When should I use HEX vs RGB vs HSL?

HEX is most compact for CSS. RGB is intuitive for channel mixing. HSL is best for creating color palettes — adjust lightness and saturation while keeping hue consistent.

How do I create a color palette from one color?

Use HSL. Keep hue fixed, vary saturation and lightness. Your primary at hsl(217, 91%, 60%) becomes a light tint at hsl(217, 91%, 95%) and a dark shade at hsl(217, 91%, 30%).

Color Converter

Convert colors between HEX, RGB, and HSL formats with a live preview.

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Color Format Guide

HEX: #RRGGBB — 6 hex digits, most common in CSS. RGB: rgb(R, G, B) — 0-255 per channel, intuitive for mixing. HSL: hsl(H, S%, L%) — Hue (0-360°), Saturation, Lightness — easiest for human color selection. HSV/HSB: Hue, Saturation, Value — used in design tools like Photoshop and Figma.

CSS Color Tips

Modern CSS supports all formats plus new ones like oklch() and color(). Use HSL for programmatic color manipulation — adjusting lightness creates consistent tints and shades. CSS custom properties with HSL make theme systems easy. opacity can be added as a 4th value: rgba(255,0,0,0.5) or #FF000080.

/* CSS color formats */
color: #3b82f6;
color: rgb(59, 130, 246);
color: hsl(217, 91%, 60%);

/* With transparency */
color: rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.5);
color: hsla(217, 91%, 60%, 0.5);
color: #3b82f680;

/* Modern CSS */
color: oklch(0.7 0.15 250);

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use HEX vs RGB vs HSL?: HEX is most compact for CSS. RGB is intuitive when you think in red/green/blue channels. HSL is best for creating color palettes — you can adjust lightness and saturation independently while keeping the hue consistent.
How do I create a color palette from one color?: Use HSL. Keep the hue fixed, then vary saturation and lightness. For example, your primary at hsl(217, 91%, 60%) becomes a light tint at hsl(217, 91%, 95%) and a dark shade at hsl(217, 91%, 30%).

Guides

HEX to RGB Color Converter RGB to HEX Color Converter

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