diff --git a/src/iomanip.cpp b/src/iomanip.cpp
index 26e8358..fcc5796 100644
--- a/src/iomanip.cpp
+++ b/src/iomanip.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-#include "iomanip.hpp"
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <cstdlib>
+#include "iomanip.hpp"
+#include "utils.hpp"
 
 using namespace sc::io;
 
@@ -248,12 +249,25 @@ sc::io::truecolorf::truecolorf(int r, int g, int b) : _r {r}, _g {g}, _b {b} {}
 
 sc::io::truecolorb::truecolorb(int r, int g, int b) : _r {r}, _g {g}, _b {b} {}
 
+// truecolor to palette color (216-color)
+static inline int t2p(int val) {
+    return round(5 * val / 255.0);
+}
+
 std::ostream& sc::io::operator<<(std::ostream& out, const truecolorf& obj) {
-    out << "\x1b[38;2;" << obj._r << ';' << obj._g << ';' << obj._b << 'm';
+    if (sc::term::has_truecolor()) {
+        out << "\x1b[38;2;" << obj._r << ';' << obj._g << ';' << obj._b << 'm';
+    } else {
+        out << sc::io::rgbf(t2p(obj._r), t2p(obj._g), t2p(obj._b));
+    }
     return out;
 }
 
 std::ostream& sc::io::operator<<(std::ostream& out, const truecolorb& obj) {
-    out << "\x1b[48;2;" << obj._r << ';' << obj._g << ';' << obj._b << 'm';
+    if (sc::term::has_truecolor()) {
+        out << "\x1b[48;2;" << obj._r << ';' << obj._g << ';' << obj._b << 'm';
+    } else {
+        out << sc::io::rgbb(t2p(obj._r), t2p(obj._g), t2p(obj._b));
+    }
     return out;
 }