HEX to RGB, HSL Color Converter
HEX ↔ RGB ↔ HSL • Free tool for designers and developers
What is a HEX to RGB Converter?
A HEX to RGB converter translates color values between the hexadecimal format used in web development (like #10B981) and the numerical RGB format used in design software, programming, and screen displays (like rgb(16, 185, 129)). Both formats describe the exact same color — they just express it differently. HEX compresses the red, green, and blue channels into a single 6-character string, while RGB spells out each channel as a separate number from 0 to 255.
This matters because different tools expect different formats. Your CSS stylesheet needs HEX or RGB. A Photoshop mockup might show you RGB values. A client's brand guideline might list HSL values because they're easier to adjust by eye — bump the lightness slider and you get an instant lighter shade without having to recalculate all three RGB channels. A good converter handles all three directions so you never have to do the math yourself.
This tool also generates color harmonies — complementary, analogous, triadic, and split-complementary colors derived from your input. These harmonies are useful when you have one brand color and need to build a full color palette around it, or when you want to check whether an accent color actually pairs well with your primary choice before committing to it in code.
rgb(16, 185, 129)
hsl(160, 84%, 39%)
Color Harmonies
Why I Built This Tool
This is probably the simplest tool on DevPalettes, and honestly that's the point. I built it because I was tired of opening a new tab, typing "hex to rgb converter" into Google, and landing on pages that are 80% ads with a tiny input field buried somewhere. I'd paste my HEX code, squint to find the result, then realize the site didn't even copy it properly — it included extra text or formatting.
I also kept running into a specific workflow problem: a designer would send me a Figma file with colors in RGB, and the brand guidelines PDF would list the same colors in HEX, and the developer docs would reference HSL. Three formats for the same color, and I was manually converting between them several times a week. The math isn't hard — divide by 16, multiply by 255, all that — but doing it mentally while also trying to write CSS is just unnecessary friction.
The color harmonies feature came later. I noticed that after converting a color, I'd immediately go find a complementary color tool to check if my accent worked with my primary. Adding harmonies directly to the converter meant one fewer tab switch. And if you need even more colors beyond what the harmonies give you, the palette generator can build a full scheme from any starting color you convert here.
How HEX, RGB, and HSL Formats Work
All three formats describe the same thing — a specific color — but they structure the information differently. HEX is a base-16 shorthand where each pair of characters represents one channel: the first two for red, the next two for green, the last two for blue. So #FF5733 means red=FF (255), green=57 (87), blue=33 (51). It's compact, which is why it became the default format in HTML and CSS.
RGB expresses the same three channels as decimal numbers from 0 to 255. It's more readable at a glance — you can tell immediately that rgb(255, 87, 51) is heavily weighted toward red — and it's the format most graphics APIs, canvas operations, and programming languages expect. When you extract colors from an image, the underlying pixel data is always in RGB.
HSL takes a completely different approach: it describes color the way humans perceive it. Hue is the position on the color wheel (0–360°), saturation is how vivid the color is (0–100%), and lightness is how bright it is (0–100%). This makes HSL ideal for creating systematic variations — to generate a lighter version of a color, you just increase the lightness value instead of recalculating all three RGB channels independently.
Understanding Color Formats
HEX (Hexadecimal)
Used in HTML/CSS
A 6-digit code representing the combination of Red, Green, and Blue (e.g., #10B981).
RGB (Red, Green, Blue)
Used in Screens & Displays
Defines colors using three values from 0–255 for each color channel.
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness)
Used for Easier Adjustments
Represents colors in a cylindrical-coordinate system. Great for creating color variations.
Common Use Cases for Color Conversion
- Web development: Converting a HEX code from a design mockup into the RGB or HSL format your CSS framework prefers, or vice versa — translating a color picked from a browser DevTools panel into a format your gradient generator accepts.
- Cross-tool workflows: Moving colors between Figma (RGB), brand guidelines (HEX), and email templates (sometimes named colors or specific HEX formats) without losing accuracy.
- Accessibility testing: Converting colors to a format your contrast checker accepts to verify that text meets WCAG standards against its background.
- Creating color variations: Converting to HSL, then adjusting lightness or saturation to generate lighter tints, darker shades, or muted tones from a single base color.
- App and game development: Converting web HEX colors into the RGB integer format that iOS, Android, and game engines like Unity require.
How to Use This Converter
- Pick a Color: Use the color picker to select your base color.
- Enter Values: Alternatively, type a HEX code or enter RGB/HSL values directly.
- Instant Conversion: The other fields update automatically in real-time.
- Copy Results: Click the copy button next to any format to copy the code.
Why Use a Dedicated Color Converter
You can technically convert HEX to RGB with a calculator or a spreadsheet formula, but that breaks your creative flow. When you're in the middle of styling a component and just need to know what #E85D3A looks like as RGB values, opening a separate app or doing mental math pulls you out of the task. A browser-based converter that responds in real time as you type is significantly faster — change one digit and all three formats update instantly.
The color harmonies add another layer of utility. Instead of converting a color and then visiting a separate harmony tool, you get complementary, triadic, and analogous suggestions alongside your conversion. This is especially useful when you're building a color palette from scratch — pick one color, convert it, and immediately see five or six related colors that are mathematically proven to work with it.
Finally, a dedicated tool ensures accuracy. Manual conversion — especially for less common HEX values — is prone to simple arithmetic mistakes that result in a color that looks "almost right" but is subtly off. When you're matching a brand color across a website, an app, and printed materials, that small discrepancy matters.
HEX to RGB Conversion Formula
The mathematical conversion from HEX to RGB is straightforward. A HEX code like #3A7BCD splits into three pairs: 3A, 7B, and CD. Each pair is a base-16 (hexadecimal) number that converts to a decimal between 0 and 255:
- 3A → 3 × 16 + 10 = 58 (Red)
- 7B → 7 × 16 + 11 = 123 (Green)
- CD → 12 × 16 + 13 = 205 (Blue)
So #3A7BCD = rgb(58, 123, 205). The reverse is equally simple: divide each decimal by 16 to get the first digit, and the remainder gives the second. This converter handles all of that automatically, but understanding the formula helps you verify results and debug color issues in your code.
For HSL, the formula is more complex — it involves finding the minimum and maximum RGB values, calculating the lightness as their midpoint, then deriving hue and saturation from the differences. The W3C CSS Color 4 specification defines the exact algorithm this tool follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert a HEX code to RGB?
Enter the 6-digit HEX code (e.g., #10B981) into the HEX input field above. The tool automatically calculates the Red, Green, and Blue values (0–255) for you instantly. No submit button needed — the conversion happens as you type.
What is the difference between HEX and RGB?
HEX is a hexadecimal representation of color used in web development (e.g., #FFFFFF). RGB represents colors using three decimal values for Red, Green, and Blue (e.g., 255, 255, 255). Both describe the same color but in different number bases — base-16 vs. base-10.
Why would I need to convert colors?
Different tools and platforms expect different color formats. CSS commonly uses HEX, design tools like Figma show RGB, and HSL is preferred when you need to create systematic color variations like lighter tints or darker shades from a single base color.
Can I convert RGB back to HEX?
Yes. Enter the Red, Green, and Blue values (0–255) in the RGB section, and the HEX code updates instantly. The converter works in all directions: HEX ↔ RGB ↔ HSL. You can also use the color picker as a starting point.
What are color harmonies?
Color harmonies are combinations of colors that are visually pleasing together based on their positions on the color wheel. Common types include complementary (opposite on the wheel), analogous (adjacent), triadic (evenly spaced in thirds), and split-complementary. Click any harmony swatch to copy its HEX code.
Is this color converter accurate?
Yes. The conversions use the standard mathematical formulas defined in the CSS Color Module specification. HEX and RGB are losslessly convertible since they both represent the same 0–255 range per channel. HSL conversion follows the W3C algorithm precisely.
Does this tool work on mobile devices?
Yes. The converter is fully responsive and works on any modern mobile browser including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox on iOS and Android. The color picker and all input fields support touch interaction natively.
Related Tools
Once you have your color, try these tools:
About This Tool
This Color Converter is a free tool provided by DevPalettes. All conversions use the standard algorithms defined in the W3C CSS Color Module Level 4 specification. No data is collected, no cookies are set by this tool, and all color calculations happen locally in your browser.
Last updated: June 2026 • Reviewed for accuracy against the CSS Color 4 spec