RGBA color model

This means more information than just "RGBA" is needed to determine how to handle an image.

In some contexts the abbreviation "RGBA" means a specific memory layout (called RGBA8888 below), with other terms such as "BGRA" used for alternatives.

The order of these four bytes in memory can differ, which can lead to confusion when image data is exchanged.

There are two typical ways to understand the mnemonic "RGBA": In a big-endian system, the two schemes are equivalent.

In OpenGL and Portable Network Graphics (PNG), the RGBA byte order is used, where the colors are stored in memory such that R is at the lowest address, G after it, B after that, and A last.

Depending on the context a 0x or a number sign (#)[2] is put before the hex digits.

This layout became popular when 24-bit color (and 32-bit RGBA) was introduced on personal computers.