Hex ↔ RGB Converter

Frequently Asked Questions

How does hex map to RGB?

Each pair of hex digits is one channel (00-FF = 0-255). #FF8800 means R=255, G=136, B=0. Three-digit shorthand (#F80) doubles each digit (#FF8800).

What is the difference between RGB and HSL?

RGB describes color by red/green/blue intensity (good for displays). HSL describes hue (0-360 deg), saturation, and lightness (good for picking related shades).

Why does my hex code look different on another screen?

Without color management, the same RGB triplet maps to different physical light depending on the display gamut and calibration. Use sRGB profiles for web work.

How do I add transparency to a hex color?

Use 8-digit hex (#RRGGBBAA). #FF880080 is the same orange at 50% alpha. Modern browsers support this directly in CSS.

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How This Calculator Works

Hex and RGB are two ways of writing the same thing: a 24-bit color value. RGB writes the three channels as decimal numbers from 0 to 255 - for example, rgb(52, 152, 219). Hex writes the same three channels as a single base-16 number - for example, #3498DB. Each pair of hex digits is one channel: 34 = 52 (red), 98 = 152 (green), DB = 219 (blue).

Why Two Notations Exist

RGB is human-readable and matches how programs internally store and manipulate colors. Hex is compact (six characters vs three numbers and commas) and is the standard in CSS, HTML, and most design tools because it's easy to copy-paste and recognize at a glance. Both notations represent identical values - choose whichever is convenient for your tool.

Reading a Hex Color

A 6-digit hex code is structured as #RRGGBB. Each pair is a value from 00 (decimal 0, none of that channel) to FF (decimal 255, full intensity). Some quick reference points:

#000000 - pure black (R=0, G=0, B=0)

#FFFFFF - pure white (R=255, G=255, B=255)

#FF0000 - pure red

#00FF00 - pure green

#0000FF - pure blue

#808080 - mid gray

The 3-digit shorthand (e.g., #ABC) expands to #AABBCC by doubling each character. So #F00 = #FF0000. This shorthand only works for colors where each channel is a repeated nibble - most arbitrary colors need all 6 digits.

Hex, RGB, HSL - Pick the Right One

Hex / RGB: Best for storing and copying exact colors. Hard to manipulate intuitively - slightly tweaking "blueness" requires changing multiple channels.

HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness): Best for designing palettes. Want a slightly darker version of a color? Drop the L by 10%. Want a complementary color? Rotate the H by 180°. The result is also shown above for that reason.

OKLCH (perceptual): The newest standard, used in modern design systems because equal lightness changes look equally bright to the human eye. Most browsers now support it in CSS.

Accessibility & Contrast

Once you have an RGB value you can compute the WCAG relative luminance and check contrast against another color. WCAG 2.1 requires a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal body text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or 14pt bold). Tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker take two hex values and report pass/fail at AA and AAA levels - always check your color choices against this if your site has any text on colored backgrounds.

Why 8-Bit Channels?

Standard 24-bit color (8 bits per channel) gives 16,777,216 possible colors - more than the human eye can distinguish in most situations. Newer HDR displays use 10 or 12 bits per channel (1,024 or 4,096 levels) for smoother gradients and brighter highlights. CSS supports this via the color() function and Display P3 profiles, but classic hex is locked at 8 bits per channel.

Hex ↔ RGB Converter

Frequently Asked Questions

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