TrueColor

Truecolor refers to a color representation used in digital imaging and displays that uses 24 bits per pixel, providing 16,777,216 distinct colors by encoding 8 bits for each of the red, green, and blue channels. It is commonly described as 24‑bit color, and in some contexts a 32‑bit variant is used when an alpha channel for transparency is included. Truecolor contrasts with older or more limited color methods such as 8‑bit indexed palettes or 16‑bit high color, which rely on restricted color sets or palettes.

The term emerged as consumer hardware began delivering full color depth in the late 20th century. By the 1990s and into modern computing, truecolor became standard for desktop displays, image formats, and graphics pipelines, enabling smoother gradients and more faithful color reproduction across a wide range of applications. In practice, truecolor is implemented as a pixel format in graphics memory and image files, typically as 24-bit RGB or 32-bit RGBA data.

In imaging and video, truecolor data is widely supported by common file formats such as PNG, JPEG, and TIFF, which can store 24-bit color without palette indexing. Color management, gamma handling, and monitor calibration affect perceived accuracy, since display devices and color spaces (such as sRGB or wide gamut) influence how truecolor values map to visible colors.

In computing, some software and terminals advertise truecolor support to indicate 24‑bit color capability, enabling a broader and more precise color range than older 16‑ or 256‑color modes.