Photoshop Windows 256 color swatches/tables

In Photoshop 7, the Windows 256 color table has a duplicate grey in position 7 (128,128,128). It is the same as position 248. The first and last 10 positions are reserved for standard Windows colours. According to PaintShop Pro, position 7 should be a lighter grey (192,192,192).

I am trying to design Windows 256 colour icons to work alongside system icons, so want to use the same palette, and they use this lighter grey. Is there a reason this lighter grey is missing from the Photoshop palette, or is it a mistake? I have created a new ACT file with 7 changed to the lighter grey.

I believe the other 216 colours can be customized, but palette switching will be a problem on 256 colour systems.

Bruce

I don't want to sound like an idiot (but it seems to come naturally for me), but I have no idea what you are talking about. Can you reel it back a step or two?

Are you talking about an indexed color table or the color picker, or what?

Sorry for the ignorance, just trying to get good information.

Peace,
Tony

I couldn't understand it either, until I looked at the swatches palette and loaded Windows.aco

This corresponded to what Bruce was talking about.

Thing is, I still don't really understand what the problem is ...

[I major in sounding like an idiot - I actually do it professionally ...]

There is no "standard" Windows 256 color palette -- each video card maker had/has their own.

Photoshop uses the most common palette.

Ah, swatches. Now I get it.

The first ten and last ten colours are supposed to be fixed (used by Windows for the interface). The other 236 can be anything. For some reason, the Photoshop Windows 256 palette has a duplicate grey within these fixed colours, which seems wrong. I have created my own palette/swatches with it corrected.

Again: there is no standard. Photoshop just chose the most commonly used palette.