Hexadecimal Color Codes: The Complete Guide

Understand and master hexadecimal color codes for web development. Learn how hex values represent colors, find popular color codes, and create perfect color schemes for your websites and applications.

#FF0000 → Red

#00FF00 → Green

#0000FF → Blue

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Interactive Hexadecimal Color Picker

Use our interactive tool to find the perfect colors for your web projects. Simply select a color to get its hexadecimal code, along with RGB and HSL values.

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Understanding Hexadecimal Color Codes

Hexadecimal color codes (or hex color codes) are the standard way of defining colors in web design and development. They provide a precise method for specifying colors in HTML, CSS, and other programming languages.

A hexadecimal color code starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by six hexadecimal digits (0-9 and A-F). These six digits represent the red, green, and blue components of the color, with each component taking two digits.

Hex Code Structure

#RRGGBB

RR: Red component (00-FF)
GG: Green component (00-FF)
BB: Blue component (00-FF)

Each pair of hexadecimal digits represents a value from 0 (00) to 255 (FF), giving you precise control over color intensity.

How Hexadecimal Colors Work

#FF0000 (Pure Red)

#00FF00 (Pure Green)

#0000FF (Pure Blue)

Advantages of Hexadecimal Color Codes

Universal Support

Hexadecimal color codes are universally supported across all browsers, design tools, and programming languages, making them the industry standard for web development.

Compact Format

The compact nature of hex codes makes them easy to copy, share, and implement in your code. They even have a shorthand version for certain colors (e.g., #FFF for white).

Precision

With over 16 million possible combinations, hexadecimal color codes offer incredible precision for defining exact colors for your design projects.

Hexadecimal to RGB Converter

Try our simple converter to see how hexadecimal colors translate to RGB format:

Enter Hex Color Code:

Preview

#4A90E2

Converted Value:

RGB Value:

rgb(74, 144, 226)

For more advanced conversions between color formats, check out ourHEX to RGBandRGB to HEXconverter tools.

Common Hexadecimal Color Codes

Here's a reference table of commonly used hexadecimal color codes in web development:

Name	Hex Code	RGB Value
Black	#000000	rgb(0, 0, 0)
White	#FFFFFF	rgb(255, 255, 255)
Red	#FF0000	rgb(255, 0, 0)
Green	#00FF00	rgb(0, 255, 0)
Blue	#0000FF	rgb(0, 0, 255)
Yellow	#FFFF00	rgb(255, 255, 0)
Magenta	#FF00FF	rgb(255, 0, 255)
Cyan	#00FFFF	rgb(0, 255, 255)
Gray	#808080	rgb(128, 128, 128)
Orange	#FFA500	rgb(255, 165, 0)
Purple	#800080	rgb(128, 0, 128)
Brown	#A52A2A	rgb(165, 42, 42)

View Full Color Chart

Using Hexadecimal Colors in Web Development

Hex Colors in CSS

.header {
  background-color: #4A90E2;
  color: #FFFFFF;
}

.button {
  background-color: #FF5733;
  border: 2px solid #E74C3C;
}

.text-highlight {
  color: #FFC300; /* Golden Yellow */
}

Hexadecimal color codes are the most common way to define colors in CSS due to their precision and universal support.

Hex Colors in HTML

<!-- Using hex codes for inline styling -->
<div style="color: #4A90E2;">
  This text is sky blue
</div>

<p style="background-color: #F5F5F5; 
          color: #333333;">
  Gray text on light gray background
</p>

<span style="border: 3px solid #FF3B30;">
  Red border
</span>

While it's generally better to use CSS for styling, hexadecimal colors can also be used directly in HTML inline styles.

Pro Tips for Using Hexadecimal Color Codes

•
Shorthand notation: For hex codes where each channel has identical digits (e.g., #FFAA33), you can use shorthand notation (#FA3).
•
Alpha transparency: Modern browsers support 8-digit hex codes where the last two digits represent opacity (e.g., #FF000080 for semi-transparent red).
•
CSS variables: Store commonly used hex codes as variables: :root { --primary-color: #4A90E2; }
•
Color consistency: Maintaining a consistent color palette with well-defined hex codes improves your site's visual coherence and professionalism.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hexadecimal Color Codes

What are hexadecimal color codes?

Hexadecimal color codes are a standardized way of representing colors in web development and digital design. They consist of a hash symbol (#) followed by six hexadecimal digits (0-9, A-F). The first two digits represent the red component, the middle two the green component, and the last two the blue component. Each pair can range from 00 (no color) to FF (maximum intensity), allowing for over 16 million possible colors.

Why do we use hexadecimal instead of decimal for color codes?

Hexadecimal (base-16) is used for color codes instead of decimal (base-10) because it's more efficient for representing binary data. Each byte (8 bits) can be perfectly represented by two hexadecimal digits, ranging from 00 to FF (0 to 255 in decimal). This provides a concise notation that's easy to read and implement in code. Additionally, the hexadecimal system aligns well with the binary nature of computers, making it a natural choice for representing color values.

How do I choose the right hexadecimal color for my website?

Choosing the right hexadecimal colors for your website involves considering your brand identity, target audience, and design principles. Start by defining a primary brand color and use our color picker tool to find complementary colors that create a harmonious palette. Consider accessibility by ensuring sufficient contrast between text and background colors (at least 4.5:1 for standard text). Test your colors in different contexts and devices to ensure they work well together. Color psychology also plays a role—blues convey trust, reds create urgency, greens suggest growth, etc.

What's the difference between 3-digit and 6-digit hexadecimal color codes?

The 3-digit hexadecimal color code is a shorthand notation for the 6-digit format, but it can only be used when each channel (R, G, B) has repeated digits. For example, #F00 is shorthand for #FF0000 (red), #0F0 for #00FF00 (green), and #00F for #0000FF (blue). When using the 3-digit format, each digit is duplicated to get the 6-digit equivalent. This shorthand can only represent a subset of all possible colors (4,096 out of 16.7 million), so it's less precise but more concise for common colors.

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