HEX, RGB and HSL: Which Color Format Should You Use?

If you have spent any time near web design, you have met HEX, RGB and HSL. They all describe colour, but each speaks a different language — and choosing the right one for the job can save real time. Our Color Converter moves between all three, but knowing which to reach for is half the skill.

HEX: compact and everywhere

HEX codes like #5B5BF5 are the shorthand of the web. Six characters pack the red, green and blue values into a tidy string that is easy to copy, paste and share. It is the format you will see most in brand guides and CSS, and it is perfect when you simply need to record an exact colour.

RGB: how screens think

RGB lists three numbers from 0 to 255 for red, green and blue. It maps directly to how a screen mixes light, which makes it intuitive once you think in terms of emitted colour. RGB also extends naturally to RGBA, where a fourth value controls transparency — something HEX handles less elegantly.

HSL: how humans think

HSL describes a colour as hue, saturation and lightness. This is the friendliest format for actually adjusting colour. Want a slightly lighter shade? Raise the lightness. Want it more muted? Lower the saturation. You can build an entire palette by keeping the hue fixed and varying the other two values.

Choosing in practice

Use HEX to store and share exact values. Use RGB when you need transparency or are working with screen-based colour maths. Use HSL when you are designing and tweaking, because it lets you reason about colour the way your eye does. Since they all describe the same colour, you can switch freely whenever one becomes more convenient.

Frequently Asked Questions