Color Depth Calculator
Calculate total colors and uncompressed image sizes from bit depth settings. Choose bits per channel and color channels to see results instantly.
About Color Depth Calculator
Colour depth (also called bit depth) determines how many distinct colours a display or image can represent. This calculator takes your bits per channel and number of channels to show the total bit depth, total colour count, uncompressed file size at a given resolution, and the common name for that configuration. All calculations run in your browser.
How Colour Depth Is Calculated
| Formula | Example (8-bit RGB) |
|---|---|
| Total bit depth = bits per channel x number of channels | 8 x 3 = 24 bits per pixel |
| Total colours = 2^(total bit depth) | 2^24 = 16,777,216 colours |
| Uncompressed size = width x height x (bit depth / 8) bytes | 1920 x 1080 x 3 = 6,220,800 bytes (~5.93 MB) |
Common Colour Depth Configurations
| Bit Depth | Name | Colours | Where It Is Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bit | Monochrome | 2 (black and white) | Fax machines, line art, QR codes |
| 8-bit indexed | 256 colours | 256 | GIF images, simple icons, pixel art |
| 16-bit (5-6-5 RGB) | High Colour | 65,536 | Older displays, some embedded systems |
| 24-bit (8-8-8 RGB) | True Colour | 16.7 million | Standard for web images, photos, most displays |
| 30-bit (10-10-10 RGB) | Deep Colour | 1.07 billion | Professional monitors, HDR displays, 10-bit panels |
| 32-bit (8-8-8-8 RGBA) | True Colour + Alpha | 16.7 million + 256 transparency levels | PNG with transparency, compositing, UI rendering |
| 48-bit (16-16-16 RGB) | Deep Colour (16-bit) | 281 trillion | RAW photography, TIFF editing, medical imaging |
Uncompressed File Sizes at Common Resolutions
| Resolution | 8-bit RGB (24bpp) | 10-bit RGB (30bpp) | 16-bit RGB (48bpp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) | 5.93 MB | 7.42 MB | 11.86 MB |
| 2560 x 1440 (1440p) | 10.55 MB | 13.18 MB | 21.09 MB |
| 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) | 23.73 MB | 29.66 MB | 47.46 MB |
| 7680 x 4320 (8K UHD) | 94.92 MB | 118.65 MB | 189.84 MB |
These are per-frame sizes for uncompressed images. Compression (JPEG, PNG, H.264, etc.) reduces actual file sizes dramatically.
8-bit vs 10-bit: When It Matters
| Aspect | 8-bit | 10-bit |
|---|---|---|
| Colours per channel | 256 | 1,024 |
| Total colours (RGB) | 16.7 million | 1.07 billion |
| Gradient banding | Visible in smooth gradients (sky, skin tones) | Much smoother - 4x the tonal steps |
| HDR support | SDR only | Required for HDR10, Dolby Vision |
| Hardware needed | Any modern display | 10-bit panel + compatible GPU + DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0+ |
| Who needs it | General users, web browsing, gaming | Photographers, video editors, colourists, HDR content |
Image Format Bit Depth Support
| Format | Max Bit Depth | Alpha Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG | 8-bit | No | Lossy compression, most common web format |
| PNG | 16-bit | Yes | Lossless, supports transparency |
| GIF | 8-bit indexed (256 colours) | 1-bit (on/off) | Animations, simple graphics |
| WebP | 8-bit | Yes | Modern web format with better compression than PNG/JPEG |
| TIFF | 32-bit float | Yes | Professional editing, archival |
| AVIF | 10-bit+ | Yes | Next-gen web format with HDR support |
| OpenEXR | 32-bit float | Yes | VFX and film industry standard for HDR compositing |
For converting between colour formats like HEX, RGB, and HSL, the colour converter handles all common formats. For comparing screen resolutions and pixel densities, the resolution comparison tool shows side-by-side comparisons. All calculations run in your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is color depth?
Color depth (or bit depth) is the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel. A higher bit depth means more possible colors. For example, 24-bit color uses 8 bits for each of the red, green, and blue channels, giving 16.7 million possible colors.
What is the difference between True Color and Deep Color?
True Color refers to 24-bit color (8 bits per channel, 16.7 million colors), which is the standard for photos and web content. Deep Color goes beyond that, using 10, 12, or 16 bits per channel for over a billion colors. Deep Color is used in HDR displays and professional photo editing where fine color gradations matter.
How is uncompressed image file size calculated?
Uncompressed size equals width times height times bits per pixel, divided by 8 to convert to bytes. A 1920x1080 image at 24-bit color is about 5.9 MB uncompressed. Actual file sizes are much smaller because formats like JPEG and PNG use compression.
Does the alpha channel affect color count?
The alpha channel controls transparency, not color. An RGBA image with 8 bits per channel uses 32 bits per pixel, but the extra 8 bits store opacity rather than adding visible colors. The file size increases, but the number of visible colors stays the same as RGB.
Why do some monitors support 10-bit color?
10-bit monitors display 1.07 billion colors compared to 16.7 million with 8-bit. This reduces color banding in gradients and gives photographers, video editors, and colorists smoother tonal transitions. You need a compatible GPU and display cable (DisplayPort or HDMI 2.0+) to take advantage of 10-bit output.
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