Using two bytes per pixel in a color image. Up to 65,536 colors can be represented in the color palette. Most graphics formats provide 8-bit color or 24-bit color; however, graphics cards generally ...

16-bit color usually means a 565 RGB pixel format (5 bits red, 6 bits green, and 5 bits blue). 32-bit color means you get a 8888 RGBA pixel format (8 bits red, 8 bits green, 8 bits blue, and 8 bits ...

I'm not talking about a reduction in color from 24 bit to 16 (plus another channel, I know). I'm talking about 16 bit luminance values such that color setting that would take advantage of a monitor ...