Color Picker & Converter
Pick colors, convert between formats (HEX, RGB, HSL), generate palettes, and check accessibility contrast ratios. All processing happens in your browser for complete privacy.
#3B82F6
Color Formats
#3B82F6rgb(59, 130, 246)hsl(217, 91%, 60%)rgba(59, 130, 246, 1)hsla(217, 91%, 60%, 1)Accessibility
Color Palettes
About Color Formats
This color picker supports multiple color formats and provides instant conversion between them:
- HEX: Hexadecimal format (#RRGGBB), widely used in CSS and web design
- RGB: Red, Green, Blue values (0-255), intuitive for digital colors
- HSL: Hue, Saturation, Lightness, easier for color manipulation
- RGBA/HSLA: Same as RGB/HSL but with alpha channel for transparency
Generate color palettes using color theory: complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, or lightness/darkness variations.
What is a Color Picker?
A color picker is an essential tool for designers, developers, and digital creators that allows you to select, identify, and convert colors between different formats. Whether you're designing a website, creating graphics, or developing an application, choosing the right colors is crucial for aesthetics, branding, and user experience.
Modern color pickers go beyond simple selection—they provide instant conversion between color formats, generate harmonious color palettes based on color theory, and even check accessibility compliance by calculating contrast ratios according to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards.
Our color picker supports all major web color formats: HEX (hexadecimal), RGB (Red-Green-Blue), HSL (Hue-Saturation-Lightness), and their alpha channel variants RGBA and HSLA. This makes it perfect for CSS styling, design systems, and any project requiring precise color specifications.
Understanding Color Formats
HEX (Hexadecimal)
Format: #RRGGBB
The most common format in web design, HEX colors use six hexadecimal digits to represent red, green, and blue values (00-FF for each). Example: #3B82F6 represents a vibrant blue. It's compact, easy to copy, and universally supported in CSS and HTML.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue)
Format: rgb(R, G, B)
RGB uses three decimal values (0-255) for red, green, and blue channels. Example: rgb(59, 130, 246). This format is more intuitive for understanding color composition and is the native format for digital displays. RGBA adds an alpha channel for transparency (0-1).
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness)
Format: hsl(H, S%, L%)
HSL represents colors using hue (0-360°), saturation (0-100%), and lightness (0-100%). Example: hsl(217, 91%, 60%). This format is excellent for creating color variations—adjusting saturation makes colors more or less vibrant, while changing lightness creates tints and shades.
Alpha Channel (Transparency)
Formats: rgba(), hsla()
The alpha channel adds transparency to RGB and HSL colors, with values from 0 (fully transparent) to 1 (fully opaque). Example: rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.5) creates a semi-transparent blue. This is essential for overlays, shadows, and modern UI design.
Common Use Cases for Color Pickers
Web Development & CSS
Quickly find and convert colors for CSS styling. Copy HEX, RGB, or HSL values directly into your stylesheets. Perfect for theming, custom properties (CSS variables), and maintaining consistent design systems across your web applications.
Brand Identity & Design Systems
Create cohesive brand color palettes with complementary, analogous, or triadic color schemes. Generate lighter and darker variations for buttons, backgrounds, and interactive states. Ensure consistency across all brand materials and digital products.
Accessibility Compliance
Check WCAG contrast ratios to ensure text is readable for users with visual impairments. Our tool calculates contrast ratios and indicates whether color combinations meet AA or AAA standards, helping you create accessible interfaces that comply with legal requirements.
UI/UX Design
Select colors for buttons, links, backgrounds, and interactive elements. Use palette generators to create harmonious color schemes that enhance user experience. Export colors in formats compatible with Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, and other design tools.
Digital Art & Graphics
Pick precise colors for illustrations, icons, infographics, and digital artwork. Convert between formats to match the requirements of different software. Use the alpha channel to create transparent elements and layered compositions.
Marketing & Social Media
Choose eye-catching colors for social media graphics, email templates, and marketing materials. Generate color variations that maintain brand consistency while adapting to different platforms and contexts. Ensure colors translate well across devices.
Color Theory & Palette Generation
Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart in hue). These create maximum contrast and vibrant combinations. Examples include red and cyan, blue and orange, yellow and purple. Complementary schemes are bold and attention-grabbing, perfect for calls-to-action and highlighting important elements.
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are adjacent on the color wheel (typically 30° apart). They create harmonious, pleasing combinations often found in nature. For example, blue, blue-green, and green. Analogous schemes are serene and comfortable, ideal for backgrounds and creating a cohesive look without harsh contrasts.
Triadic Colors
Triadic colors are evenly spaced around the color wheel (120° apart), forming a triangle. Classic triads include red-yellow-blue (primary colors) and orange-green-purple (secondary colors). Triadic schemes offer strong visual contrast while maintaining color harmony, providing vibrant yet balanced palettes.
Tetradic (Square) Colors
Tetradic color schemes use four colors evenly spaced around the color wheel (90° apart), forming a square. These provide the most color variety and can be challenging to balance but offer rich, dynamic palettes when one color dominates and others serve as accents.
Shades & Tints (Lightness Variations)
Shades are created by adding black (decreasing lightness), while tints are created by adding white (increasing lightness). Monochromatic palettes using shades and tints of a single color create elegant, sophisticated designs with built-in harmony. This approach is perfect for modern, minimalist interfaces and professional applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert HEX to RGB?
Simply enter your HEX color (e.g., #3B82F6) into the color picker, and it will automatically display the RGB equivalent. HEX colors use two hexadecimal digits for each channel (RR-GG-BB). Our tool instantly converts between all formats, so you can copy the RGB value directly for use in your projects.
What is the difference between RGB and HSL?
RGB (Red-Green-Blue) defines colors by mixing light from three color channels, similar to how screens display colors. HSL (Hue-Saturation-Lightness) describes colors more intuitively: hue is the color type (0-360°), saturation is color intensity (0-100%), and lightness is how light or dark it is (0-100%). HSL is often easier for creating color variations and themes.
How do I check if my colors are accessible?
Our color picker automatically calculates the contrast ratio between your selected color and white background. WCAG AA requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. AAA standards require 7:1 and 4.5:1 respectively. The tool shows whether your color passes these standards and displays preview text in both black and white for visual comparison.
What are complementary colors and when should I use them?
Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel and create maximum contrast. Use them when you want elements to stand out strongly, such as call-to-action buttons, important warnings, or to draw attention to specific features. However, use them carefully—too much contrast can be jarring. Often, using one color dominantly with its complement as an accent works best.
Can I use transparency in CSS with these color formats?
Yes! Use the opacity slider to adjust transparency, and the tool will generate RGBA and HSLA formats with the alpha channel. The alpha value ranges from 0 (completely transparent) to 1 (completely opaque). For example, rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.5) creates a semi-transparent blue. These formats work in all modern browsers and are perfect for overlays, shadows, and layered designs.
How do I create a cohesive color palette for my website?
Start with a primary brand color, then use our palette generators to create harmonious combinations. For a safe, professional look, try analogous colors. For more vibrant designs, use complementary or triadic schemes. Generate shades and tints of your primary color for different UI states (hover, active, disabled). Always test your palette for accessibility and ensure sufficient contrast between text and backgrounds.
What is the best color format to use in CSS?
It depends on your needs. HEX is most common and compact (#3B82F6). RGB is good when you need to manipulate individual channels or add transparency with RGBA. HSL is best for creating color variations programmatically—you can easily adjust hue, saturation, or lightness. Modern CSS also supports CSS custom properties (CSS variables), which work with any format and make theming easier.
Is this color picker tool free to use?
Yes, absolutely! This color picker is completely free with no registration, no limits, and no ads interrupting your workflow. All color conversions and calculations happen directly in your browser, so your data stays private. You can use it for personal projects, commercial work, client projects—anything you need. We only ask that you bookmark and share the tool if you find it useful!
How do I pick a color from an image or screenshot?
While this tool doesn't support direct image sampling, most operating systems have built-in color pickers: macOS has Digital Color Meter, Windows has the PowerToys Color Picker, and most graphic design software includes eyedropper tools. Once you've identified the HEX or RGB value from your image, paste it into our tool to convert it to other formats and generate matching palettes.
Why are my colors different on different devices?
Colors can appear different due to screen calibration, display technology (LCD, OLED, etc.), brightness settings, and color profiles. While you can't control how users see your colors, you can ensure they're specified correctly in your code. Use our tool to get precise color values, test on multiple devices when possible, and focus on sufficient contrast for readability rather than perfect color reproduction.
Color Accessibility & WCAG Standards
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define minimum contrast ratios to ensure text is readable for people with visual impairments, including color blindness and low vision. Following these standards isn't just good practice—it's often legally required for public websites and applications.
- WCAG AA (Minimum): Requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text (under 18pt or 14pt bold) and 3:1 for large text. This is the legal standard in many countries.
- WCAG AAA (Enhanced): Requires 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. This provides maximum readability and is recommended for text-heavy applications.
- Non-text elements: Interactive components like buttons, form controls, and focus indicators require a minimum 3:1 contrast ratio against adjacent colors.
Our color picker automatically calculates contrast ratios and indicates whether your color combinations meet these standards. Use the text preview feature to visually assess readability with both white and black text on your selected background color.
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