Hercules InColor Graphics Card

EGA color text modes were great but not backwards compatible with Hercules mode. Likewise, VGA and even CGA standards did not include color text modes that were backwards compatible with Hercules mode (until VESA). Hercules graphics defined a text mode standard whereby developers could use 16 color text on an InColor card and it would simply work in monochrome on any card that had only the original monochrome Hercules mode. Foreground and background text color were independent. The card also had a printer port and a light pen interface.

Of course one of the notable features of the Hercules card was the ability to mix graphics and text, something most IBM-PCs and compatibles lacked hardware for. InColor did not disappoint, with a 720x350x16 color graphics and text mixed mode that is still backwards compatible with monochrome. This actually offered a bit more horizontal resolution than a standard EGA card could deliver but still only in 16 possible colors (EGA was 16 on screen as well, but used a palette of 64 colors).

Another notable feature is the ability of developers to create their own fonts for the text mode and for users switch fonts. These custom fonts would default to the standard font when used in original Hercules mode.

Everything was also entirely backwards compatible with the Hercules Graphics Card Plus which was Hercules' first card to have redefinable fonts.