 | 16 | 4,096 |
| 8-bit | 0–255 | 256 | 16,777,216 |
Think about it:
Which precision is best for a realistic photograph? Which precision is enough for a very simple icon?
More precision = more possible shades