Color Converter

Convert colors between HEX, RGB, HSL formats. Free online color picker and converter tool.

About Color Converter

Convert colors between HEX, RGB, and HSL formats instantly. Pick a color visually or enter values manually. All conversions happen in your browser.

Video Tutorial

2:38

Video coming soon — full transcript available below

Chapters

Full transcript searchable
0:00

HEX vs RGB vs HSL — which format and when

Welcome to this Color Converter tutorial. CSS supports multiple color formats and each has different strengths. HEX — like #FF5733 — is compact and universally supported, preferred for static colors in stylesheets. RGB — like rgb(255, 87, 51) — is useful when you need to manipulate individual color channels in JavaScript or CSS custom properties. HSL — like hsl(11, 100%, 60%) — is the most intuitive for humans: Hue is the color type (0-360 degrees), Saturation is intensity, and Lightness is brightness. HSL makes creating color variations like hover states easy.

0:35

Enter HEX code and get all formats

Open the Color Converter on ToolPilot.dev. In the HEX input, type or paste a hex color code — with or without the leading hash sign. For example: #3B82F6 or 3B82F6. The tool instantly converts it and shows the equivalent RGB, HSL, and HSB values in separate fields. A color preview swatch also updates so you can see the actual color. This is the fastest way to translate design colors from tools like Figma or Sketch into CSS values.

1:05

Use the color picker wheel

The Color Converter also includes a color picker — click the color swatch to open a native color picker. Choose any color visually from the spectrum wheel, and all four format fields update immediately. This is useful when you know what a color should look like but don't have the specific hex code. Pick the color you need, then copy the HEX or RGB value for your CSS. It's faster than guessing hex codes and manually adjusting.

1:35

Convert RGB values to HEX for CSS

When a design tool gives you RGB values — like 59, 130, 246 — and you need the HEX code for CSS, enter the R, G, and B values into the respective fields. The HEX equivalent updates instantly: 3B82F6. You can also convert in the other direction — paste a HEX code from CSS and get the RGB values back. This round-trip conversion is perfect for migrating between design systems or CSS frameworks.

2:00

Use case: matching Figma colors in code

A common workflow: your designer shares a Figma mockup with colors specified in Figma's HSL format. Your CSS framework expects HEX. Paste the HSL values from Figma into the Color Converter and copy the HEX output for your stylesheet. This also works in reverse — when you need to explain a HEX color from code to a designer, convert it to HSL which is more intuitive for them to adjust.

2:25

Wrap-up

The Color Converter on ToolPilot.dev handles bidirectional conversion between HEX, RGB, HSL, and HSB formats with instant visual preview. All conversions use accurate color math in the browser — no server required. Visit ToolPilot.dev for this and 19 other free tools for designers and developers.

Transcript covers all 6 chapters (2:38 total).

Benchmark

Color Converter Precision Comparison 2026

We tested HEX/RGB/HSL round-trip precision vs ColorMine, convertingcolors.com, and colordesigner.io across 20 reference colors.

See Results →

Frequently Asked Questions

What color formats does this tool convert?
The Color Converter converts between HEX (#RRGGBB), RGB (rgb(255, 0, 0)), and HSL (hsl(0, 100%, 50%)) formats. These are the three most common color formats in CSS and web design.
What is the difference between HEX, RGB, and HSL?
HEX is a compact 6-digit hexadecimal representation used in CSS and HTML. RGB defines colors by their red, green, and blue components (0-255 each). HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is more intuitive for designers — adjusting lightness without changing hue is easy in HSL.
How do I convert HEX to RGB?
Enter your HEX color (e.g., #FF5733) into the Color Converter and click Convert. The tool outputs the equivalent RGB values (e.g., rgb(255, 87, 51)) instantly.
How do I convert RGB to HSL?
Enter your RGB values (e.g., 255, 87, 51) into the Color Converter. The tool calculates and displays the HSL equivalent (e.g., hsl(11, 100%, 60%)) instantly.
Why do designers prefer HSL over RGB?
HSL is more intuitive because you can control the hue (which color), saturation (how vivid), and lightness (how bright) independently. Creating color palettes and tints/shades is much easier in HSL.
What is alpha transparency in color formats?
Alpha is a fourth channel for opacity (0.0 = fully transparent, 1.0 = fully opaque). In CSS: rgba(255, 87, 51, 0.5) and hsla(11, 100%, 60%, 0.5) include alpha. HEX with alpha uses 8 digits: #FF573380.
How do CSS custom properties (variables) use color values?
Define a CSS variable with any color format: --primary: #FF5733; or --primary: hsl(11, 100%, 60%); then use it: color: var(--primary); This makes theme changes much easier.
What is the 'safe' web color range?
Web-safe colors are 216 colors that render consistently on all monitors. They use only hex values 00, 33, 66, 99, CC, FF in each channel. Modern monitors make web-safe colors largely obsolete, but the concept still appears in legacy codebases.

Code Examples

Ready-to-use implementations in popular programming languages. Copy, paste, and run.

Convert Colors in JavaScript 
// HEX to RGB
function hexToRgb(hex) {
  const r = /^#?([a-f\d]{2})([a-f\d]{2})([a-f\d]{2})$/i.exec(hex);
  return r ? {
    r: parseInt(r[1], 16),
    g: parseInt(r[2], 16),
    b: parseInt(r[3], 16)
  } : null;
}

// RGB to HEX
function rgbToHex(r, g, b) {
  return '#' + [r, g, b].map(x =>
    x.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')).join('');
}

console.log(hexToRgb('#ff6600'));      // {r:255, g:102, b:0}
console.log(rgbToHex(255, 102, 0));    // #ff6600

Related Workflow Guides

🎨 Convert Colors Between HEX, RGB, HSL Formats → 🎨 CSS Themes: Convert Colors → Minify CSS → Diff Versions → 🎨 Color Converter for Design Systems: HEX, RGB, HSL Workflow Guide →

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