Color Converter

HEX and RGB are the two most common color formats on the web. HEX codes (#RRGGBB) are compact and widely used in CSS, while RGB values (0-255 per channel) are used in JavaScript and design tools.

Our hex to rgb converter translates between these formats instantly, making it easy to work across different tools and codebases.

HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is the most intuitive color model for designers. Adjust:

• Hue to change the color
• Saturation for vibrancy
• Lightness for brightness

Our HSL color converter makes it easy to create color variations, build palettes, and translate HSL values to HEX or RGB for implementation.

Converting from screen colors (RGB) to print colors (CMYK) requires careful conversion since the two color models work differently. RGB is additive (light-based), while CMYK is subtractive (ink-based).

Our RGB to CMYK converter provides approximate print values, though final results depend on your printer and paper.

To convert a HEX color to RGB, split the six-digit code (#RRGGBB) into three two-character pairs and convert each from base-16 (hexadecimal) to base-10 (decimal): R = 16 × d1 + d2, and so on for green and blue.

For example, #FF5733 gives FF = 255, 57 = 87, 33 = 51, or rgb(255, 87, 51). Both notations describe the same sRGB color space defined by IEC 61966-2-1 and referenced in the W3C CSS Color specification.

Each channel spans 0–255 (8 bits), yielding 256³ = 16,777,216 possible colors. Shorthand HEX (#F53) simply duplicates each digit into a pair.

RGB converts to HSL and HSV using the same first step: normalize each channel to 0–1 (divide by 255), then find max and min. Hue is the same in both models, derived from which channel is largest.

For HSL, Lightness = (max + min) / 2; for HSV, Value = max. Saturation is computed differently: HSL divides chroma by 1 − |2L − 1|, while HSV divides chroma by max.

HSL and HSV are cylindrical remappings of the RGB cube, standardized in the W3C CSS Color Module. Designers favor them because Hue, Saturation, and Lightness map to how humans describe color.

A HEX color code is a hexadecimal shorthand for RGB channel values, prefixed with #.

• The common six-digit form (#RRGGBB) encodes red, green, and blue as two hex digits each.
• Three-digit shorthand (#RGB) expands each digit to a pair, so #F53 equals #FF5533.
• The eight-digit form (#RRGGBBAA) and four-digit shorthand add an alpha (opacity) channel, as defined in the W3C CSS Color Module Level 4.

Hexadecimal is base-16, using digits 0–9 and letters A–F, where A = 10 and F = 15. This compact notation is why HEX dominates CSS and design-tool color pickers.

Most HEX and RGB values you use on the web are sRGB, the standard color space defined by IEC 61966-2-1 and assumed by CSS unless another space is declared. sRGB covers a limited slice of colors the human eye can see, so wider-gamut spaces like Display P3 and Rec. 2020 exist for modern displays.

The CSS Color Module Level 4 from the W3C adds functions such as color() and oklch() to reach these gamuts. This converter operates in sRGB, which remains the safest, most compatible space for everyday web and UI work across browsers and devices.

Color converters translate a single color between formats so it works everywhere it is needed.

• Web developers convert HEX to RGB or RGBA to add opacity in CSS.
• UI designers use HSL to generate lighter and darker shades of a brand color by adjusting only Lightness.
• Print teams convert RGB to CMYK before sending artwork to a press, since ink is subtractive.
• Data visualization and accessibility tools use these values to check contrast ratios against WCAG guidelines from the W3C.

A converter removes manual base-16 math and keeps a color consistent across code, design files, and print.

CSS defines 148 named colors, such as tomato (#FF6347), dodgerblue (#1E90FF), and rebeccapurple (#663399), each an exact alias for a specific sRGB HEX value. These names are standardized in the W3C CSS Color Module and supported by every modern browser.

They are convenient for prototyping but represent only a tiny subset of the 16.7 million colors reachable through HEX and RGB.

Because a named color equals a fixed HEX code, converters can display the closest named color for any input. Keyword colors are case-insensitive in CSS, so 'DodgerBlue' and 'dodgerblue' render identically.

Avoid these frequent color conversion mistakes:

• The most frequent mistake is omitting the # prefix or mis-splitting HEX pairs, which corrupts the RGB result.
• Another is treating HSL and HSV as identical: their third component (Lightness vs. Value) differs, so 50% Lightness is not 50% Value.
• Expecting RGB-to-CMYK conversion to be exact causes print surprises, because CMYK output depends on printer, ink, and paper, and the math is only an approximation per the sRGB and print-profile standards.
• Rounding too early when converting through HSL and back can also drift the color.
• Finally, forgetting the alpha channel drops transparency when moving between RGB and RGBA or #RRGGBBAA.

Each color format suits a different job.

• HEX (#RRGGBB) is the most compact and is the default for CSS and design handoffs.
• RGB (0–255 per channel) is easiest to read and manipulate in JavaScript and reflects how screens emit light additively.
• HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is best for building palettes and adjusting shades intuitively.
• CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key) is reserved for print, where color is subtractive ink on paper.

All screen formats share the sRGB space defined by IEC 61966-2-1 and the W3C CSS Color Module, so HEX, RGB, and HSL are fully interchangeable; only CMYK requires an approximate, device-dependent conversion.