Color Converter
Convert colors between HEX, RGB, HSL, and HSV formats instantly in your browser. Just type in any format and all others update automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are color models and when should I use each one?
HEX is the standard format for web development and CSS — a six-character hexadecimal code like #3b82f6. RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is the additive model used by screens; it is ideal when you need to specify exact channel intensities. HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is intuitive for humans: you pick a hue angle, then dial in how vivid and how light the color should be — great for generating color palettes programmatically. HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) is similar but uses "value" (brightness) instead of lightness, and is common in graphic design applications and color pickers.
How is HSL different from HSV?
Both HSL and HSV share the same hue and saturation axes, but their third component differs. In HSL, a lightness of 100% always produces white, regardless of saturation, while 50% lightness with full saturation gives the purest version of the hue. In HSV, a value of 100% with full saturation gives the purest hue, and white is only reached when saturation is 0% and value is 100%. This means HSV behaves more like mixing paint with white, whereas HSL is symmetric around a mid-grey.
Why do converted values sometimes differ by 1?
Color conversions involve dividing integers by 255 and then rounding at each step. These rounding operations can cause small discrepancies of ±1 in the final values. For example, converting RGB(128, 0, 0) to HSL and back may yield RGB(127, 0, 0) or RGB(129, 0, 0) depending on rounding. This is expected behavior and the visual difference is imperceptible to the human eye.