What is a hex color code?

A hex color code is a 6-character code starting with # that represents a color using hexadecimal values. The format is #RRGGBB where each pair (00-FF) represents the intensity of red, green, and blue. For example, #FF5733 means full red (FF), some green (57), and some blue (33) — producing a burnt orange. Hex is the standard format for CSS, HTML, and most web design tools.

What is the difference between hex, RGB, and HSL?

All three describe the same color in different ways. Hex (#FF5733) is compact and used in CSS/HTML. RGB (255, 87, 51) describes red, green, blue channel values from 0-255 and is common in design tools. HSL (11, 100%, 60%) describes hue (color wheel degree), saturation (intensity), and lightness (brightness) — making it easiest to adjust colors intuitively. Use hex for code, RGB for design apps, HSL when you want to tweak brightness or saturation.

How do I find the hex code for a specific color?

Open the color picker, use the color wheel or spectrum to select your target color visually, and the hex code appears instantly. You can also type a known RGB value (like 255, 87, 51) and the tool converts it to hex (#FF5733) automatically. For picking a color from an existing image, use a color extractor tool instead — color pickers work with visual selection and manual input, not image uploads.

Can I convert RGB to hex with this tool?

Yes. Enter your RGB values (e.g., rgb(255, 87, 51)) and the tool instantly shows the equivalent hex code (#FF5733) and HSL value (hsl(11, 100%, 60%)). Works in both directions — enter any format and get all three.

Does the color picker work on mobile?

Yes. The color picker works in any mobile browser (Safari, Chrome, Samsung Internet) on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The color wheel and input fields are touch-friendly. Pick colors, copy codes, and convert formats on any device.

Can I pick colors from an image or screenshot?

The color picker works with visual selection and manual value entry — it does not extract colors from uploaded images. For picking colors from photos, screenshots, or logos, use our Color Extractor tool, which lets you upload an image and click anywhere to grab the exact color.

What are the most common color codes I should know?

Black: #000000 / rgb(0,0,0). White: #FFFFFF / rgb(255,255,255). Red: #FF0000 / rgb(255,0,0). Blue: #0000FF / rgb(0,0,255). Green: #00FF00 / rgb(0,255,0). These are starting points — most real designs use specific brand colors, not pure primaries.

Is there a color picker for CMYK values?

This tool focuses on screen color formats: hex, RGB, and HSL. CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, key/black) is a print color model and conversion from screen colors to CMYK depends on the specific printer profile. For CMYK work, use dedicated print design software like Adobe Illustrator or InDesign that handles color profiles properly.

Free Color Picker Online — Find Hex, RGB & HSL Color Codes Instantly

Last updated: April 20267 min readColor Tools

You need a hex code for that exact shade of blue in your CSS. Or a client sent you an RGB value and you need the hex equivalent. A color picker gives you any color in every format — hex, RGB, and HSL — with one click to copy.

Color Code Formats Explained

Every color on a screen can be described in three formats. They all represent the same color — just in different notation systems:

Format	Example (Burnt Orange)	Structure	Best For
Hex	#FF5733	#RRGGBB (00-FF per channel)	CSS, HTML, web design, Figma, Sketch
RGB	rgb(255, 87, 51)	Red 0-255, Green 0-255, Blue 0-255	Design tools (Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva)
HSL	hsl(11, 100%, 60%)	Hue 0-360°, Saturation 0-100%, Lightness 0-100%	Adjusting colors (darken, lighten, desaturate)

Quick rule: Use hex when writing CSS or sharing colors with developers. Use RGB when working in design applications. Use HSL when you need to create lighter/darker variations of the same hue — just change the lightness percentage.

How to Use the Color Picker

Open Color Picker
Click anywhere on the color wheel or spectrum to select a color visually
See the hex, RGB, and HSL values update instantly
Or type a known value (like #3B82F6) to convert it to all formats
Click any code to copy it to your clipboard

No signup, no download. Pick a color, grab the code, get back to work.

Common Colors Cheat Sheet

Color	Hex	RGB	HSL
Black	#000000	rgb(0, 0, 0)	hsl(0, 0%, 0%)
White	#FFFFFF	rgb(255, 255, 255)	hsl(0, 0%, 100%)
Red	#FF0000	rgb(255, 0, 0)	hsl(0, 100%, 50%)
Blue	#0000FF	rgb(0, 0, 255)	hsl(240, 100%, 50%)
Green	#00FF00	rgb(0, 255, 0)	hsl(120, 100%, 50%)
Tailwind Blue-500	#3B82F6	rgb(59, 130, 246)	hsl(217, 91%, 60%)
Tailwind Red-500	#EF4444	rgb(239, 68, 68)	hsl(0, 84%, 60%)
Material Indigo	#3F51B5	rgb(63, 81, 181)	hsl(231, 48%, 48%)
Figma Purple	#A259FF	rgb(162, 89, 255)	hsl(266, 100%, 67%)
Slack Green	#2EB67D	rgb(46, 182, 125)	hsl(155, 60%, 45%)

Real Scenarios

Matching a client's brand color: Client sends "our blue is rgb(59, 130, 246)" — paste that into the picker, instantly get #3B82F6 for your CSS and hsl(217, 91%, 60%) for creating hover states (just lower the lightness)
Building a CSS theme: Pick your primary color, then use HSL to create variations — same hue, different lightness for backgrounds, borders, text
Figma to code handoff: Designer gives you a hex code from Figma, you drop it straight into your stylesheet. Need the RGB for a canvas element? The picker converts it
Checking accessibility: Pick your text color and background color, then run both through our Color Contrast Checker to verify WCAG compliance

Color Format Conversion — When You Need Each

Scenario	Use This Format	Why
Writing CSS styles	Hex (#3B82F6)	Compact, universal CSS support, easiest to read in code
JavaScript canvas/WebGL	RGB (59, 130, 246)	Canvas API uses RGB values directly
Creating color variations	HSL (217, 91%, 60%)	Change lightness to darken/lighten without shifting hue
Sharing with designers	Hex (#3B82F6)	Universal — works in every design tool
Email HTML templates	Hex (#3B82F6)	Best email client compatibility
CSS custom properties	HSL or Hex	HSL makes theming easier (swap hue = new theme)

What This Tool Does Not Do

Honest limitations so you pick the right tool:

Pick colors from images — use our Color Extractor (upload an image, click any pixel to grab its color)
Generate color palettes — use our Palette Generator for complementary, analogous, and triadic schemes
Convert to CMYK — CMYK is for print and depends on printer profiles. Use Adobe Illustrator or InDesign for print-accurate CMYK conversion
Check contrast ratios — use our Color Contrast Checker to verify WCAG AA/AAA compliance

The color picker does one thing well: let you pick or enter a color and get all screen-format codes instantly.

Color Workflow — From Picker to Production

Step 1: Pick your base color with Color Picker
Step 2: Build a full palette with Palette Generator
Step 3: Check text/background contrast with Color Contrast Checker
Step 4: Create gradients with CSS Gradient Generator
Step 5: Add depth with Box Shadow Generator

Pick any color — get hex, RGB & HSL codes instantly.

Open Color Picker

Free Color Picker Online — Find Hex, RGB & HSL Color Codes Instantly

Color Code Formats Explained

How to Use the Color Picker

Common Colors Cheat Sheet

Real Scenarios

Color Format Conversion — When You Need Each

What This Tool Does Not Do

Color Workflow — From Picker to Production

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