How to Pick Colors and Convert Color Codes Online
Click anywhere on the color picker area or enter a color value directly in HEX, RGB, or HSL format. The tool converts between all three color formats instantly — change one and the others update in real time. You can also adjust individual color channels (red, green, blue) or HSL values (hue, saturation, lightness) using the input fields to fine-tune your selection.
Use the WCAG contrast checker to test your foreground and background color combination against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The tool calculates the contrast ratio and shows whether the pair passes WCAG 2.1 AA and AAA requirements for both normal text (4.5:1 and 7:1) and large text (3:1 and 4.5:1). This helps ensure your designs are accessible to people with visual impairments.
Why Use This Free Color Picker & Converter?
- Convert between HEX, RGB, and HSL color formats instantly
- Built-in WCAG contrast ratio checker for accessibility compliance
- Visual color picker plus precise numeric input for exact color matching
- One-click copy for any color format — ready to paste into CSS, design tools, or code
- 100% browser-based — your color selections are never sent to any server
- Supports the full color spectrum with real-time preview as you adjust values
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert a HEX color to RGB?
A HEX color code like #FF5733 encodes three color channels in hexadecimal: the first two characters (FF) are red, the middle two (57) are green, and the last two (33) are blue. Convert each pair from hexadecimal to decimal: FF = 255, 57 = 87, 33 = 51. So #FF5733 in RGB is rgb(255, 87, 51). This color picker does the conversion automatically — enter a HEX code and the RGB values appear instantly.
What is HSL and why do designers prefer it?
HSL stands for Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. Hue is the color angle on the color wheel (0°–360°), saturation is the intensity (0% = gray, 100% = vivid), and lightness is the brightness (0% = black, 50% = pure color, 100% = white). Designers often prefer HSL over RGB because adjusting a single channel produces predictable results — lowering saturation desaturates the color, increasing lightness brightens it — while RGB changes can feel unintuitive.
What is WCAG contrast ratio and why does it matter?
The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) contrast ratio measures the luminance difference between foreground and background colors. WCAG 2.1 Level AA requires a minimum ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Level AAA (enhanced) requires 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. Meeting these ratios ensures that text is readable by people with low vision or color vision deficiencies. Approximately 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency.
What does #FF0000 mean?
The HEX code #FF0000 represents pure red. In this six-character format, the first two characters (FF) set the red channel to its maximum value (255 in decimal), while green (00) and blue (00) are both zero. Similarly, #00FF00 is pure green and #0000FF is pure blue. #FFFFFF is white (all channels at maximum) and #000000 is black (all channels at zero). The # prefix indicates that the value is a hexadecimal color code.
Is my color data private?
Yes. All color conversions and contrast calculations are performed entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No color values, design data, or usage information are sent to any server. You can confirm this by checking your browser's DevTools Network tab — no requests are made while you use the tool.
By UtilDaily · Updated \u2014 free, privacy-first browser tools. No sign-up, no data collection.