Convert colors between HEX, RGB and HSL
Working with color on the web means juggling several notations for the exact same shade. A designer hands you a HEX code, your CSS variables use RGB, and a component library expects HSL. This free color converter bridges all three: pick a color and instantly see its HEX, RGB and HSL values side by side, with a live preview and one-click copy. It runs entirely in your browser, so it is fast, private and always available.
Understanding the three formats
All three describe the same visible color, just in different languages:
- HEX — a six-digit hexadecimal code like
#4f46e5, where pairs of digits set the red, green and blue channels. It is compact and by far the most common format in design handoffs. - RGB — the same red, green and blue channels written as three numbers from 0 to 255, such as
rgb(79, 70, 229). It maps directly to how screens actually mix light. - HSL — hue, saturation and lightness, such as
hsl(243, 75%, 59%). Instead of mixing channels, it describes the color by its position on the color wheel, how vivid it is, and how light or dark it is.
Why HSL is so useful for designers
HEX and RGB are precise but not intuitive: it is hard to look at #4f46e5 and know how to make it 10% lighter. HSL solves this. Because it separates hue (the base color) from saturation (its intensity) and lightness (how bright it is), you can create a whole harmonious palette by keeping the hue fixed and simply adjusting lightness and saturation. That is exactly how many modern design systems build their tints and shades — a light background, a mid-tone button and a dark text color that all share the same hue. Being able to convert a brand HEX into HSL is the first step to generating those variations.
Where each format shines
In practice you will reach for different notations in different places. HEX dominates design tools, brand guidelines and quick copy-paste. RGB appears when you need to reason about raw channel values or work with image data. HSL is the go-to when you are tweaking a color by hand or programmatically generating variations. Since all three are valid in CSS, the "best" format is simply whichever makes your current task easiest — and this tool lets you move between them without any mental math.
How color works on screens
It helps to understand what is happening underneath. Screens are made of tiny pixels, each with a red, a green and a blue light. By varying the brightness of those three lights, a pixel can display millions of colors. RGB and HEX describe a color directly in terms of those three lights. HSL is a more human-friendly transformation of the same information, rearranging it into concepts our eyes think in — what color, how vivid, how bright. Converting between them never changes the actual color; it just changes how it is written.
How to use the converter
Choose a color using the picker, or enter a value you already have. The tool immediately shows the equivalent HEX, RGB and HSL, along with a swatch so you can confirm it is the shade you expect. Copy whichever format your project needs and paste it into your CSS, design file or component. Because everything happens locally, you can work through an entire palette quickly without a single network request. Whether you are matching a brand color, building a set of accessible tints, or just translating a value a teammate sent you, the converter turns a fiddly manual conversion into an instant one.
Building an accessible color palette
Converting between color formats is often the first step toward a bigger goal: a palette that looks good and works for everyone. Accessibility guidelines focus heavily on contrast — the difference in lightness between text and its background — because low contrast makes content hard to read for people with low vision and for anyone in bright sunlight. This is where HSL becomes especially valuable. Because HSL separates lightness from hue and saturation, you can take a single brand color and generate a whole family of tints and shades simply by adjusting the lightness value while keeping the hue fixed, giving you a light background, a mid-tone accent and a dark text color that all feel related. Converting your brand HEX into HSL is what makes that systematic approach possible. When choosing text and background pairs, aim for a strong lightness gap and check the combination against a contrast standard. A palette built this way is not only more attractive and consistent, it is also usable by the widest possible audience — which is the mark of thoughtful design.
Frequently asked questions
Which color formats does it convert between?
It converts freely between HEX, RGB and HSL — the three formats web designers and developers use most — and shows a live preview of the color.
What is the difference between HEX, RGB and HSL?
HEX and RGB both describe a color by its red, green and blue components; HEX just writes them in hexadecimal. HSL describes the same color by hue, saturation and lightness, which is more intuitive for adjusting shades.
Can I use these colors in CSS?
Yes. All three formats are valid in CSS, so you can copy whichever one your stylesheet or design system prefers and paste it straight in.
Does it support transparency?
This converter focuses on solid colors in HEX, RGB and HSL. For transparency you would extend these to their alpha variants such as RGBA or HSLA in your CSS.