How to Convert Hex to RGB in C# for Unity, WPF, and .NET

C# has multiple routes for hex-to-RGB conversion depending on your target framework. System.Drawing (WinForms, WPF, ASP.NET) has built-in methods. Unity uses a different Color struct with normalized floats. And the universal approach — parsing the hex integer directly with bitwise operations — works everywhere.

ColorTranslator: The Easiest Method in System.Drawing

For WinForms, WPF, and server-side .NET applications:

using System.Drawing;

// Parse hex directly — handles # prefix automatically
Color color = ColorTranslator.FromHtml("#3B82F6");

int r = color.R;  // 59
int g = color.G;  // 130
int b = color.B;  // 246

Console.WriteLine($"rgb({r}, {g}, {b})");

ColorTranslator.FromHtml() accepts the # prefix and is case-insensitive. It also accepts named colors like "red" or "navy" using the same method, making it the most flexible option when your input format is not strictly controlled.

Bitwise Parsing: Works in Any C# Context

This approach has no dependency on System.Drawing and works in Unity, Xamarin, .NET MAUI, and any other C# environment:

static (int R, int G, int B) HexToRgb(string hex)
{
    hex = hex.TrimStart('#');
    int value = Convert.ToInt32(hex, 16);
    int r = (value >> 16) & 0xFF;
    int g = (value >>  8) & 0xFF;
    int b =  value        & 0xFF;
    return (r, g, b);
}

var (r, g, b) = HexToRgb("#3B82F6");
// r=59, g=130, b=246

Convert.ToInt32(hex, 16) parses the hex string as a base-16 integer. The bitwise shift and AND operations extract each 8-bit channel from the combined 24-bit value.

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Unity: Creating a Color Struct from Hex in C#

Unity's Color struct uses normalized floats (0.0f to 1.0f). ColorUtility.TryParseHtmlString() is the cleanest option:

using UnityEngine;

Color myColor;
if (ColorUtility.TryParseHtmlString("#3B82F6", out myColor))
{
    renderer.material.color = myColor;
}

Alternatively, use the manual approach with the RGB integers from the converter:

// #3B82F6 = rgb(59, 130, 246)
Color myColor = new Color(59/255f, 130/255f, 246/255f);

The f suffix on 255 is important — without it, integer division produces 0 for any value under 255.

WPF: System.Windows.Media.Color from Hex

WPF uses a different Color struct than WinForms. The ColorConverter class handles hex input:

using System.Windows.Media;

Color wpfColor = (Color)ColorConverter.ConvertFromString("#3B82F6");
byte r = wpfColor.R;  // 59
byte g = wpfColor.G;  // 130
byte b = wpfColor.B;  // 246

Note: WPF's Color struct stores channels as byte (0-255), not float. Do not confuse System.Windows.Media.Color (WPF) with System.Drawing.Color (WinForms) — they are separate types that are not interchangeable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between System.Drawing.Color and System.Windows.Media.Color?

They are two separate structs. System.Drawing.Color is used in WinForms and GDI+. System.Windows.Media.Color is used in WPF. They have similar APIs but are not interchangeable. Unity uses its own UnityEngine.Color struct with float channels.

Why does f matter when dividing in Unity (255f vs 255)?

In C#, dividing two integers performs integer division, which truncates the result. 59 / 255 = 0 in integer math. 59 / 255f = 0.231f in float math. The f suffix forces float division and produces the correct normalized value.

Does ColorTranslator.FromHtml work in .NET Core and .NET 5+?

Yes, but it requires the System.Drawing.Common NuGet package on non-Windows platforms (.NET Core and .NET 5+ on Linux/macOS). On Windows it works natively. For cross-platform code, the bitwise parsing approach is more portable.

How do I convert RGB back to hex in C#?

Use $"#{r:X2}{g:X2}{b:X2}" in string interpolation, or string.Format("#{0:X2}{1:X2}{2:X2}", r, g, b). The X2 format specifier outputs a two-character uppercase hex value.