Whether developing a website or refreshing your brand with new colors, a user-friendly color code converter can streamline your work and save time. After all, you don’t want to jump through hoops to convert RGB, CMYK, and other color values into their binary-friendly hexadecimal equivalents.
However, choosing a worthy color hex code converter can take time. That’s why we’ve done the legwork for you. After thorough research and testing, we’ve rounded up the six best hex color code translators for graphic designers and developers.
Let’s first get the basics out of the way for everyone dipping their toes in color codes and conversions.
In this article
What Is a Color Code?
A color code is a binary-friendly color representation. Computers and web browsers can’t interpret and display colors without it. They need a hexadecimal code or its RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) equivalent to comprehend the amount of light each pixel should emit and showcase accurate colors.
Hex codes and their RGB values display identical colors. The only difference is how they communicate colors to websites. For instance, the hexadecimal #ff0000 code for red is the shorthand for RGB (255, 0, 0). We won’t go into the specifics; we assume you already know how these work.
Therefore, developers and designers encode RGB values (among others) in CSS and JavaScript (among other programming languages) using the hexadecimal system. That tells browsers how to display HTML, ensuring accurate color reproduction across devices. However, they need reliable color converters. Here’s how they work.
The Basics of Color Code Converters
Color code converters turn RGB, HSV (Hue, Saturation, and Value), HSL (Hue, Saturation, and Lightness), HSI (Hue, Saturation, and Intensity), LRV (Light Reflectance Value), and other values into hex codes.
Some also offer CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key) conversion for consistency and accuracy between printed materials and their web colors. Others add the LAB color space into the conversion mix to help users leverage all spectrum colors, including the perceptual lightness and red, green, blue, and yellow coordinates.
The best tools offer multiple conversions, eliminating the need to switch between platforms. Some feature color palettes, all have input fields, and some have interactive sliders to help you specify colors and get the desired output.
What about other features? Some color code converters go beyond these basics to elevate the experience. Those extra functionalities are why we chose the following tools. Let’s see why they’re worth the hype.
Top Considerations When Converting Color Codes
The following color code converters are your best options, whether you’re a novice or experienced developer or designer.
1. EasyRGB
EasyRGB is a color search engine offering four tools, including a color code converter. It lets you convert multiple color data types into sRGB, HSL, HSV, HSI, CMY, CMYK, XYZ, YXY, LAB, and other standards and color spaces.
Additionally, it provides pre-formatted code for HTML, CSS, and several development tools and programming languages. That includes a hex color code.
The best part is you can save colors for later and use them with other tools. They let you find similar colors across brand collections, match colors to their commercial counterparts, and create a complementary color palette.
Pricing
EasyRGB is a free online color converter. However, it offers premium color management software solutions, but the pricing is available upon request only.
2. ColorHexa
ColorHexa is a color encyclopedia offering detailed color information and conversion. It’s a color hex code converter that lets you turn hexadecimal and RGB colors into CMYK, HSL, HSV, web safe, and binary values. It also provides XYZ, xyY, and multiple LAB color conversions.
Moreover, it displays complementary, split complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, and monochromatic color schemes to help you generate matching palettes. You can also see the closest alternatives and multiple shades, tints, and tones.
Besides these features, ColorHexa offers a color blindness simulator, gradient generator, color blender, and a color subtraction tool. You can also browse 216 web-safe colors (which display consistently across browsers).
The search bar might be the most helpful feature because it offers suggestions as you type, displaying hex codes or RGB values and their corresponding colors. We haven’t seen that anywhere else. You can also find colors by name.
Pricing
ColorHexa is a free online color converter.
3. Adobe Color Wheel
Adobe Color Wheel is a valuable tool of the web-based Adobe Color app. It’s ideal for generating harmonious color palettes (with hex codes) using the RGB, HSB (the same as HSL, except B is for Brightness), or LAB color mode.
You can choose shades, customize the palette, or choose from analogous, monochromatic, triadic, complementary (including split and double split), square, and compound harmonies.
The interactive color wheel makes adjusting hues, shades, and tints a breeze, but you can also leverage RGB, HSB, and LAB sliders and input fields for higher accuracy. The RGB-color-to-hex-code converter also features a convenient brightness slider and input field.
The best part is you can choose base colors, create labels, and save palettes, although the latter requires an account.
Pricing
Adobe Color Wheel is a free online color converter. However, saving color palettes requires an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, which unlocks 20+ apps, including Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator. A monthly plan costs $89.99, while the annual package is $59.99/month or $659.88/year (prepaid).
4. Pantone Connect
Pantone Connect is Pantone’s color management platform. It lets you pick, extract, convert, and match colors using the PMS (Pantone Matching System) or the Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors (FHI) system.
Its RGB, LAB, CMYK, and hex color code translator converts these values into their closest Pantone equivalents (and vice versa) for maximum accuracy and consistency across digital and printed materials. You can share Pantone cards and palettes with teammates for seamless collaboration.
Unlike free Pantone converters, Pantone Connect unlocks all Pantone Libraries, providing access to 15,000+ colors. That makes it the ultimate tool for designers and printing professionals. You can even integrate it with Adobe Creative Cloud to streamline your design workflow.
Pricing
Pantone Connect costs $14.99/month or $89.99/year for individuals. However, businesses must pay $89.99/year/user or cash out a $3,000 signup fee (besides $89.99/year/user) to add an SSO integration. You can sign up for a seven-day free trial to explore the features before committing.
5. HTML Color Codes
HTML Color Codes is a user-friendly online platform offering a color picker, color code converter, and customizable color charts for web design (including web-safe colors and those ideal for flat and material UI). It’s perfect for developers and designers, featuring helpful web design resources and an extensive color library.
Its color converter lets you turn RGB values into their hex, HSV, HSL, and CMYK equivalents and hex codes into RGB, HSV, HSL, and CMYK colors. It also displays HTML and CSS formats for RGB, hex, and HSL colors, enabling you to copy them into your code editor and save time.
The best part is locking six colors by clicking their corresponding padlocks to create a palette. You can then export the scheme by copying the hex codes, RGB values, or HTML, CSS, and SCSS lines.
Pricing
You can use HTML Color Codes for free.
6. Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop doesn’t need an introduction. It’s the go-to tool for photographers and designers, but did you know it could convert colors? If you’ve ever used it, you know it supports various adjustments. However, it can also change color modes.
That’s perfect for converting web-friendly RGB into CMYK for printed designs (and vice versa). You can also use grayscale, indexed, bitmap, LAB, and multichannel color modes.
The screenshot above shows how straightforward the conversion is, helping you prepare images for desired digital or printed designs, including websites, mobile apps, brochures, and product packaging. You can do the same for layers, leveraging libraries (including Pantone) to match your vision.
Of course, you can always use a color picker to change colors. It doesn’t support conversion, but you can view each color’s hex code and RGB, HSB, LAB, and CMYK values.
Pricing
Adobe Photoshop is a premium app costing $34.49/month. You can also get an annual subscription for $22.99/month or $263.88/year (prepaid).
Bonus Color Tool: Wondershare Repairit Online Photo Colorizer
Have you experimented with grayscale in Adobe Photoshop and wish to revert the changes? Do you want to enhance the colors in your product images, portraits, landscape photos, and other creations? Do you have old, faded pictures with scratches or blurry areas ripe for restoration?
Try Repairit Online Photo Colorizer. It’s your go-to tool for reviving black-and-white images and enhancing shades, tints, and tones in color pictures using AI.
This intuitive online tool colorizes your uploaded photos and displays an interactive slider for a before-and-after comparison. Additionally, it repairs damaged pictures, removing scratches and increasing clarity while making the colors pop.
Its most notable features include:
- AI color enhancement;
- Old photo repair;
- Support for JPG, JPEG, PNG, WEBP, BMP formats;
- Compatibility with all devices and browsers.
Wondershare Repairit Online Photo Colorizer is free but limits you to three images with a maximum size of 5 MB. However, the premium version lets you enhance 300 monthly pictures of up to 300 MB. It costs $9.99/month or $4.8/month with an annual subscription.
Conclusion
Color code converters make your design workflow a breeze, providing the desired hex, RGB, CMYK, and other values within seconds. Your best options include EasyRGB, ColorHexa, Adobe Color Wheel, Pantone Connect, HTML Color Codes, and Adobe Photoshop.
Wondershare Repairit Online Photo Colorizer is another excellent tool to consider. It may not convert colors but can breathe new life into your images, including black-and-white and those needing touch-ups.