In the early days of the web, only 256 colors were available. From these, an informal list of 216 “web safe” colors were determined to be supported by all major browsers. Of those, even fewer colors were given color names. Some of these colors include the basics like Red, Green, Blue, Black, and White, but the list goes on to more unique names like SpringGreen, Salmon, Tomato, AntiqueWhite, and AliceBlue.

These color names are still used and supported by browsers today. However, while words may be easier to understand than numerical values, these words restrict you to 140 color choices.

Defining your color choice with a word value can come in handy when you are quickly looking to style something or change the appearance while developing. However, the web allows the use of over 16 million colors. In the design industry, designers don't often style their work with color names; instead they rely on hexadecimal, RGBA, and HSLA for their superior color selection. A more precise and intentional color palette yields a more professional and cohesive design. Many applications and websites are available to help designers with palette selections and creation, so you should be able to conduct a quick web search and find one that works for you.

Question

Why is using hex code, RGBA, and HSLA considered best practice in modern web design?

Answer

Hexadecimal, RGBA, and HSLA color values offer a much wider color selection than name values, which restrict you to only 140 choices.