Designer
Color Converter Guide — HEX, RGB, HSL, and CMYK Explained
Learn the difference between HEX, RGB, HSL, and CMYK color formats. Convert colors between formats with our free online color converter.
Choosing the right color format is essential for web design, graphic design, and development. Each format serves a different purpose.
Color Formats Compared
| Format | Best For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | Web/CSS | #FF5733 |
| RGB | Digital screens | rgb(255, 87, 51) |
| HSL | Design adjustments | hsl(11, 100%, 60%) |
| CMYK | Print design | cmyk(0%, 66%, 80%, 0%) |
HEX Colors
HEX (hexadecimal) is the most common color format on the web:
- Starts with a
#followed by 6 characters - Each pair of characters represents Red, Green, Blue (00-FF)
#000000= black,#FFFFFF= white- Supports 3-digit shorthand:
#F00=#FF0000
RGB Colors
RGB represents colors as a mix of Red, Green, and Blue channels:
- Each channel ranges from 0 to 255
rgb(0, 0, 0)= black,rgb(255, 255, 255)= white- Also supports alpha:
rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5)for 50% transparent red
HSL Colors
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is more intuitive for designers:
- Hue: 0-360 degrees on the color wheel
- Saturation: 0% (gray) to 100% (fully colored)
- Lightness: 0% (black) to 100% (white)
- Easy to create color palettes by adjusting lightness
When to Use Each Format
- HEX: CSS stylesheets, HTML attributes
- RGB: JavaScript canvas, dynamic color manipulation
- HSL: Creating tints, shades, and color palettes
- CMYK: Print materials, professional design software
Use our free color converter to convert between any of these formats instantly.