HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) and HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) share the same hue wheel but differ in how they define the second and third values. HSL is used in CSS, while HSB (also called HSV) is common in design tools like Photoshop and Figma.

Color Converter - HEX RGB HSL CMYK | Ultimate Design Tools

What Is a Color Converter?

A color converter translates color values between different notation systems — HEX, RGB, HSL, HSB, and more. Designers work in HSB (Figma, Photoshop), developers write HEX and RGB (CSS), and print workflows use CMYK. This tool bridges those worlds with instant, accurate conversion.

When to Use Each Format

HEX — compact CSS notation, ideal for stylesheets and design tokens. RGB — matches how screens physically display color, best for programmatic manipulation. HSL — native CSS format that's intuitive for adjusting lightness and saturation without changing hue. HSB/HSV — what Figma and Photoshop use internally, best for design tool workflows.

How to Use This Color Converter

Enter a color in any format — Paste a hex code, RGB values, HSL values, or CMYK values into the input.
See all conversions instantly — The tool converts your input to HEX, RGB, RGBA, HSL, HSLA, HSB/HSV, and CMYK simultaneously.
Adjust values in any format — Change any individual value (like the hue in HSL) and watch all other formats update in sync.
Copy any format — Click the copy button next to any format to grab that specific color representation.

Tips and Best Practices

→ Use HEX for CSS shorthand. Hex is the most compact format for CSS: #FF6B6B vs rgb(255, 107, 107). Use hex for static colors and rgba() when you need alpha transparency.
→ Use HSL for intuitive adjustments. HSL separates hue, saturation, and lightness — making it easy to create lighter/darker variants or adjust vibrancy without touching other properties.
→ CMYK is for print only. Web browsers render in RGB color space. CMYK values converted to RGB won't look identical when printed — always work with a print-calibrated workflow for print materials.
→ Modern CSS supports oklch(). The oklch() color function is perceptually uniform — equal steps in lightness look equally different to the human eye, unlike HSL. Consider it for design systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert HEX to RGB?

Split the 6-digit hex string into three pairs (RR, GG, BB) and convert each from hexadecimal to decimal. For example, #FF6B6B becomes R:255, G:107, B:107. This tool converts instantly across HEX, RGB, HSL, and HSB.

What is HSL vs HSB?

HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) and HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) share the same hue wheel but differ in how they handle brightness. HSL is used in CSS, while HSB (also called HSV) is common in design tools like Photoshop and Figma.

Why are there so many color formats?

Different formats serve different purposes. HEX is compact for stylesheets, RGB maps to screen hardware, HSL is intuitive for human selection, and CMYK is for print. Each represents the same colors differently.

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What is the difference between HEX and RGB?+

They represent the same thing — a color's red, green, and blue channel values. Hex uses base-16 notation (#FF6B6B), while RGB uses decimal notation (rgb(255, 107, 107)). They are functionally identical in CSS; choose based on preference. Hex is more compact; RGB is more readable.

What is HSL and when should I use it?+

HSL stands for Hue (0-360°), Saturation (0-100%), and Lightness (0-100%). It's more intuitive than RGB for color manipulation — to make a color lighter, just increase lightness; to make it more muted, decrease saturation. HSL is ideal for generating color variants and building palettes programmatically.

How do I convert colors between web and print?+

Web uses RGB color space; print uses CMYK. Converting between them is imprecise because RGB has a wider gamut than CMYK — some bright screen colors can't be reproduced in print. For accurate print colors, work in a color-managed application (like Adobe InDesign) with the correct ICC profile for your printer.

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