diff --git a/examples/pywmgeneric.py b/examples/pywmgeneric.py
index d28f59e..6b48674 100644
--- a/examples/pywmgeneric.py
+++ b/examples/pywmgeneric.py
@@ -643,12 +643,18 @@ def main():
         '#': '#9E79A2899E79',
         '$': '#410341034103',
         }
+
     palette['o'] = clConfig.get('indicator', '#2020b2b2aaaa')
     palette['/'] = clConfig.get('graph', '#2020b2b2aaaa')
     palette['-'] = clConfig.get('graphbg', '#707070707070')
-    palette['_'] = clConfig.get('background', '#000000000000')
+    palette['_'] = clConfig.get('background', '#FFFFFFFFFFFF')
     palette['%'] = clConfig.get('text', '#2081B2CAAEBA')
 
+    palette['.'] = 'grey95'
+    palette['x'] = 'black'
+    palette['o'] = 'grey45'
+    palette['-'] = 'grey65'
+
     font = clConfig.get('font', '6x8')
 
     configFile = clConfig.get('configfile', defaultConfigFile)
diff --git a/examples/pywmhdmon.py b/examples/pywmhdmon.py
index f5d6a26..f095411 100755
--- a/examples/pywmhdmon.py
+++ b/examples/pywmhdmon.py
@@ -414,6 +414,11 @@ def main():
     palette[8] = clConfig.get('barbgcolor', 'cyan4')
     palette[5] = clConfig.get('activitycolor', 'cyan2')
 
+    palette['.'] = 'grey85'
+    palette['x'] = 'black'
+    palette['o'] = 'grey45'
+    palette['-'] = 'grey65'
+
     font = clConfig.get('font', '6x8')
 
     global char_width, char_height
diff --git a/wmdocklib/pywmhelpers.py b/wmdocklib/pywmhelpers.py
index 1924d0d..9a71d81 100644
--- a/wmdocklib/pywmhelpers.py
+++ b/wmdocklib/pywmhelpers.py
@@ -250,7 +250,13 @@ def initPixmap(background=None,
 
     def readFont(font_name):
         # read xpm, skip header and color definitions, fill/trim to 48 lines.
+        font_palette = {}
         fontdef = readXPM(__file__[:__file__.rfind(os.sep) + 1] + font_name + '.xpm')
+        colorCount = int(fontdef[0].split(' ')[2])
+        for i in range(colorCount):
+            colorChar = fontdef[i+1][0]
+            colorName = fontdef[i+1][1:].split()[1]
+            font_palette[colorChar] = colorName
         fontdef = fontdef[1 + int(fontdef[0].split(' ')[2]):]
         fontdef = (fontdef + [' '*128]*48)[:48]
 
@@ -259,10 +265,11 @@ def initPixmap(background=None,
         if not m:
             raise ValueError("can't infer font size from name (does not contain wxh)")
         width, height = [int(item) for item in m.groups()]
-        return width, height, fontdef
+        return width, height, fontdef, font_palette
         
     global char_width, char_height
-    char_width, char_height, fontdef = readFont(font_name)
+    char_width, char_height, fontdef, font_palette = readFont(font_name)
+    palette.update(font_palette)
 
     global charset_start, charset_width
     charset_start = height + len(patterns)