What are Color Models?
Color models are mathematical systems for representing colors as numbers. Screens display colors by combining red, green, and blue light (additive mixing), while printers use cyan, magenta, yellow, and key/black (subtractive mixing). For web development, the three most common models are HEX, RGB, and HSL — all of which describe the same RGB color space in different notation.
HEX vs RGB vs HSL
| Format | Syntax | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | #RRGGBB | Quick copy-paste, compact CSS, design handoff |
| RGB | rgb(R, G, B) | Programmatic color manipulation, animations |
| HSL | hsl(H, S%, L%) | Human-readable adjustments, creating palettes |
When to Use Each Format
HEX
Use HEX codes when you need a compact color value in CSS or when copying colors from design tools like Figma or Photoshop. It’s the most widely recognized format.
RGB
Use RGB when you need to manipulate individual color channels programmatically, create dynamic colors with JavaScript, or work with opacity via rgba().
HSL
Use HSL when designing color palettes. Adjusting lightness creates tints and shades, adjusting saturation creates muted variants, and rotating hue finds complementary colors.
CSS Color Formats
Modern CSS supports several color notations. Here are the most common ones used in web development:
| Format | Example | Support |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | #2979FF | All browsers |
| HEX (shorthand) | #29F | All browsers |
| RGB | rgb(41, 121, 255) | All browsers |
| RGBA | rgba(41, 121, 255, 0.5) | All browsers |
| HSL | hsl(218, 100%, 58%) | All browsers |
| HSLA | hsla(218, 100%, 58%, 0.5) | All browsers |
| Named | rebeccapurple | All browsers |
Frequently Asked Questions
HEX and RGB represent the same color model (red, green, blue), just in different notation. HEX uses a 6-digit hexadecimal string (#RRGGBB) while RGB uses three decimal values from 0-255. They are fully interchangeable with no loss of precision.
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is more intuitive for humans. It makes it easy to create color variations: adjust lightness for tints/shades, adjust saturation for muted tones, and rotate hue for complementary colors. CSS supports hsl() natively.
Split the 6-digit HEX code into three pairs (RR, GG, BB) and convert each pair from hexadecimal (base 16) to decimal (base 10). For example, #FF8C00 becomes R=255, G=140, B=0.
Yes. This color converter runs 100% in your browser using client-side JavaScript. No data is sent to any server. You can even use it offline once the page has loaded.
CSS supports several color formats: HEX (#RRGGBB, #RGB), RGB (rgb(r, g, b)), HSL (hsl(h, s%, l%)), and modern formats like oklch() and color(). Our tool covers the three most widely used: HEX, RGB, and HSL.
Absolutely. Use it to quickly convert color values between formats when working in Figma, Sketch, or Adobe tools. The live preview and one-click copy buttons make it fast to grab the exact CSS value you need.
Hue is the color’s position on the color wheel, measured in degrees from 0 to 360. Red is 0°, green is 120°, blue is 240°, and it wraps back to red at 360°. Saturation and lightness then modify the intensity and brightness of that hue.