Converting Between Color Formats
Designers work in HSL. Developers need HEX. CSS supports RGB. Clients send Pantone references.
Color exists in many formats, and converting between them is a constant need. Here's the quick solution.
Using the Converter
Our Color Converter handles multiple formats:
- Enter a color in any format
- See equivalent values in all other formats instantly
- Copy whatever format you need
No clicking through dropdowns or selecting conversion types. Just enter a color and get everything.
The Formats Explained
HEX — The web standard. Six characters (plus #) representing red, green, and blue. Example: #FF5733
RGB — Red, Green, Blue values from 0-255 each. Example: rgb(255, 87, 51)
HSL — Hue (0-360 degrees), Saturation (0-100%), Lightness (0-100%). Example: hsl(11, 100%, 60%)
RGBA/HSLA — Same as RGB/HSL but with alpha channel for transparency.
Each format has different use cases and advantages.
When Each Format Matters
HEX for web development — The most compact format for CSS. Clean and widely supported.
RGB for programming — Many programming languages and APIs expect RGB values.
HSL for color adjustment — When you need to tweak colors (lighter, darker, more saturated), HSL is intuitive. Adjust the L value for lightness, S for saturation.
RGBA for transparency — When you need colors with varying opacity.
Common Conversions
A few reference values:
- White: #FFFFFF = rgb(255, 255, 255)
- Black: #000000 = rgb(0, 0, 0)
- Pure red: #FF0000 = rgb(255, 0, 0)
- Pure green: #00FF00 = rgb(0, 255, 0)
- Pure blue: #0000FF = rgb(0, 0, 255)
For anything else, use the converter rather than trying to calculate.
Shorthand HEX
You might see 3-character HEX codes like #FFF or #F00. These are shorthand:
#FFF = #FFFFFF #F00 = #FF0000
Each character is doubled. Not all colors can be expressed in shorthand.
Try a Conversion
Open the color converter and convert between formats instantly.
Free, shows all formats at once, works with any valid color input.
Working on design? Check out our image tools for processing graphics.