-.SP
-The \fBinit_pair\fR routine changes the definition of a color-pair. It takes
-three arguments: the number of the color-pair to be changed, the foreground
-color number, and the background color number.
-For portable applications:
-.TP 5
--
-The value of the first argument
-must be between \fB1\fR and \fBCOLOR_PAIRS-1\fR.
-.TP 5
--
-The value of the second and
-third arguments must be between 0 and \fBCOLORS\fR.
-Color pair 0 is assumed to be white on black,
+.PP
+These limits apply to color values and color pairs.
+Values outside these limits are not legal, and may result in a runtime error:
+.bP
+\fBCOLORS\fP corresponds to the terminal database's \fBmax_colors\fP capability,
+which is typically a signed 16-bit integer (see \fBterminfo\fR(\*n)).
+.bP
+color values are expected to be in the range \fB0\fP to \fBCOLORS\-1\fP,
+inclusive (including \fB0\fP and \fBCOLORS\-1\fP).
+.bP
+a special color value \fB\-1\fP is used in certain extended functions
+to denote the \fIdefault color\fP (see \fBuse_default_colors\fP).
+.bP
+\fBCOLOR_PAIRS\fP corresponds to the terminal database's \fBmax_pairs\fP capability,
+which is typically a signed 16-bit integer (see \fBterminfo\fR(\*n)).
+.bP
+legal color pair values are in the range \fB1\fP to \fBCOLOR_PAIRS\-1\fP,
+inclusive.
+.bP
+color pair \fB0\fP is special; it denotes \*(``no color\*(''.
+.IP
+Color pair \fB0\fP is assumed to be white on black,