Color Converter
Enter a hex color code to see its RGB and HSL equivalents with individual red, green, and blue channel values.
How to use this color converter
- Enter the hex color code
Type a 6-digit hex code into the Hex color code field (e.g. FF6B35 or 00FF88). Omit the # symbol.
- Read the RGB values
The Red channel, Green channel, and Blue channel results show the 0–255 values for each component.
- Check the HSL output
Review the HSL result for hue (0–360°), saturation, and lightness — useful for color adjustments.
How this color converter works
This tool converts a hexadecimal color code into RGB (red, green, blue) and HSL (hue, saturation, lightness) representations. Each hex pair maps to an 8-bit channel value (0–255), and the HSL conversion uses standard color space mathematics.
R = hex[0:2] → decimal; G = hex[2:4] → decimal; B = hex[4:6] → decimal Hex #FF6B35 → RGB(255, 107, 53) → HSL(16, 100%, 60%).
Hex 000000 → RGB(0, 0, 0) → HSL(0, 0%, 0%) — pure black.
Hex FFFFFF → RGB(255, 255, 255) → HSL(0, 0%, 100%) — pure white. Hex 808080 → RGB(128, 128, 128) → HSL(0, 0%, 50%) — mid gray.
- ✓ Input is a valid 6-digit hex color code.
- ✓ Alpha channel is not supported in this version.
- CMYK conversion requires a color profile and is not included here.
Understanding color models
HEX, RGB, and HSL are different ways to describe the same color. HEX encodes RGB as a 6-digit hexadecimal string: each pair of characters is one 8-bit channel (0–255). RGB expresses the same values as three numbers, the additive primary colors that screens emit. HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is a cylindrical model: hue is the angle on the color wheel (0° red, 120° green, 240° blue), saturation is color intensity, and lightness is brightness. Designers often prefer HSL when adjusting colors programmatically — changing lightness alone darkens or lightens without shifting hue, and tweaking saturation adjusts vividness.
Developer use cases for color conversion
Developers convert colors when building design systems, implementing themes, generating color palettes, and debugging CSS. Design tokens often store colors in hex; converting to RGB or HSL enables runtime calculations such as opacity overlays or accessible contrast checks. Theme switchers may need to derive lighter or darker variants from a base color using HSL. Automated accessibility tools convert colors to compute luminance and contrast ratios. When debugging layout or theming bugs, seeing a hex value as RGB or HSL helps identify which channel is off. Color conversion is also used in data visualization, chart libraries, and dynamic UI theming.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter a 3-digit hex code?
Currently this tool expects a 6-digit code. For 3-digit shorthand like F60, expand it to FF6600 first.
What is HSL?
HSL stands for Hue, Saturation, Lightness. It is an alternative way to describe colors that some designers find more intuitive than RGB.