An online color picker lets you visually select any color and instantly get its code in HEX, RGB, and HSL formats - the three most commonly used color formats in web design and CSS. Stop guessing hex codes and start copying them directly from a visual picker.
What are HEX, RGB, and HSL Color Formats?
Modern web development uses three primary color representations:
-
HEX - a six-character hexadecimal code preceded by
#. Example:#FF5733. It represents red, green, and blue channels as two-digit hex values. This is the most common format in CSS, HTML, and design tools. -
RGB - stands for Red, Green, Blue. Each channel is a number from 0 to 255. Example:
rgb(255, 87, 51). Intuitive for developers who think in additive color mixing. -
HSL - stands for Hue, Saturation, Lightness. Example:
hsl(11, 100%, 60%). Hue is the color angle (0–360°), saturation controls intensity (0–100%), and lightness controls brightness (0–100%). HSL is easier for humans to reason about when adjusting colors.
All three formats represent exactly the same color - they are just different ways of describing it. A good design workflow requires being fluent in all three.
How to Use the Color Picker
- Open the color picker - click the visual color picker to open a color selection interface with a spectrum and brightness control.
- Select your color - click anywhere on the color spectrum, then adjust the brightness slider to fine-tune the shade.
- Copy the code - the HEX, RGB, and HSL values update automatically. Click the copy icon next to the format you need to copy it to your clipboard.
Common Use Cases
- Picking brand colors for website CSS and design systems
- Finding the exact HEX code of a color you want to recreate in CSS
- Converting between HEX, RGB, and HSL when working with different tools
- Selecting palette colors for UI components, buttons, and backgrounds
- Checking color contrast for accessibility compliance
- Generating colors for data visualization charts and graphs
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I enter a HEX code directly to see the RGB and HSL values? Yes. You can type a HEX code into the input field and the tool will display the equivalent RGB and HSL values along with a preview of the color.
What is the # symbol in HEX colors?
The # is a prefix that tells browsers and applications that what follows is a hexadecimal color code. Without it, most systems would not recognize the value as a color.
What does "opacity" or "alpha" mean in color?
Alpha represents the transparency of a color on a scale from 0 (fully transparent) to 1 (fully opaque). The CSS formats rgba() and hsla() support alpha. HEX also supports alpha with 8-digit codes (e.g., #FF573380 for 50% opacity).
How do I convert a color from Figma or Photoshop to CSS?
Both tools display HEX codes directly in their color panels. Copy the HEX code and paste it into CSS as color: #RRGGBB;. The online color picker also lets you verify and convert to RGB or HSL if needed.
Use the Color Picker free, no sign-up required.