How to convert colors between HEX, RGB and HSL
Web designers and developers often work with colors in different formats across projects, design systems, and tools. Whether you're switching between a design mockup in HSL, a CSS file using RGB, or a brand guideline in HEX, knowing how to convert between these formats quickly saves time and prevents mistakes.
Understanding the three main color formats
HEX (hexadecimal) notation represents colors as six-character codes like #FF5733, where pairs of characters define red, green, and blue intensity. RGB (red, green, blue) uses decimal values from 0-255 for each color channel—for example, rgb(255, 87, 51). HSL (hue, saturation, lightness) describes color using an angle for hue (0-360°), a percentage for saturation (0-100%), and a percentage for lightness (0-100%), written as hsl(9, 100%, 60%).
Why convert between formats
Different tools and contexts favor different formats. Designers often work in HSL because it's intuitive for adjusting brightness and saturation. Web developers use RGB or HEX in CSS stylesheets. Print production might need a different color space. Converting lets you move work between tools without manually re-specifying colors.
How the conversion works
Converting between formats involves mathematical relationships. HEX-to-RGB is straightforward: split the six characters into three pairs and convert each from hexadecimal (base 16) to decimal (base 10). RGB-to-HSL is more complex, finding the maximum and minimum channel values, then deriving hue, saturation, and lightness. The reverse processes apply inverse math to move back.
Converting colors online
Manual calculation is error-prone for repeated conversions. Use Color converter to transform between HEX, RGB, and HSL instantly. Paste a color in any format and see the equivalents in all others, eliminating the need to understand the math yourself.
Ensure accessible color choices
Once you've converted a color, verify it meets accessibility standards using Contrast checker to confirm sufficient contrast with your text. If you need design inspiration, Random color generator produces fresh palettes you can then convert to your preferred format.
Privacy: colors stay on your device
The color converter processes every conversion in your browser—no data is sent to a server. Your color palettes, work-in-progress designs, and brand specifications remain private on your device. The tool works offline after the page loads, so you can continue converting colors without internet access.