Color Converter

CSS supports several color formats—HEX, RGB, RGBA, HSL, HSLA, plus named colors. Each represents colors differently. HEX uses hexadecimal codes, RGB uses red-green-blue values, HSL uses hue-saturation-lightness. Pick what fits your workflow.

HEX is compact (#FF5733), RGB is intuitive (rgb(255, 87, 51)), HSL is great for color manipulation (hsl(9, 100%, 60%)). Add an 'A' (RGBA, HSLA) for alpha transparency control.

All modern browsers support them. You can mix formats in one stylesheet—HEX for brand colors, RGBA for transparent overlays, HSL for generating color schemes. Use whatever makes your code clearer and easier to maintain.

HEX writes colors in hexadecimal: #RRGGBB. Each pair (RR, GG, BB) is a value from 00 to FF (0-255 in decimal). Shorthand exists too: #F00 equals #FF0000. RGB uses decimal notation: rgb(red, green, blue) where each value ranges 0-255.

They're functionally identical—just different ways to write the same colors. HEX is more common in design tools and slightly shorter. RGB is easier to read and modify in code.

Both add transparency—the 'A' is alpha channel. RGBA extends RGB: rgba(255, 87, 51, 0.5) is 50% transparent. HSLA extends HSL: hsla(9, 100%, 60%, 0.5). Same transparency, different color models.

Use RGBA when you're already thinking in RGB—maybe you've got an RGB value and just need to add transparency.

Use HSLA when you want to adjust hue or saturation easily. HSL makes it simple to create lighter/darker variations by tweaking lightness.

I prefer HSLA for design systems—easier to generate consistent color palettes. Both work in all modern browsers, so pick what fits your workflow.

HSL stands for Hue, Saturation, Lightness. Way more intuitive than RGB for humans. Hue is the color (0-360 degrees on a color wheel—0/360 is red, 120 is green, 240 is blue). Saturation is intensity (0% is gray, 100% is vivid). Lightness is brightness (0% is black, 50% is normal, 100% is white).

Example: hsl(120, 100%, 50%) is pure green. Want a lighter green? Increase lightness: hsl(120, 100%, 75%). Want a muted green? Drop saturation: hsl(120, 50%, 50%). Super easy to tweak.

HSL shines for color schemes. Keep hue/saturation constant, vary lightness for shades. Or fix lightness/saturation, vary hue for complementary colors. Way simpler than fiddling with RGB values. Most designers prefer HSL for this reason—matches how we think about color.

Use a converter tool (like this one!). Manual conversion is tedious—HEX to RGB requires hex-to-decimal conversion, RGB to HSL involves complex formulas. Tools do it instantly and accurately.

For code, most languages have libraries. JavaScript has built-in methods plus packages like chroma.js or color. CSS preprocessors (Sass, Less) have color functions. Design tools (Figma, Sketch) usually show multiple formats—copy whatever you need.

Why convert? Maybe your design tool exports HEX but you need RGBA for transparency. Or you want HSL for easy manipulation but your color picker gave you RGB. Or you're matching a brand color and need it in every format. Happens all the time in real projects.

No single best—use what fits the task. HEX for fixed brand colors (compact, widely supported). RGBA for transparent backgrounds and overlays. HSL for building color systems and generating variants.

My typical setup: HEX or RGB for primary brand colors stored in variables, RGBA when I need transparency, HSL when creating hover states or color palettes. CSS variables make switching easy: --primary: #FF5733 or --primary: hsl(9, 100%, 60%).

Modern CSS supports all of them, so it's really personal preference and workflow. Design systems often prefer HSL for its flexibility. Quick projects might stick with HEX for simplicity. Experiment and see what makes your CSS clearer and easier to maintain.