Color Converter
Convert between HEX, Red Green Blue (RGB), and Hue Saturation Lightness (HSL) color notations with a preview swatch.
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What color notations does this tool convert between?
HEX — #FF5733 (web standard, used in HyperText Markup Language (HTML)/Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)). RGB (Red Green Blue) — rgb(255, 87, 51) (red, green, blue, each 0–255). HSL (Hue Saturation Lightness) — hsl(11, 100%, 60%) (hue 0–360°, saturation %, lightness %). HSL is more intuitive for humans — adjusting lightness and saturation doesn't require recalculating all three channels.
When should I use HSL instead of RGB?
Hue Saturation Lightness (HSL) is ideal when you want to generate color variations — lighter/darker shades, more/less saturated versions — by adjusting a single value. Rotating the hue by 30° gives a harmonious analogous color; rotating 180° gives the complement. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) design systems (like Tailwind's color palette) are often defined in HSL for this flexibility.
What is the difference between HEX 3-digit and 6-digit notation?
3-digit HEX (#F53) is shorthand where each digit is doubled: #FF5533. It only works when both digits of each channel are the same. 6-digit is universal. The 8-digit form (#FF5733CC) adds an alpha channel (CC = 80% opacity), supported in modern browsers via Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Color Level 4.