Color converter

Worked example 1: Hex → RGB (quick mental check)

Suppose you have $\#1EA54C$. In Hex, each pair is one channel:$RR$, $GG$, $BB$. So we decode $1E$, $A5$, $4C$ into decimal.

Result: $\mathrm{RGB}(30,\ 165,\ 76)$. That “looks right” for a medium-bright green — quick sanity checks like this help you catch typos.

Worked example 2: RGB → Hex (the reverse)

Convert $\mathrm{RGB}(255,\ 0,\ 64)$ to Hex. We convert each channel to base $16$ and pad to 2 digits.

Result: $\#FF0040$. If you want to double-check any step, the Integer Base Converter is perfect for quick base conversions.

• Prefer Hex or RGB for exact web colors. They map directly to sRGB channels$R,G,B\in[0,255]$.
• Use HSL/LCH when you’re adjusting “feel” (lighter/darker, more/less vivid). It reduces guesswork.
• If you see unexpected results, check for alpha/opacity. Many color strings can optionally include$\alpha\in[0,1]$.
• For copy/paste, keep formatting consistent: CSS usually expects functions like$\mathrm{rgb}(\cdot)$ or $\mathrm{hsl}(\cdot)$, while design tools often want Hex.
• If you’re doing many Hex math operations, pair this with the Integer Base Converter for fast base-$16$ checks.

1) Hex ↔ RGB

Hex stores each channel as a two-digit base-$16$ number:

Each pair converts by standard base expansion, e.g.$\mathrm{A5}_{16} = 10\cdot 16 + 5 = 165$.

2) Normalizing RGB

Many conversions start by mapping integer channels to unit values:

After you compute in the normalized space, you convert back to integers when needed.

3) A common CMYK approximation (from normalized RGB)

CMYK varies by printing pipeline, but a widely used approximation from normalized RGB is:

Important: this is useful for a first pass, but it doesn’t replace proofing or ICC-managed workflows.

Hex, RGB, HSL — what’s the difference?

• Hex is just RGB written in base $16$.
• RGB is great for “exact bytes”: $(R,G,B)$.
• HSL is great for “human edits”: hue $H$, saturation $S$, lightness $L$.

Why do conversions sometimes “look” different?

Two common reasons:

• Different color spaces and assumptions (especially around gamma and perceptual spaces).
• Rounding. Many formats display fewer decimals, so tiny rounding differences are normal.

• W3C CSS Color Module Level 4
• WCAG 2.1 Contrast (background reading)
• sRGB overview (background)

Note: references are provided for further reading; the tool’s outputs are designed for practical conversions, not for replacing a color-managed workflow.