diff --git a/lib/event_ds.dart b/lib/event_ds.dart
index 5c45c88..6280b1b 100644
--- a/lib/event_ds.dart
+++ b/lib/event_ds.dart
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ class EventData {
 
 
     int effectiveNameFieldLen = gNameLengthInPost + 3;  // get this before name is mangled by color
-    String nameColor = getNameColor(name);
+    String nameColor = getNameColor(pubkey);
 
     // odd len names need an extra dash
     // if( name.length %2 == 1 )   name = name + nameInside;
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ class EventData {
     
     // get name in color and pad it too
     String nameToPrint = name.padLeft(nameWidth).substring(0, nameWidth);
-    nameToPrint = getStrInColor(nameToPrint, getNameColor(name));
+    nameToPrint = getStrInColor(nameToPrint, getNameColor(pubkey));
 
     String dateToPrint = strDate.padLeft(gSpacesPerDepth * timeWidthDepth).substring(0, gSpacesPerDepth * timeWidthDepth);
 
diff --git a/lib/settings.dart b/lib/settings.dart
index f84d1cc..b655f88 100644
--- a/lib/settings.dart
+++ b/lib/settings.dart
@@ -137,17 +137,42 @@ String gWarningColor = redColor; // red
 const String gColorEndMarker = "\x1B[0m";
 
 // blue is too bright
+/*
+e & f are red
+c & d are pink
+a & b are orange
+8 & 9 are yellow
+6 & 7 are green
+4 & 5 are light blue
+2 & 3 are blue
+0 & 1 are purple
+
+
 List<String> nameColorPalette = [brightGreenColor, brightCyanColor, brightYellowColor, brightMagentaColor, 
                                  brightBlueColor, brightRedColor, brightBlackColor, brightWhiteColor,
                                  yellowColor,        magentaColor,             redColor ];
+*/
+
+Map<String, String> pubkeyColor = { '0': brightMagentaColor, '1': brightMagentaColor,
+                                    '2': brightBlueColor, '3': brightBlueColor,  
+                                    '4': brightCyanColor, '5': brightCyanColor, 
+                                    '6': brightGreenColor, '7': brightGreenColor, 
+                                    '8': brightYellowColor,'9': brightYellowColor,  
+                                    'a': brightRedColor,  'b':  brightRedColor, 
+                                    'c': yellowColor,     'd':  yellowColor, 
+                                    'e': redColor,        'f':  redColor 
+                                   };
+
+List<String> nameColorPalette = [brightMagentaColor, brightBlueColor, brightCyanColor, brightGreenColor, 
+                                brightYellowColor,   brightRedColor,  yellowColor,   redColor        ];
 
 
-String getNameColor( String name) {
-  if( name.length == 0)
+String getNameColor( String pubkey) {
+  if( pubkey.length == 0)
     return nameColorPalette[0];
 
-  int offset = name.substring(0, 1).toLowerCase().codeUnits[0] % nameColorPalette.length;
-  return nameColorPalette[offset];
+  String firstChar = pubkey.substring(0, 1).toLowerCase();
+  return pubkeyColor[firstChar]??brightMagentaColor;
 }