X11 color names
Updated: 12/20/2025, 1:10:31 PM Wikipedia source
In computing, on the X Window System, X11 color names are represented in a simple text file, which maps certain strings to RGB color values. It was traditionally shipped with every X11 installation, hence the name, and is usually located in <X11root>/lib/X11/rgb.txt. The web colors list is descended from it but differs for certain color names. Color names are not standardized by Xlib or the X11 protocol. The list does not show continuity either in selected color values or in color names, and some color triplets have multiple names. Despite this, graphic designers and others got used to them, making it practically impossible to introduce a different list. In earlier releases of X11 (prior to the introduction of Xcms), server implementors were encouraged to modify the RGB values in the reference color database to account for gamma correction. As of X.Org Release 7.4 rgb.txt is no longer included in the roll up release, and the list is built directly into the server. The optional module xorg/app/rgb contains the stand-alone rgb.txt file. The list first shipped with X10 release 3 (X10R3) on 7 June 1986, having been checked into RCS by Jim Gettys in 1985. The same list was in X11R1 on 18 September 1987. Approximately the full list as is available today shipped with X11R4 on 29 January 1989, with substantial additions by Paul Ravelling (who added colors based on Sinclair Paints samples), John C. Thomas (who added colors based on a set of 72 Crayola crayons he had on hand) and Jim Fulton (who reconciled contributions to produce the X11R4 list). The project was running DEC VT240 terminals at the time, so would have worked to that device. In some applications multipart names are written with spaces, in others joined together, often in camel case. They are usually matched insensitive of case and the X Server source code contains spaced aliases for most entries; this article uses spaces and uppercase initials except where variants with spaces are not specified in the actual code.
Tables
| Color name | X11 color | W3C color | ||||||||
| Hex | Red | Green | Blue | Sample | Sample | Hex | Red | Green | Blue | |
| Gray | | 75% | 75% | 75% | | 50% | 50% | 50% | ||
| Green | | 0% | 100% | 0% | | 0% | 50% | 0% | ||
| Maroon | | 69% | 19% | 38% | | 50% | 0% | 0% | ||
| Purple | | 63% | 13% | 94% | | 50% | 0% | 50% | ||
| X11 name | Color | W3C name | ||||
| Hex | Red | Green | Blue | Sample | ||
| Green | | 0% | 100% | 0% | Lime | |
| Magenta | | 100% | 0% | 100% | Fuchsia | |
| Cyan | | 0% | 100% | 100% | Aqua | |
| Name | Hex (RGB) | Red (RGB) | Green (RGB) | Blue (RGB) | Hue (HSL/HSV) | Satur. (HSL) | Light (HSL) | Satur. (HSV) | Value (HSV) | Alternatives | |
| Alice Blue | | 94% | 97% | 100% | 208° | 100% | 97% | 6% | 100% | ||
| Antique White | | 98% | 92% | 84% | 34° | 78% | 91% | 14% | 98% | ||
| Aqua | | 0% | 100% | 100% | 180° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Cyan | |
| Aquamarine | | 50% | 100% | 83% | 160° | 100% | 75% | 50% | 100% | ||
| Azure | | 94% | 100% | 100% | 180° | 100% | 97% | 6% | 100% | ||
| Beige | | 96% | 96% | 86% | 60° | 56% | 91% | 10% | 96% | ||
| Bisque | | 100% | 89% | 77% | 33° | 100% | 88% | 23% | 100% | ||
| Black | | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0° | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | ||
| Blanched Almond | | 100% | 92% | 80% | 36° | 100% | 90% | 20% | 100% | ||
| Blue | | 0% | 0% | 100% | 240° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | ||
| Blue Violet | | 54% | 17% | 89% | 271° | 76% | 53% | 81% | 89% | ||
| Brown | | 65% | 16% | 16% | 0° | 59% | 41% | 75% | 65% | ||
| Burlywood | | 87% | 72% | 53% | 34° | 57% | 70% | 39% | 87% | ||
| Cadet Blue | | 37% | 62% | 63% | 182° | 26% | 50% | 41% | 63% | ||
| Chartreuse | | 50% | 100% | 0% | 90° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | ||
| Chocolate | | 82% | 41% | 12% | 25° | 75% | 47% | 86% | 82% | ||
| Coral | | 100% | 50% | 31% | 16° | 100% | 66% | 69% | 100% | ||
| Cornflower Blue | | 39% | 58% | 93% | 219° | 79% | 66% | 58% | 93% | ||
| Cornsilk | | 100% | 97% | 86% | 48° | 100% | 93% | 14% | 100% | ||
| Crimson | | 86% | 8% | 24% | 348° | 83% | 47% | 91% | 86% | ||
| Cyan | | 0% | 100% | 100% | 180° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Aqua | |
| Dark Blue | | 0% | 0% | 55% | 240° | 100% | 27% | 100% | 55% | ||
| Dark Cyan | | 0% | 55% | 55% | 180° | 100% | 27% | 100% | 55% | ||
| Dark Goldenrod | | 72% | 53% | 4% | 43° | 89% | 38% | 94% | 72% | ||
| Dark Gray | | 66% | 66% | 66% | 0° | 0% | 66% | 0% | 66% | Dark Grey | |
| Dark Green | | 0% | 39% | 0% | 120° | 100% | 20% | 100% | 39% | ||
| Dark Khaki | | 74% | 72% | 42% | 56° | 38% | 58% | 43% | 74% | ||
| Dark Magenta | | 55% | 0% | 55% | 300° | 100% | 27% | 100% | 55% | ||
| Dark Olive Green | | 33% | 42% | 18% | 82° | 39% | 30% | 56% | 42% | ||
| Dark Orange | | 100% | 55% | 0% | 33° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | ||
| Dark Orchid | | 60% | 20% | 80% | 280° | 61% | 50% | 75% | 80% | ||
| Dark Red | | 55% | 0% | 0% | 0° | 100% | 27% | 100% | 55% | ||
| Dark Salmon | | 91% | 59% | 48% | 15° | 72% | 70% | 48% | 91% | ||
| Dark Sea Green | | 56% | 74% | 56% | 120° | 25% | 65% | 24% | 74% | ||
| Dark Slate Blue | | 28% | 24% | 55% | 248° | 39% | 39% | 56% | 55% | ||
| Dark Slate Gray | | 18% | 31% | 31% | 180° | 25% | 25% | 41% | 31% | Dark Slate Grey | |
| Dark Turquoise | | 0% | 81% | 82% | 181° | 100% | 41% | 100% | 82% | ||
| Dark Violet | | 58% | 0% | 83% | 282° | 100% | 41% | 100% | 83% | ||
| Deep Pink | | 100% | 8% | 58% | 328° | 100% | 54% | 92% | 100% | ||
| Deep Sky Blue | | 0% | 75% | 100% | 195° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | ||
| Dim Gray | | 41% | 41% | 41% | 0° | 0% | 41% | 0% | 41% | Dim Grey | |
| Dodger Blue | | 12% | 56% | 100% | 210° | 100% | 56% | 88% | 100% | ||
| Firebrick | | 70% | 13% | 13% | 0° | 68% | 42% | 81% | 70% | ||
| Floral White | | 100% | 98% | 94% | 40° | 100% | 97% | 6% | 100% | ||
| Forest Green | | 13% | 55% | 13% | 120° | 61% | 34% | 76% | 55% | ||
| Fuchsia | | 100% | 0% | 100% | 300° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Magenta | |
| Gainsboro | | 86% | 86% | 86% | 0° | 0% | 86% | 0% | 86% | ||
| Ghost White | | 97% | 97% | 100% | 240° | 100% | 99% | 3% | 100% | ||
| Gold | | 100% | 84% | 0% | 51° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% |
| Name | Hue | Saturation | Brightness | Standard | Variant 1 (100%) | Variant 2 (93.2%) | Variant 3 (80.4%) | Variant 4 (54.8%) |
| Antique White | 34±1° | 14% | 98% | | | | | |
| Aquamarine | 160° | 50% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Azure | 180° | 6% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Bisque | 33±1° | 23% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Blue | 240° | 100% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Brown | 0° | 75% | 65% | | | | | |
| Burlywood | 34° | 39% | 87% | | | | | |
| Cadet Blue | 182–186° | >40% | 63% | | | | | |
| Chartreuse | 90° | 100% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Chocolate | 25° | 86% | 82% | | | | | |
| Coral | 10°/16° | 66%/69% | 100% | | | | | |
| Cornsilk | 48–51° | 14% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Cyan | 180° | 100% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Dark Goldenrod | 43° | 94% | 72% | | | | | |
| Dark Olive Green | 82° | 56% | 42% | | | | | |
| Dark Orange | 30°/33° | 100% | 100% | | | | | |
| Dark Orchid | 280° | 76% | 80% | | | | | |
| Dark Sea Green | 120° | 24% | 74% | | | | | |
| Dark Slate Gray | 180° | 41% | 31% | | | | | |
| Deep Pink | 328° | 92% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Deep Sky Blue | 195° | 100% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Dodger Blue | 210° | 88% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Firebrick | 0° | 81% | 70% | | | | | |
| Gold | 51° | 100% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Goldenrod | 43° | 86% | 86% | | | | | |
| Green | 120° | 100% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Honeydew | 120° | 6% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Hot Pink | 330–334° | 53–59% | 100% | | | | | |
| Indian Red | 0° | 55–59% | 80% | | | | | |
| Ivory | 60° | 6% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Khaki | 55° | 44% | 100% | | | | | |
| Lavender Blush | 339±1° | 6% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Lemon Chiffon | 54° | 20% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Light Blue | 195° | 25% | 90% | | | | | |
| Light Cyan | 180° | 12% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Light Goldenrod | 50° | 45% | 93% | | | | | |
| Light Pink | 351°/352° | 29%/32% | 100% | | | | | |
| Light Salmon | 17° | 52% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Light Sky Blue | 202°/203° | 31%/46% | 100% | | | | | |
| Light Steel Blue | 214° | 21% | 87% | | | | | |
| Light Yellow | 60° | 12% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Magenta | 300° | 100% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Maroon | 322°/338° | 73%/80% | 69% | | | | | |
| Medium Orchid | 288° | 60% | 83% | | | | | |
| Medium Purple | 260° | 49% | 86% | | | | | |
| Misty Rose | 6° | 12% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Navajo White | 36° | 32% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Olive Drab | 80° | 76% | 56% | | | | | |
| Orange | 39° | 100% | 100% | | ← | | | |
| Color name | Base | Pale | Light | Medium | Dark | Deep | other |
| Aquamarine | 100% bright | 80% bright | |||||
| Blue | 100% bright | complex | 80% bright | 55% bright | |||
| Slate Blue | 80% bright | 100% bright | 93% bright | 55% bright | |||
| Sky Blue | complex | 100% saturated and bright | |||||
| Steel Blue | complex | ||||||
| Coral | complex | ||||||
| Cyan | 100% bright, 50% light | 94% light | 55% bright | ||||
| Goldenrod | complex | complex | complex | complex | |||
| Gray | 75% bright | 83% bright | 66% bright | 41% bright | |||
| Slate Gray | 57% bright | 60% bright | complex | ||||
| Green | 100% bright | 98% bright | 93% bright | 39% bright | 50% bright | ||
| Olive Green | — | complex | complex | ||||
| Sea Green | 55% bright | complex | 70% bright | complex | |||
| Spring Green | 100% bright | complex | |||||
| Khaki | 94% bright | 74% bright | |||||
| Magenta | 100% bright | 55% bright | |||||
| Orange | 39° hue | 33° hue | |||||
| Orchid | complex | complex | |||||
| Pink | 88% light | 86% light | complex | complex | |||
| Purple | complex | complex | |||||
| Violet Red | 47% light, 82% bright | complex | 43% light, 78% bright | ||||
| Red | 100% bright | 55% bright | |||||
| Salmon | complex | complex | |||||
| Turquoise | complex | complex | complex | ||||
| Violet | complex | ||||||
| Yellow | 50% light | 94% light |
| Name | Hex (RGB) | Red (RGB) | Green (RGB) | Blue (RGB) | Hue (HSL/HSV) | Satur. (HSL) | Light (HSL) | Satur. (HSV) | Value (HSV) | X11/W3C (Source) | |
| Black | | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0° | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | Black | |
| Light Black | | 50% | 50% | 50% | 0° | 0% | 50% | 0% | 50% | Gray | |
| Blue | | 0% | 0% | 100% | 240° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Blue (RFC) | |
| Dark Blue | | 0% | 0% | 55% | 240° | 100% | 27% | 100% | 55% | Dark Blue | |
| Light Blue | | 68% | 85% | 90% | 195° | 53% | 79% | 25% | 90% | Light Blue | |
| Brown | | 65% | 16% | 16% | 0° | 59% | 41% | 75% | 65% | Brown | |
| Dark Brown | | 36% | 25% | 20% | 19° | 29% | 28% | 45% | 36% | ||
| Light Brown | | 60% | 40% | 0% | 40° | 100% | 30% | 100% | 60% | ||
| Buff | | 94% | 86% | 51% | 49° | 79% | 73% | 46% | 94% | (RFC) | |
| Dark Buff | | 59% | 40% | 22% | 29° | 46% | 41% | 63% | 59% | ||
| Light Buff | | 93% | 85% | 69% | 41° | 61% | 81% | 25% | 93% | ||
| Cyan | | 0% | 100% | 100% | 180° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Aqua / Cyan | |
| Dark Cyan | | 0% | 55% | 55% | 180° | 100% | 27% | 100% | 55% | Dark Cyan | |
| Light Cyan | | 88% | 100% | 100% | 180° | 100% | 94% | 12% | 100% | Light Cyan | |
| Gold | | 100% | 84% | 0% | 51° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Gold | |
| Dark Gold | | 93% | 74% | 11% | 46° | 86% | 52% | 88% | 93% | ||
| Light Gold | | 95% | 90% | 67% | 50° | 71% | 81% | 29% | 95% | ||
| Goldenrod | | 85% | 65% | 13% | 43° | 74% | 49% | 85% | 86% | Goldenrod (RFC) | |
| Dark Goldenrod | | 72% | 53% | 4% | 43° | 89% | 38% | 94% | 72% | Dark Goldenrod | |
| Light Goldenrod | | 100% | 93% | 55% | 50° | 100% | 77% | 46% | 100% | Light Goldenrod 1 | |
| Gray | | 50% | 50% | 50% | 0° | 0% | 50% | 0% | 50% | Gray | |
| Dark Gray | | 25% | 25% | 25% | 0° | 0% | 25% | 0% | 25% | ||
| Light Gray | | 83% | 83% | 83% | 0° | 0% | 83% | 0% | 83% | Light Gray | |
| Green | | 0% | 50% | 0% | 120° | 100% | 25% | 100% | 50% | (W3C) Green (RFC) | |
| Dark Green | | 0% | 39% | 0% | 120° | 100% | 20% | 100% | 39% | Dark Green | |
| Light Green | | 56% | 93% | 56% | 120° | 73% | 75% | 40% | 93% | Light Green | |
| Ivory | | 100% | 100% | 94% | 60° | 100% | 97% | 6% | 100% | Ivory | |
| Dark Ivory | | 95% | 90% | 56% | 52° | 79% | 76% | 41% | 95% | ||
| Light Ivory | | 100% | 97% | 79% | 52° | 100% | 89% | 21% | 100% | ||
| Magenta | | 100% | 0% | 100% | 300° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Magenta | |
| Dark Magenta | | 55% | 0% | 55% | 300° | 100% | 27% | 100% | 55% | Dark Magenta, Magenta 4 | |
| Light Magenta | | 100% | 47% | 100% | 300° | 100% | 73% | 53% | 100% | ||
| Mustard | | 100% | 86% | 35% | 47° | 100% | 67% | 66% | 100% | ||
| Dark Mustard | | 49% | 49% | 25% | 60° | 32% | 37% | 48% | 49% | ||
| Light Mustard | | 93% | 87% | 38% | 53° | 81% | 66% | 59% | 93% | ||
| Orange | | 100% | 65% | 0% | 39° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Orange | |
| Dark Orange | | 100% | 55% | 0% | 33° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Dark Orange | |
| Light Orange | | 85% | 64% | 40% | 33° | 60% | 62% | 54% | 85% | ||
| Pink | | 100% | 75% | 80% | 350° | 100% | 88% | 25% | 100% | Pink (RFC) | |
| Dark Pink | | 91% | 33% | 50% | 342° | 75% | 62% | 64% | 91% | ||
| Light Pink | | 100% | 71% | 76% | 351° | 100% | 86% | 29% | 100% | Light Pink | |
| Red | | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0° | 100% | 50% | 100% | 100% | Red | |
| Dark Red | | 55% | 0% | 0% | 0° | 100% | 27% | 100% | 55% | Dark Red, Red 4 | |
| Light Red | | 100% | 20% | 20% | 0° | 100% | 60% | 80% | 100% | ||
| Silver | | 75% | 75% | 75% | 0° | 0% | 75% | 0% | 75% | Silver | |
| Dark Silver | | 69% | 69% | 69% | 0° | 0% | 69% | 0% | 69% | ||
| Light Silver | | 88% | 88% | 88% | 0° | 0% | 88% | 0% | 88% | ||
| Turquoise | | 19% | 84% | 78% | 175° | 66% | 51% | 78% | 84% | (0x40E0D0) | |
| Dark Turquoise | | 0% | 81% | 82% | 181° | 100% | 41% | 100% | 82% | Dark Turquoise |
References
- The original W3C names, as used in HTML4/CSS2, before the adoption of the non-colliding X11 names as alternatives.
- Prior to standardization as a web color, Gainsboro was included as one of the X11 color names. It was, however, absent f
- Ars Technicahttps://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/10/tomato-versus-ff6347-the-tragicomic-history-of-css-color-names/
- Xlib programming manual : for version 11 of the X Window Systemhttps://archive.org/details/xlibprogrammingm00nyea_0
- "ModuleVersions"http://xorg.freedesktop.org/wiki/Releases/ModuleVersions/
- "Remove all traces of external RGB database (and Speedo)"https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/xserver/commit/dda10c9066a660b647384179f82e1da8e063264f
- freedesktop.orghttp://cgit.freedesktop.org/~alanc/xc-historical/log/xc/programs/rgb/rgb.txt
- "Last call comments on CSS3 module: color"http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/2014Mar/0272.html
- "Netscape.com"https://web.archive.org/web/20020606054432/http://wp.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/3.0/handbook/javascript/colors.htm
- www.w3.orghttps://www.w3.org/TR/REC-CSS1/
- drafts.csswg.orghttps://drafts.csswg.org/css-color/
- GitHubhttps://github.com/freedesktop/xorg-rgb/commit/ca05c39d1c52734661d703d92c39cc3669c7b520
- www.w3.orghttps://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/types.html#h-6.5
- Current official rgb.txt from the X.org source tree at Freedesktop.orghttps://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/rgb/raw/master/rgb.txt
- "Lists.w3.org"http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-svg/2002Apr/0052.html
- X colorname to RGB mapping databasehttps://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/rgb/tree/rgb.txt
- X colorname to RGB mapping databasehttps://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/rgb/tree/others/old-rgb.txt
- X colorname to RGB mapping databasehttps://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/rgb/tree/others/raveling.txt
- X colorname to RGB mapping databasehttps://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/app/rgb/tree/others/README
- Job Ticket Application Programming Interface (JTAPI)http://ftp.pwg.org/pub/pwg/fsg/jobticket/JTAPI_Spec/fsg-openprinting-job-ticket-api-v0100-20050315.pdf