diff --git a/packages/text-canvas/src/ansi.ts b/packages/text-canvas/src/ansi.ts
index d1d87704c5..0e522b409f 100644
--- a/packages/text-canvas/src/ansi.ts
+++ b/packages/text-canvas/src/ansi.ts
@@ -26,3 +26,22 @@ export const FMT_ANSI16: StringFormat = {
     prefix: ANSI_RESET,
     suffix: "\n",
 };
+
+export const FMT_ANSI256: StringFormat = {
+    start: (x: number) => `\x1b[38;5;${x & 0xff};48;5;${x >>> 16}m`,
+    end: ANSI_RESET,
+    prefix: ANSI_RESET,
+    suffix: "\n",
+};
+
+/**
+ * Takes 2 ANSI256 values and returns a combined 16bit format ID.
+ *
+ * @remarks
+ * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code#8-bit
+ *
+ * @param fg
+ * @param bg
+ */
+export const format256 = (fg: number, bg = 0) =>
+    ((bg & 0xff) << 8) | (fg & 0xff);
diff --git a/packages/text-canvas/src/html.ts b/packages/text-canvas/src/html.ts
index e13ae932f1..7474eace59 100644
--- a/packages/text-canvas/src/html.ts
+++ b/packages/text-canvas/src/html.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import { memoize1 } from "@thi.ng/memoize";
+import { U8 } from "@thi.ng/strings";
 import type { HtmlFormatOpts, StringFormat } from "./api";
 
 /**
- * Constructs an HTML formatter using given config options.
+ * Constructs an HTML formatter using given config options and for use w/
+ * default format IDs only.
  *
  * @param opts
  */
@@ -34,8 +36,8 @@ export const formatHtml = ({
 });
 
 /**
- * Preset HTML string formatter, generating `<span>` elements with
- * inline CSS.
+ * Preset HTML string formatter for use w/ default format IDs, generating
+ * `<span>` elements with inline CSS.
  */
 export const FMT_HTML_INLINE_CSS = formatHtml({
     colors: [
@@ -66,8 +68,8 @@ export const FMT_HTML_INLINE_CSS = formatHtml({
 });
 
 /**
- * Preset HTML formatter, generating `<span>` elements with Tachyons CSS
- * classes.
+ * Preset HTML formatter for use w/ default format IDs, generating `<span>`
+ * elements with Tachyons CSS classes.
  */
 export const FMT_HTML_TACHYONS = formatHtml({
     colors: [
@@ -96,3 +98,36 @@ export const FMT_HTML_TACHYONS = formatHtml({
     dim: "o-50",
     underline: "underline",
 });
+
+const S5 = 255 / 31;
+const S6 = 255 / 63;
+
+/**
+ * Higher order custom HTML formatter for 16bit (RGB565) colors (without
+ * additional formatting flags). By default assigns text color, but can be
+ * assigned to any CSS property via given `prop` argument.
+ *
+ * @param prop
+ */
+export const FMT_HTML_565 = (prop = "color"): StringFormat => ({
+    start: memoize1(
+        (x) =>
+            `<span style="${prop}:#${U8((x >> 11) * S5)}${U8(
+                ((x >> 5) & 0x3f) * S6
+            )}${U8((x & 0x1f) * S5)}">`
+    ),
+    end: "</span>",
+    prefix: "",
+    suffix: "<br/>",
+});
+
+/**
+ * Takes normalized RGB values ([0..1] range) and converts them into an RGB565
+ * value. Does NOT perform clipping.
+ *
+ * @param r
+ * @param g
+ * @param b
+ */
+export const format565 = (r: number, g: number, b: number) =>
+    ((r * 0x1f) << 11) | ((g * 0x3f) << 5) | (b * 0x1f);