diff --git a/src/util/colour32.h b/src/util/colour32.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f0729f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/colour32.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025 Quinn
+// Licensed under the MIT Licence. See LICENSE for details
+#pragma once
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+// stores colour in a rgba format stored as little-endian, each channel being a 8 bits wide.
+typedef union {
+	uint32_t dat; // full colour data; little-endian
+#if __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_LITTLE_ENDIAN__
+	// colour channel information for little-endian systems
+	struct {
+		uint8_t a;
+		uint8_t b;
+		uint8_t g;
+		uint8_t r;
+	} ch;
+#elif __BYTE_ORDER__ == __ORDER_BIG_ENDIAN__
+	// colour channel information for big-endian systems
+	struct {
+		uint8_t r;
+		uint8_t g;
+		uint8_t b;
+		uint8_t a;
+	} ch;
+#endif
+} colour32;
+
+#define COLOUR32_BLACK   ((colour32){0x000000FF})
+#define COLOUR32_RED     ((colour32){0xFF0000FF})
+#define COLOUR32_YELLOW  ((colour32){0xFFFF00FF})
+#define COLOUR32_ORANGE  ((colour32){0xFF6D00FF})
+#define COLOUR32_GREEN   ((colour32){0x00FF00FF})
+#define COLOUR32_CYAN    ((colour32){0x00FFFFFF})
+#define COLOUR32_BLUE    ((colour32){0x0000FFFF})
+#define COLOUR32_MAGENTA ((colour32){0xFF00FFFF})
+#define COLOUR32_WHITE   ((colour32){0xFFFFFFFF})
+
+// american macros:
+#define color32         colour32
+#define COLOR32_BLACK   COLOUR32_BLACK
+#define COLOR32_RED     COLOUR32_RED
+#define COLOR32_YELLOW  COLOUR32_YELLOW
+#define COLOR32_ORANGE  COLOUR32_ORANGE
+#define COLOR32_GREEN   COLOUR32_GREEN
+#define COLOR32_CYAN    COLOUR32_CYAN
+#define COLOR32_BLUE    COLOUR32_BLUE
+#define COLOR32_MAGENTA COLOUR32_MAGENTA
+#define COLOR32_WHITE   COLOUR32_WHITE