Color Picker & Converter
Pick colors visually, convert between HEX, RGB, and HSL, and generate beautiful color palettes.
Color Palettes
Recent Colors
How to Use the Color Picker
- Pick a color — Click anywhere on the saturation/brightness canvas to select your desired color. Drag the hue slider to change the base hue. The preview swatch updates in real time.
- Copy the color code — The HEX, RGB, and HSL values are displayed in the panel on the right. Click the Copy button next to any format to copy it to your clipboard.
- Generate a palette — Choose a palette type (complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary, or monochromatic) to generate harmonious color combinations for your design.
How Color Conversion Works
Colors on screens are represented using different color models. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive model where each channel ranges from 0 to 255. HEX is the same RGB model written in base-16 notation (e.g., #FF5733). HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) represents colors more intuitively: hue is the position on the color wheel (0-360 degrees), saturation is how vivid the color is (0-100%), and lightness is how bright or dark (0-100%).
This tool uses the HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) model internally for the picker, which is more natural for visual selection. HSV is converted to RGB and then to HEX and HSL for display. All conversions are mathematically precise and lossless.
Common Use Cases
- Web design — Pick colors for CSS, generate harmonious palettes for websites, and copy HEX values directly into stylesheets.
- UI/UX design — Choose accessible color combinations, test contrast ratios, and build consistent color systems.
- Graphic design — Convert between color formats when working with different tools (Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator).
- Brand colors — Define and document brand color values in multiple formats for developers and designers.
Tips
For web accessibility, ensure your text and background colors have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (WCAG 2.1 AA standard). The complementary and triadic palette types naturally produce high-contrast combinations that work well for call-to-action buttons and important UI elements.
Color Code Reference
Common colors with their HEX, RGB, and HSL values for quick reference.
| Color | HEX | RGB | HSL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #FF0000 | 255, 0, 0 | 0, 100%, 50% |
| Orange | #FF6B35 | 255, 107, 53 | 16, 100%, 60% |
| Gold | #FFD700 | 255, 215, 0 | 51, 100%, 50% |
| Green | #228B22 | 34, 139, 34 | 120, 62%, 34% |
| Blue | #1E90FF | 30, 144, 255 | 210, 100%, 56% |
| Purple | #8B5CF6 | 139, 92, 246 | 258, 90%, 66% |
| Pink | #FF69B4 | 255, 105, 180 | 330, 100%, 71% |
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0%, 0% |
| White | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0%, 100% |
| Gray | #808080 | 128, 128, 128 | 0, 0%, 50% |
Color Psychology
Colors evoke specific emotions and are strategically used in branding, marketing, and UI design.
| Color | Emotion / Association | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Urgency, excitement, passion | Sale banners, CTAs, food brands |
| Orange | Confidence, friendliness, energy | Subscribe buttons, entertainment |
| Yellow | Optimism, warmth, attention | Warnings, highlights, kids brands |
| Green | Growth, health, trust | Finance, eco brands, success states |
| Blue | Trust, calm, professionalism | Corporate sites, banks, tech companies |
| Purple | Luxury, creativity, wisdom | Beauty brands, premium products |
| Pink | Playfulness, romance, compassion | Fashion, beauty, feminine branding |
| Black | Elegance, power, sophistication | Luxury goods, fashion, minimalism |
Accessibility Contrast Ratios
WCAG 2.1 guidelines define minimum contrast ratios for text to be readable by users with visual impairments.
| Standard | Text Size | Min Ratio | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA | Normal text (<18pt) | 4.5:1 | Minimum for body text, paragraphs, labels |
| AA | Large text (≥18pt or 14pt bold) | 3:1 | Minimum for headings and large UI text |
| AAA | Normal text (<18pt) | 7:1 | Enhanced accessibility, recommended for key content |
| AAA | Large text (≥18pt or 14pt bold) | 4.5:1 | Enhanced accessibility for headings |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between HEX, RGB, and HSL color formats?
HEX uses a 6-digit hexadecimal number (e.g., #FF5733) to represent colors. RGB uses three values from 0-255 for red, green, and blue channels. HSL uses hue (0-360 degrees on the color wheel), saturation (0-100%), and lightness (0-100%). All three represent the same colors differently.
How do I convert HEX to RGB?
Each pair of HEX digits represents one RGB channel. For example, #FF5733: FF = 255 (red), 57 = 87 (green), 33 = 51 (blue). So RGB(255, 87, 51). This converter does it automatically when you type a HEX code.
What are complementary colors?
Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel (180 degrees apart). They create maximum contrast when placed together. For example, blue and orange, or red and green. This tool generates complementary palettes automatically.
Can I use this color picker for web design?
Yes. The tool outputs colors in HEX, RGB, and HSL formats, all of which are directly usable in CSS. You can copy any color value and paste it into your stylesheet. The palette generator is especially useful for choosing harmonious color schemes.
What is a color palette?
A color palette is a set of colors chosen to work well together in a design. This tool generates five types: complementary (opposite colors), analogous (adjacent colors), triadic (three evenly spaced), split-complementary, and monochromatic (variations of one color).
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