The ability to display the various RGB and HSL colors is dependent on your hardware. The number of colors that can be displayed typically ranges from 16 to 256 (or a much larger number) according to your graphics hardware.

However, since not all hardware has the ability to display the range of colors the RGB and HSL color system offers, a dithering effect is used to increase the number of shades available. This creates the impression of a larger range of colors than the hardware actually supports.

This dithering effect creates patterns of dots in the available colors. The eye then combines them into a perceived color different from the actual colors used to produce the patterns.

Although dithering can create a larger range of colors for surfaces, the drawing lines and the status bar can be displayed only in the range of colors supported by the hardware.