CSS Color Converter
Convert colors between HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, and named colors. Generate color schemes and preview colors with CSS examples for web development.
Color Input Settings
Examples: #33455f, rgb(51, 69, 95), hsl(215, 30%, 29%), blue
Color Preview
Color Conversion Result
CSS Usage Examples
Background
Border
Text Color
Color Schemes
Complementary
Triadic
Tetradic
Analogous
Split Complementary
Monochromatic
About CSS Color Converter
A CSS Color Converter is a comprehensive tool that transforms colors between multiple formats including HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, and CSS named colors. This all-in-one converter is specifically designed for web development, providing instant conversions with live CSS examples and color previews to streamline your development workflow.
Why use a CSS Color Converter?
Using a CSS Color Converter eliminates the need for multiple conversion tools and manual calculations when working with different color formats in web development. It provides accurate conversions between all major color formats, shows live CSS examples, and helps ensure color consistency across different properties and stylesheets in your web projects.
Who is it for?
This tool is essential for web developers working with CSS styles, frontend developers implementing design specifications, CSS preprocessor users managing color variables, web designers converting between design tool formats, and anyone building websites who needs reliable color format conversions with CSS-ready output.
How to use the tool
Input your color as HEX (3 or 6 digits), comma-separated rgb() or hsl(), or one of 30 common colour names
The tool automatically converts and displays the color as HEX, RGB, HSL and HSV
Preview the color with live CSS examples showing different use cases
Copy the color values in your preferred format directly into your CSS files
Use the CSS examples as templates for implementing the colors in your stylesheets
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert between CSS colour formats?
Paste a colour value — 3- or 6-digit HEX, comma-separated `rgb()` or `hsl()`, or one of 30 common colour names — and the tool outputs the equivalent HEX, RGB, HSL and HSV at once. It accepts `#FF5733`, `rgb(255, 87, 51)`, `hsl(9, 100%, 60%)` and names such as `coral` or `gold`; it does not accept HWB, space-separated syntax, alpha or 8-digit HEX. Click Copy next to any output format. Conversion runs entirely in your browser — values never leave the device.
What's the difference between HEX, RGB, HSL, and HSV?
All four describe the same sRGB colour space using different notations. HEX (`#RRGGBB`) is the most compact, used historically. RGB uses three 0-255 channels — direct hardware control. HSL uses hue (0-360°), saturation, lightness — intuitive for design (lighter/darker = adjust L). HSV uses hue, saturation, value — common in colour pickers but not a CSS function. Conversions between these are exact apart from rounding of the displayed HSL and HSV numbers to whole degrees and percents.
Is the conversion exact and lossless?
HEX to RGB is exact. HSL and HSV values are rounded to whole numbers, so a round trip through the rounded HSL can shift RGB channels by a few units (up to about 3). This tool does not output CMYK (that conversion is approximate — see the [CMYK to RGB](/tools/cmyk-to-rgb/) caveat). Named CSS colours (e.g. `coral` = `#FF7F50`) have fixed RGB equivalents defined by CSS — also exact.
Can I use all these formats in modern CSS?
Yes — modern CSS supports HEX (3-digit, 6-digit, 8-digit with alpha), `rgb()`, `rgba()`, `hsl()`, `hsla()`, `hwb()`, named colours, and the new colour spaces (`lab()`, `lch()`, `oklab()`, `oklch()`, `color()`). Browser support: HEX/RGB/HSL universal; HWB Chrome 101+, Firefox 96+, Safari 15+; LAB/LCH/OKLAB modern browsers (2022+). For wider browser support, use HEX or RGB. For modern features (relative colour syntax, wider gamuts), use the newer formats.
Does this tool support CSS Color 4 syntax?
No. The input parser only reads the classic comma-separated forms: `rgb(255, 87, 51)` and `hsl(9, 100%, 60%)` with whole numbers, plus HEX and names. Space-separated arguments (`rgb(255 87 51)`), the slash alpha separator, `hwb()`, `lab()`, `lch()`, `oklab()`, `oklch()`, `color()` and relative colour syntax are not parsed. Output is always the comma-separated form with no alpha. For OKLCH output, use [HEX to RGB](/tools/hex-to-rgb/).
How do I handle transparency / alpha across formats?
This tool ignores alpha: it takes opaque colours in and gives opaque colours out, so `rgba()`, `hsla()` and 8-digit HEX inputs are rejected. In CSS itself, HEX takes two extra hex digits for alpha (`#FF573380` = ~50%), `rgba()`/`hsla()` take a fourth 0.0-1.0 value, and modern syntax uses `rgb(255 87 51 / 0.5)`. Note that 0.5 maps to 0x80 = 128/255 (≈ 0.50196), so alpha is rounded to the nearest of 256 steps. To convert an 8-digit HEX with alpha, use [HEX to RGB](/tools/hex-to-rgb/).
What's the difference between HSL and HSV?
Both are intuitive alternatives to RGB. HSL parameterizes as hue + saturation + lightness — 'how vivid' and 'how bright', with lightness 50% being the pure hue and 100% white. HSV (also called HSB) uses hue + saturation + value — value 100% is the brightest version of the hue, never white unless saturation is 0. HSL is what CSS supports through `hsl()`; HSV is what many colour pickers show. This tool shows both, so you can copy whichever your other software expects. For programmatic shade generation, HSL is the usual choice.
What about LAB, LCH, OKLAB — should I use those?
These newer CSS Color 4 colour spaces target wider gamuts and perceptual uniformity (equal numeric distances correspond to equal visual differences). OKLAB / OKLCH in particular are excellent for generating perceptually-uniform colour palettes — algorithmically-derived hue and lightness scales look more even than HSL-based scales. Browser support is broader (Chrome 111+, Firefox 113+, Safari 15.4+). Use them when you need wide-gamut display targeting (P3, Rec.2020) or perceptual uniformity. For most web design today, HSL/HEX cover the practical needs.
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