Color Picker & Converter

Pick colors visually and convert between different formats

Real-time Conversion

Color Picker

#3b82f6

Blue 500

Hue 210°

Saturation 83%

Lightness 60%

Opacity 100%

Quick Colors

Color Converter

HEX #RRGGBB or #RRGGBBAA

#

RGB

HSL

CMYK

Color Harmony

Analogous

Complement

Selected

Triadic

Split

Color Formats Guide

Understanding Color Formats

HEX Hexadecimal

Uses 6 hexadecimal digits (#RRGGBB) to represent red, green, and blue values (0-255 each). Optional 2 digits for alpha/transparency (#RRGGBBAA).

Example: #3b82f6 (Blue), #ff0000 (Red)

RGB Red Green Blue

Uses three numbers (0-255) for red, green, and blue components. Add 'a' for alpha channel (0-1 transparency).

Example: rgb(59, 130, 246), rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.5)

HSL Hue Saturation Lightness

Hue (0-360°), Saturation (0-100%), Lightness (0-100%). More intuitive for color adjustments. Add 'a' for alpha channel.

Example: hsl(210, 83%, 60%), hsla(210, 83%, 60%, 0.5)

CMYK Cyan Magenta Yellow Key

Used primarily for printing. Values represent percentages (0-100%) of ink for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Example: cmyk(76%, 47%, 0%, 4%)

Common Usage Examples

Web Development

color: #3b82f6; ← CSS (most common)

background-color: rgb(59, 130, 246);

border-color: hsl(210, 83%, 60%);

Design Applications

• HEX: Web design, CSS, HTML
• RGB: Digital screens, web, apps
• HSL: Color adjustments, themes
• CMYK: Print design, magazines, brochures

Quick Tips

Use HEX for web development (shorter, standardized)
Use HSL when you need to adjust brightness/saturation
Always convert RGB to CMYK for printing
Use transparency (alpha) for overlays and effects

Frequently Asked Questions

RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive color model used for screens (monitors, TVs, phones). Combining all colors at full intensity produces white.

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is a subtractive color model used for printing. Combining all colors produces black (in theory).

Key Difference:

• RGB: Use for digital/web design

• CMYK: Use for printed materials

Colors often look different between RGB and CMYK, so always convert for print.

HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is more intuitive for humans:

Easier adjustments: Want a darker blue? Just reduce lightness. Want less vibrant? Reduce saturation.
Better for color theory: Complementary colors are 180° apart on the hue wheel.
Consistent brightness: Changing hue doesn't affect perceived brightness.

Example:

HEX: #3b82f6 → Darker version: #1e40af (hard to calculate)

HSL: hsl(210, 83%, 60%) → Darker: hsl(210, 83%, 40%) (just change 60% to 40%)

Color harmonies are combinations of colors that are visually pleasing together. They're based on the position of colors on the color wheel.

Complementary

Colors opposite each other on the wheel. High contrast, vibrant.

Use: Call-to-action buttons, highlights

Analogous

Colors next to each other. Harmonious, comfortable.

Use: Backgrounds, gradients, nature themes

Triadic

Three colors equally spaced. Vibrant yet balanced.

Use: Colorful designs, children's themes

Split-Complementary

Base color + two adjacent to its complement. High contrast but less tension.

Use: Balanced, professional designs

Our CMYK conversion uses standard mathematical formulas, but there are important limitations:

Mathematical approximation: RGB to CMYK conversion has no perfect 1:1 mapping
Color gamut difference: Some RGB colors (especially bright blues/greens) can't be reproduced exactly in CMYK
Printing variables: Actual print results depend on paper, ink, printer, and color profiles

Professional Tip: For critical print work, always get physical color proofs from your printer and use professional design software with proper color profiles.