diff --git a/collects/meta/web/common/extras.rkt b/collects/meta/web/common/extras.rkt
index e3ec31be9c..ccb4f7307e 100644
--- a/collects/meta/web/common/extras.rkt
+++ b/collects/meta/web/common/extras.rkt
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@
 ;; a grayish tt text
 (provide TT)
 (define (TT . xs)
-  @tt[style: "background-color: #dde;"]{@xs})
+  @tt[style: "background-color: #d8d8e8;"]{@xs})
 (provide PRE)
 (define (PRE . xs)
-  @pre[style: "background-color: #dde;"]{@xs})
+  @pre[style: "background-color: #d8d8e8;"]{@xs})
 
 ;; some tags with convenient separators
 (provide make-separated-tag (rename-out [the-separator ~])
diff --git a/collects/meta/web/common/resources.rkt b/collects/meta/web/common/resources.rkt
index 5d3cee02b5..fe77cad21d 100644
--- a/collects/meta/web/common/resources.rkt
+++ b/collects/meta/web/common/resources.rkt
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@
   ;; be used in places with their own CSS (eg, blog.racket-lang.org)
   @list{
     .racketnav {
-      background-color: #000;
-      color: #fff;
+      background-color: #000000;
+      color: #ffffff;
       margin-bottom: 1em;
       padding: 0.5em 0em;
       white-space: nowrap;
     }
     .racketnav a {
-      color: #fff;
+      color: #ffffff;
       text-decoration: none;
     }
     .racketnav .navcontent {
@@ -68,11 +68,11 @@
     }
     .racketnav .navcurlink a {
       padding: 0em 1em;
-      background-color: #555;
+      background-color: #555555;
     }
     .racketnav .navlink    a:hover,
     .racketnav .navcurlink a:hover {
-      background-color: #888;
+      background-color: #888888;
     }
     .racketnav .navlinkcell {
       text-align: center;
diff --git a/collects/meta/web/minis/bugs.rkt b/collects/meta/web/minis/bugs.rkt
index 7fdef7a307..d738f18a8d 100644
--- a/collects/meta/web/minis/bugs.rkt
+++ b/collects/meta/web/minis/bugs.rkt
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@
 (define index
   @page[#:title "Bug Reports" #:extra-headers bugs-script
         #:extra-body-attrs `(onLoad: "initBugData();")]{
-    @p[style: '("padding: 5px; color: #a00; background-color: #ffe;"
+    @p[style: '("padding: 5px; color: #aa0000; background-color: #ffffee;"
                 " border: 1px solid; font-weight: bold;")]{
          If you can, please use the “Submit Bug Report” item in DrRacket's Help
          menu.  It works better than this page, because it helps you supply
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@
            [else (error 'field "internal error")])))
     @form[action: bug-report-cgi method: 'post id: 'BugForm
           ;; enctype: "multipart/form-data"
-          style: '("border: 2px solid #44f; padding: 6px;"
-                   " background-color: #eef;")
+          style: '("border: 2px solid #4444ff; padding: 6px;"
+                   " background-color: #eeeeff;")
           onsubmit: "return CheckSubmit();"]{
       @input[type: 'hidden name: 'cont value: thanks]
       @field['br "Your name"]{
diff --git a/collects/meta/web/minis/lists.rkt b/collects/meta/web/minis/lists.rkt
index 047a774fe9..6a8c6d3d2a 100644
--- a/collects/meta/web/minis/lists.rkt
+++ b/collects/meta/web/minis/lists.rkt
@@ -31,13 +31,13 @@
        (tr (map (lambda (_) @td{}) MLs)))
     @(define (sec . text)
        @list{@gap1
-             @tr{@td[style: '("background-color: #ddd; font-weight: bold;"
+             @tr{@td[style: '("background-color: #dddddd; font-weight: bold;"
                               " padding: 0;")
                      colspan: (length MLs)]{@text}}
              @gap2})
     @table[style: "width: 100%; margin: auto; text-align: center;"
            frame: 'box rules: 'cols cellpadding: 5]{
-      @tr[style: "border-bottom: 1px solid; background-color: #ccf;"]{
+      @tr[style: "border-bottom: 1px solid; background-color: #ccccff;"]{
         @(list-cells 'header-cell)}
       @tr[valign: 'top style: "text-align: left;"]{@(list-cells 'description)}
       @tr{@(list-cells 'main-page-cell)}
diff --git a/collects/meta/web/stubs/git.rkt b/collects/meta/web/stubs/git.rkt
index eafbd6dab3..8914b3e906 100644
--- a/collects/meta/web/stubs/git.rkt
+++ b/collects/meta/web/stubs/git.rkt
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
       font-family: monospace;
       font-size: large;
       font-weight: bold;
-      background-color: #eee;
+      background-color: #eeeeee;
     }
     .code, .path, .man {
       white-space: nowrap;
diff --git a/collects/meta/web/stubs/mailman.rkt b/collects/meta/web/stubs/mailman.rkt
index ec5af6a810..0efee963a8 100644
--- a/collects/meta/web/stubs/mailman.rkt
+++ b/collects/meta/web/stubs/mailman.rkt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
   @style/inline{
     h1 {
       text-align: center;
-      background-color: #9cf;
+      background-color: #99ccff;
       padding: 0.5em;
       font-size: 150%;
       font-weight: bold;
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     h2 {
       text-align: left;
       padding: 0.1em 0.5em;
-      background-color: #fda;
+      background-color: #ffddaa;
       font-size: 120%;
       font-weight: bold;
     }
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
       for the @MM{List-Name} mailing list.}
     @subp{@MM{Case-Preserved-User}
           @MM{Disabled-Notice}
-          @div[style: "background-color: #faa;"]{@MM{Results}}}
+          @div[style: "background-color: #ffaaaa;"]{@MM{Results}}}
     @(define (tablesec . body)
        (apply table cellspacing: 5 cellpadding: 3 width: "100%" align: 'center
               body))
diff --git a/collects/meta/web/www/index.rkt b/collects/meta/web/www/index.rkt
index 230dc85c06..62af21ecd1 100644
--- a/collects/meta/web/www/index.rkt
+++ b/collects/meta/web/www/index.rkt
@@ -357,8 +357,9 @@
         set_display("none");
         showing = new_showing;
         set_display("block");
-        rewbutton_s.color = (showing==0) ? "#aaa" : "#444";
-        advbutton_s.color = (showing==@(sub1 (length l))) ? "#aaa" : "#444";
+        rewbutton_s.color = (showing==0) ? "#aaaaaa" : "#444444";
+        advbutton_s.color =
+           (showing==@(sub1 (length l))) ? "#aaaaaa" : "#444444";
       }
       function advance_show() {
         if (showing < @(sub1 (length l))) change_show_to(showing+1);
@@ -428,7 +429,7 @@
       width: 100%;
       font-size: large;
       font-weight: bold;
-      color: #d00;
+      color: #dd0000;
     }
     .threepanes {
       width: 100%;
@@ -455,10 +456,10 @@
     }
     #advancebutton, #rewindbutton, #helpbutton, #closebutton {
       text-decoration: none;
-      border: 1px solid #ddd;
+      border: 1px solid #ddddd;
       font-weight: bold;
-      color: #444;
-      background-color: #eee;
+      color: #44444;
+      background-color: #eeeee;
       padding: 0px 1px 0px 1px;
     }
     #advancebutton, #rewindbutton {
@@ -473,7 +474,7 @@
     }
     .helpcontent {
       width: 20em;
-      background-color: #ffe;
+      background-color: #ffffee;
       padding: 10px;
       margin-top: 3px;
       border: 1px solid black;
diff --git a/collects/meta/web/www/learning.rkt b/collects/meta/web/www/learning.rkt
index 4066b934d4..20534770a1 100644
--- a/collects/meta/web/www/learning.rkt
+++ b/collects/meta/web/www/learning.rkt
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
         ", "))
     @h1{Graduate Study with PLT}
     @p{An open letter to graduate applicants:}
-    @div[style: (box-style 3 "#ddd")]{
+    @div[style: (box-style 3 "#dddddd")]{
     @p*{
       Dear Prospective Graduate Student,
       @|br br|
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
       Because you are more interested in PLT than in our specific institutions,
       we have created the following common application form.  By filling it in
       once, you can automatically apply to all current PLT institutions.
-    @~ @|style: (box-style 1 "#bbb")|@;
+    @~ @|style: (box-style 1 "#bbbbbb")|@;
       Yes, we know you don't like @place-names (circle those applicable).  But
       we like them, or we wouldn't be living there.  Think about the message
       you're sending by rejecting our choices.  Moreover, we think very highly