Color Picker & Converter
Pick any color visually and instantly convert it between HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, HWB, and CIE LAB. Use the saturation-lightness canvas, hue slider, or type directly into any format field — all values update in real time. Includes a built-in WCAG contrast checker. Free, private, and no signup required.
Why Use Our Color Picker & Converter?
Instant Real-Time Conversion
Every format updates the moment you change any value — pick a color on the canvas, drag the hue slider, or type directly into any HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, HWB, or LAB field. No button to press.
Seven Color Formats Including CIE LAB
The color picker converter supports HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, HWB, and CIE LAB — the perceptually uniform color space used in print, photography, and color science. All formats are editable and copyable.
Visual Picker + WCAG Contrast Checker
The saturation-lightness canvas and hue slider give you precise visual control. The built-in WCAG contrast checker shows your color's AA and AAA pass/fail status against white and black backgrounds.
100% Private — No Upload
All color conversions happen locally in your browser. No color data is ever sent to a server, stored, or logged. The color picker converter works entirely offline once the page has loaded.
Common Use Cases for the Color Picker & Converter
Web & UI Development
Convert design tokens between HEX and HSL for CSS custom properties, or get the exact RGB values for canvas and WebGL work. The color picker converter gives you every format a web developer needs in one place.
Design System & Brand Colors
Verify that your brand colors are consistent across HEX (web), CMYK (print), and LAB (perceptual) representations. Use the color picker converter to maintain color fidelity across every medium.
Print & Pre-Press Design
Convert screen colors to CMYK for print production, or use CIE LAB values for device-independent color specification. The color picker converter handles the sRGB-to-CMYK and sRGB-to-LAB conversions accurately.
Accessibility & WCAG Compliance
Check your foreground color's contrast ratio against white and black backgrounds instantly. The built-in WCAG checker shows AA and AAA pass/fail status so you can choose accessible colors without leaving the tool.
Photography & Color Grading
Use HSV values to match the hue, saturation, and brightness of colors in photo editing workflows. The color picker converter's LAB output is useful for perceptual color matching across different lighting conditions.
Digital Art & Illustration
Pick colors from the visual canvas and get their exact values in every format for use in Figma, Sketch, Procreate, or any other design tool. The preset swatches give you quick access to common design colors.
Understanding Color Format Conversion
What Is a Color Picker & Converter?
A color picker and converter lets you select any color visually and instantly see its equivalent values in every major color format. Different tools and workflows use different color representations — web developers use HEX and RGB, designers use HSL and HSV, print professionals use CMYK, and color scientists use CIE LAB. This color picker converter handles all seven formats with accurate, bidirectional conversion — change any value and all others update instantly.
How Our Color Picker & Converter Works
Conversion happens in three steps, entirely in your browser:
- Pick or enter a color: Use the saturation-lightness canvas and hue slider for visual selection, click the native browser color picker, type a HEX code, or enter values directly into any format field (RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, HWB, or LAB).
- Instant browser-based conversion: All values are converted through a common RGB intermediate representation using accurate color math (sRGB to XYZ to LAB for perceptual formats). Your color data never leaves your browser.
- Copy any format:Click the copy icon next to any format row to copy that value, or click “Copy all” to copy every format at once. The CSS variable output is ready to paste directly into your stylesheet.
What Each Color Format Is Used For
- HEX: Six-digit hexadecimal notation (#RRGGBB) — the standard for HTML, CSS, and most design tools.
- RGB: Red, Green, Blue channels (0–255) — used in CSS, canvas, WebGL, and image processing.
- HSL: Hue, Saturation, Lightness — more intuitive for designers; native CSS color function since CSS Color Level 4.
- HSV: Hue, Saturation, Value — used in Photoshop, Figma, and most professional color pickers.
- CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black) — the standard for print production and pre-press workflows.
- HWB: Hue, Whiteness, Blackness — a newer CSS color function (CSS Color Level 4) that is more intuitive than HSL for mixing with white/black.
- CIE LAB: Perceptually uniform color space (L* = lightness, a* = green-red axis, b* = blue-yellow axis) — used in color science, ICC profiles, and device-independent color matching.
About the WCAG Contrast Checker
The WCAG contrast checker calculates the relative luminance of your color and computes its contrast ratio against pure white (#FFFFFF) and pure black (#000000). A ratio of 4.5:1 meets WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text, 3:1 meets AA for large text and UI components, and 7:1 meets AAA for normal text. Use this to ensure your text colors are accessible to users with low vision.
Related Color Tools
Color Contrast Checker (WCAG)
Input foreground and background colors; get contrast ratio and AA/AAA pass/fail for normal text, large text, and UI components.
Color Palette Generator
Input a seed color and generate analogous, complementary, triadic, tetradic, and monochromatic palettes with CSS variables export.
Tint & Shade Generator
Input a base color and generate 10 tints (mixed with white) and 10 shades (mixed with black) with HEX codes.
Color Palette Extractor
Upload any image and extract the dominant color palette as HEX codes and CSS variables.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Color Picker & Converter
A color picker and converter lets you select any color visually and instantly see its equivalent values in every major color format — HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, HWB, and CIE LAB. All conversions run in your browser in real time with no server required.
HEX is six-digit hexadecimal notation for HTML/CSS. RGB specifies red, green, and blue channels (0–255). HSL uses hue (0–360°), saturation, and lightness — more intuitive for designers. CIE LAB is a perceptually uniform color space where equal numerical differences correspond to equal perceived color differences — used in color science and ICC profiles.
Completely. All conversions happen locally in your browser using JavaScript. No color data is ever sent to a server, stored, or logged. The color picker converter works entirely offline once the page has loaded.
Yes — 100% free, forever. No signup, no account, no premium tier, no ads. The color picker converter is a fully free browser-based tool with no usage limits.
The LAB conversion uses the standard sRGB to XYZ (D65 illuminant) matrix followed by the CIE L*a*b* transformation. It is accurate for sRGB colors. Note that LAB is a device-independent color space — the conversion assumes your color is in the sRGB color gamut, which covers all standard web and screen colors.
The CMYK conversion uses a simple mathematical formula (sRGB to CMYK without ICC profiles). Professional print software uses ICC color profiles that account for specific ink and paper characteristics, which can produce different CMYK values. Use this tool for approximate conversions and reference — for production print work, use ICC-profile-based conversion in your print software.
It shows how your selected color performs as a foreground color against white and black backgrounds. A ratio of 4.5:1 meets WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text, 3:1 meets AA for large text and UI components, and 7:1 meets AAA for normal text. This helps you choose accessible text colors.
Yes. You can type directly into any format field — HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, HWB, or LAB — and all other formats update instantly. You can also use the visual canvas, hue slider, or native browser color picker. All inputs are bidirectional.
Both use hue and saturation, but the third channel differs. HSL uses lightness (0% = black, 50% = pure color, 100% = white). HSV uses value/brightness (0% = black, 100% = full brightness). HSV is used in Photoshop and Figma color pickers; HSL is used in CSS. The color picker converter supports both.