What is the difference between HEX, RGB, and HSL color formats?

HEX (hexadecimal) represents colors as a 6-character code like #FF5733, combining red, green, and blue channels in base-16. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) uses decimal numbers from 0-255 for each channel, like rgb(255, 87, 51). HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) uses degrees for hue (0-360), and percentages for saturation and lightness (0-100%), like hsl(9, 100%, 60%). HEX is most common in web design and graphics. RGB is intuitive for programmers and matches how screens display colors. HSL is best for creating color variations since adjusting lightness or saturation is straightforward. All three formats can represent the same color—just different ways of expressing it. Our converter translates between all three formats instantly.

How do I convert HEX color codes to RGB values?

Enter your HEX color code (like #3366FF or shorthand 36F) into the HEX field, and the tool automatically calculates and displays the RGB values. HEX codes are converted by splitting the 6 characters into three pairs (RR GG BB), converting each pair from base-16 to base-10. For example, #FF5733 becomes R:255 (FF in hex), G:87 (57 in hex), B:51 (33 in hex). The conversion happens in real-time as you type. You can copy the RGB value in the standard format rgb(255, 87, 51) for use in CSS, JavaScript, or design tools. Shorthand HEX codes like #36F are automatically expanded to #3366FF before conversion.

Can I use this tool to find complementary colors for my design?

Yes! After entering any color in HEX, RGB, or HSL format, the tool automatically generates the complementary color by rotating the hue by 180 degrees on the color wheel. Complementary colors are opposite on the color wheel and create strong visual contrast when used together—perfect for call-to-action buttons, highlighting important elements, or creating vibrant color schemes. The tool displays both your original color and its complement side-by-side, and you can click "Copy Complementary HEX" to use it in your design. This is invaluable for web designers, UI/UX professionals, and anyone creating visually balanced interfaces or graphics.

What are the shades and tints shown, and how can I use them?

The shades and tints section displays 5 variations of your base color by adjusting lightness: two darker shades (-30, -15), the base color (0), and two lighter tints (+15, +30). These variations are essential for creating consistent color palettes in web design. Use darker shades for hover states, borders, or shadows. Use lighter tints for backgrounds, subtle highlights, or disabled states. Click any shade or tint to instantly convert to that color. This feature helps maintain visual harmony across your design by ensuring all color variations are mathematically related. The variations work particularly well for creating UI component states like default, hover, active, and disabled without manually picking colors.

How do I export colors as CSS custom properties (CSS variables)?

Once you enter a valid color, the tool automatically generates CSS custom properties (CSS variables) in multiple formats. The output includes --color-hex, --color-rgb, and --color-hsl with values ready to paste into your CSS. Click "Copy" next to the CSS variables section to copy all three formats at once. In your CSS, you can use them like: background: var(--color-hex); or rgba(var(--color-rgb), 0.5); for transparency. CSS variables are incredibly powerful for theming—define your colors once at the :root level and reference them throughout your stylesheet. This makes updating your color scheme across an entire site as simple as changing one value.

Why would I choose HSL over HEX or RGB for web development?

HSL is superior for creating color variations programmatically because it separates hue (color), saturation (intensity), and lightness (brightness) into independent controls. To create hover states, you can simply reduce lightness by 10% without affecting the hue—nearly impossible with HEX or RGB without a converter. HSL makes it easy to create monochromatic color schemes (same hue, different lightness/saturation), maintain accessibility by ensuring sufficient contrast (adjusting lightness), and generate color palettes mathematically. Modern CSS fully supports HSL, and preprocessors like Sass make HSL manipulation even easier. However, HEX is still more compact and widely recognized, so many developers convert HSL to HEX for final production code.

Can I enter colors in different formats, or do I have to use HEX?

You can enter colors in any of the three formats—HEX, RGB, or HSL—and the tool automatically converts to the other two formats in real-time. Type a HEX code like #FF5733, or manually enter RGB values (255, 87, 51), or input HSL values (9, 100, 60), and all other formats update instantly. The tool handles various HEX formats including 6-digit (#3366FF), 3-digit shorthand (#36F), and with or without the hash symbol. For RGB and HSL, simply enter the numeric values in the respective R/G/B or H/S/L input fields. This flexibility makes the tool useful whether you're working from a design file, copying from DevTools, or creating colors from scratch.

How accurate are the color conversions between formats?

The conversions are mathematically precise and follow standard color space formulas. HEX to RGB is exact since both represent the same color model. RGB to HSL conversion uses standard algorithms that calculate hue based on which RGB channel is dominant, saturation based on color purity, and lightness based on overall brightness. Due to rounding (HSL uses integers for hue and percentages for saturation/lightness), converting from HSL back to RGB may have tiny differences (typically 1-2 units out of 255), but these are imperceptible to the human eye. For web and design work, the conversions are perfectly accurate. The tool uses the same formulas as CSS engines, ensuring colors appear identical in browsers.

What is the difference between shades, tints, and tones in color theory?

In color theory, shades are created by adding black to a color (decreasing lightness), making it darker. Tints are created by adding white (increasing lightness), making it lighter. Tones are created by adding gray (decreasing saturation), making it more muted. This tool generates shades and tints by adjusting the L (lightness) value in HSL, keeping hue and saturation constant. The -30 and -15 variations are shades (darker), while +15 and +30 are tints (lighter). Understanding these concepts helps you create harmonious color palettes for web design, ensuring consistent visual hierarchy. Dark shades work well for text and borders, while light tints are perfect for backgrounds and subtle accents.

Can I use this color converter to check color accessibility and contrast?

While this tool doesn't directly calculate WCAG contrast ratios, it helps with accessibility by letting you quickly adjust lightness to improve contrast. The preview shows your color, and you can iteratively adjust HSL lightness to make text colors darker or background colors lighter until they meet accessibility standards. For dark text on light backgrounds, aim for text lightness below 30% and background lightness above 70%. For comprehensive accessibility testing, use dedicated contrast checkers alongside this converter—use this tool to generate candidate colors, then verify contrast ratios elsewhere. The ability to export colors in multiple formats makes it easy to test variations in your design tools or browser DevTools.

Free Color Converter

Convert colors between HEX, RGB, and HSL formats instantly. Live preview, complementary colors, shades & tints generator, and CSS variables export. Perfect for web design and development.

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