Color Converter: HEX, RGB, CMYK, HSL & HSV Conversions

How to Use Our Color Converter

This tool is designed for simplicity. Enter a color value in any one of the fields below, and the converter will automatically calculate and display the corresponding values in all other formats. You will also see a real-time preview of the color you have selected.

• HEX (Hexadecimal): The standard color code format for web design, often seen in CSS. It starts with a ‘#’ followed by six characters (e.g., #FF5733). It represents pairs of Red, Green, and Blue values.

• RGB (Red, Green, Blue): An additive color model used for digital screens (monitors, phones, TVs). Each value ranges from 0 to 255, representing the intensity of that color’s light. For example: RGB(255, 87, 51).

• CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black): A subtractive color model used for physical printing. Each value is a percentage from 0 to 100, representing the amount of ink used on paper. For example: CMYK(0, 66, 80, 0).

• HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness): A more intuitive model for human perception.

  • Hue: The color’s position on a 360-degree color wheel (e.g., 0 is red, 120 is green, 240 is blue).

  • Saturation: The color’s intensity, as a percentage (0% is grayscale, 100% is the full color).

  • Lightness: The amount of white or black in the color (0% is black, 50% is the pure color, 100% is white).

• HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value/Brightness): Very similar to HSL, often preferred in graphic design. The main difference is “Value,” which defines the color’s brightness (0% is always black, 100% is the brightest, most vivid version of the color).

Understanding Your Results: A Guide to Color Models

The numbers our Color Converter provides are more than just data—they are instructions for screens and printers on how to reproduce a specific color. Understanding which code to use for your project is crucial for achieving accurate and consistent results.

The table below gives a quick overview of each color model and its primary application.

When to Use HEX and RGB: The Digital World

HEX and RGB are the languages of screens. Because monitors, phone screens, and TVs create color by emitting light, they use an additive color model.

• How it works: Start with a black screen (the absence of light). Add Red, Green, and Blue light in various intensities. When all three are at their maximum intensity (RGB(255, 255, 255)), they create pure white light.

• Use Case: Use RGB or HEX for anything that will be viewed on a screen. This includes websites, mobile apps, social media graphics, digital presentations, and online videos. HEX is simply a more compact, web-friendly way of writing RGB values.

When to Use CMYK: The World of Print

CMYK is the standard for anything that will be physically printed, from business cards to brochures to billboards. Printing uses a subtractive color model.

• How it works: Start with a white piece of paper (which reflects all light). Ink is applied to the paper to absorb, or “subtract,” certain colors of light. The light that isn’t absorbed is reflected back to your eye. When you mix Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow ink at 100%, you get a very dark brown. A separate, pure black ink (Key) is used for efficiency and to create true, deep blacks.

• Use Case: Always convert your final designs to CMYK before sending them to a professional printer. If you design in RGB and print, the colors will often look dull or different from what you saw on your screen.

When to Use HSL and HSV: The Human-Centered Approach

HSL and HSV are designed to be more intuitive than RGB or CMYK. They allow you to think about color the way we naturally perceive it: “What color is it?” (Hue), “How intense is it?” (Saturation), and “How bright or dark is it?” (Lightness/Value).

• Use Case for HSL: This model is excellent for user interface (UI) design. For example, to create a “hover” effect for a button, you can keep the Hue and Saturation the same and simply decrease the Lightness by 10%. This creates a predictable, harmonious color variation.

• Use Case for HSV: This model is commonly used in digital painting applications and color pickers. It mimics how pigments mix in the real world—adding white to a color reduces its saturation, while adding black reduces its value (brightness).

Frequently Asked Questions About Color Conversion

What is the main difference between RGB and CMYK?

The fundamental difference is their purpose and process. RGB is an additive model used for digital screens that emit light. Combining red, green, and blue light creates lighter colors, culminating in white. CMYK is a subtractive model for physical printing that absorbs light. Mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks creates darker colors, culminating in black (or a dark brown, which is why a separate black ink is used).

Why do colors look different on my screen versus when printed?

This common issue is caused by the gamut, which is the range of colors a device can produce. Most digital screens have a larger gamut (can produce more vibrant colors, especially bright greens and blues) than a standard CMYK printing process. When you convert an RGB color to CMYK, if the original color is “out of gamut” for the printer, the software must choose the closest possible match, which often appears less vibrant or slightly shifted. Screen calibration, paper type, and ink quality also play a significant role.

What is a HEX color code and how does it work?

A HEX code is a six-digit hexadecimal number used to represent a color in RGB format. The code is structured as #RRGGBB, where RR represents the red value, GG the green, and BB the blue. Hexadecimal is a base-16 numbering system, using characters 0-9 and A-F. Each two-digit pair can represent a value from 00 (decimal 0) to FF (decimal 255), perfectly matching the 256 possible intensity levels in the RGB model.

Concrete Example:

• Pure Red is RGB(255, 0, 0).

• In HEX, 255 is FF and 0 is 00.

• So, the HEX code is #FF0000.

Should I use HSL or HSV for my project?

It depends on your goal.

• Use HSL if you need to create systematic variations of a color, like for UI states (active, hover, disabled). Adjusting the “Lightness” value gives you predictable shades (darker versions) and tints (lighter versions).

• Use HSV if you are working with color selection in a more artistic context, like a color picker in a graphics program. Its “Value” component more closely resembles adding black paint to a pigment to create shades.

What are “web-safe” colors and are they still important?

Web-safe colors are a palette of 216 colors that were guaranteed to display consistently on old computer monitors limited to 8-bit color (256 colors). In the early days of the internet, choosing from this palette prevented “dithering,” an effect where browsers would try to approximate colors they couldn’t display. Today, virtually all modern screens can display millions of colors (24-bit “true color”), making the web-safe palette technically obsolete. It’s a fascinating piece of internet history, but not a practical constraint for modern design.

How can I find the color code of an image or website?

You can easily find a color code using built-in browser tools or browser extensions.

• Browser Developer Tools: Right-click on any webpage and select “Inspect.” In the developer panel, you can find an element’s CSS and often click on a color swatch to activate an eyedropper tool, allowing you to pick any color from the page.

• Browser Extensions: Tools like ColorZilla or Eye Dropper are available for Chrome and Firefox. They add an eyedropper icon to your browser, which you can use to click on any pixel on any website or image and instantly get its HEX and RGB values.

What is the difference between an additive and a subtractive color model?

An additive model (RGB) works by adding light to a black background. It is used in sources that emit light, like screens. The more light you add, the brighter the color, with all colors combined creating white. A subtractive model (CMYK) works by subtracting light from a white background. Ink on paper absorbs certain wavelengths of light. The more ink you add, the more light is absorbed and the darker the color becomes, with all colors combined creating black.

How do I choose colors that are accessible (WCAG)?

Color accessibility is crucial for ensuring that users with visual impairments, such as color blindness, can read and interact with your content. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define standards for this, primarily focusing on contrast ratio.

• Contrast Ratio: This measures the difference in luminance (brightness) between a text color and its background color.

• WCAG Standards:

  • AA Level (Minimum): Requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

  • AAA Level (Enhanced): Requires a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. You should always use an online contrast checker tool to verify that your chosen text and background color combinations meet at least the AA standard.

What does the ‘alpha’ channel mean in RGBA or HSLA?

The ‘A’ in RGBA and HSLA stands for Alpha, and it controls the color’s opacity or transparency. The alpha value is typically represented as a number between 0.0 (completely transparent) and 1.0 (completely opaque).

• Example: RGBA(255, 87, 51, 0.5) would display the same orange color from our earlier examples, but at 50% transparency, allowing the background to show through. This is widely used in web design for overlays, subtle backgrounds, and modal windows.

Can this tool convert to Pantone (PMS) colors?

No, this tool does not convert to Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors. Pantone is a proprietary, standardized color system used primarily in the printing industry to ensure color consistency across different locations and print runs. Converting from a digital model like RGB to a specific Pantone ink is a complex process that involves licensed color libraries and often requires a designer’s eye to select the best match. Our converter focuses on the universal digital and standard print models (HEX, RGB, CMYK, HSL, HSV).

How do I create a color palette from a single color?

Our Color Converter is a great starting point for building a color palette. Using the HSL values makes this process very easy.

• Monochromatic Palette: Choose a base color. Keep the Hue and Saturation constant and select different values for Lightness to create shades and tints of your original color.

• Analogous Palette: Choose a base color. Select two more colors by adding and subtracting 30 degrees from your base Hue (e.g., if your Hue is 120, try 90 and 150).

• Complementary Palette: Choose a base color. Find its complementary color by adding 180 degrees to its Hue value (e.g., if your Hue is 120 (green), its complement is 300 (magenta)).

Related Tools for Your Projects

Now that you have your color codes, you may need other tools to complete your project.

• After converting your colors, you might need to calculate color distribution percentages for your design. Our Percentage Calculator can help you figure out the perfect balance for your UI.

• If your project involves physical dimensions for print or screen design, our Unit Converter is perfect for switching between pixels, inches, centimeters, and more.