Britannica Sources used in this answer

How many colors can an image with 24-bit true color display?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

An image using 24-bit true color can display 224 distinct colors, which totals 16,777,216 colors.

In this system, each pixel is represented by 24 bits of data, typically divided into three 8-bit channels for the primary colors of the RGB color model: red, green, and blue. Each 8-bit channel allows for 28 (or 256) possible intensity levels for that specific color. By combining these, the system produces 256×256×256=16,777,216 possible color combinations.1