Color Conversion Guide: HEX vs RGB vs HSL Explained

The Three Main Color Formats

Web designers use three primary color formats:

HEX (Hexadecimal)

Example: #4F46E5. Uses 6 characters representing RGB values in base-16. Most commonly used in CSS. Compact and widely supported.

RGB (Red, Green, Blue)

Example: rgb(79, 70, 229). Specifies colors by mixing red, green, and blue light. Values range from 0-255. Supports alpha channel as RGBA.

HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness)

Example: hsl(243°, 75%, 59%). More intuitive for humans — describes hue (color wheel position), saturation (intensity), and lightness (brightness).

When to Use Each Format

• HEX: General web design, copy-paste from design tools, CSS variables
• RGB: When you need alpha transparency (RGBA), JavaScript animations
• HSL: Creating color schemes, adjusting lightness/saturation systematically