The index resolution suggested by the implementation does not have to be as large as the input data precision. The resolution may also be zero if the implementation is unable to support any paletted format for the given texture image. All existing formats have zero index bits. If levels are created with different precision indices then their internal formats will not match and the texture will be inconsistent, as discussed above. After the Alternate Image Specification Commands section, a new 'Palette Specification Commands' section should be added.
Paletted textures require palette information to translate indices into full colors.
Data is taken from memory and converted just as if each palette entry were a single pixel of a 1D texture. Pixel unpacking and transfer modes apply just as with texture data. After unpacking and conversion the data is translated into a internal format that matches the given format as closely as possible. An implementation does not, however, have a responsibility to support more than one precision for the base formats. If the palette's width is greater than than the range of the color indices in the texture data then some of the palettes entries will be unused.