Color Format Conversion

Complete Guide to Color Format Conversion

This studio-quality converter helps you translate any color between every major format used across design, development, video, printing, and scientific workflows. The entire experience runs in your browser with zero data sent to servers.

Quick start checklist

1. Pick an input method: paste a value, sample from presets, or use the HEX picker.
2. Select the format: leave it on Auto or force a specific parser for strict validation.
3. Review the preview: confirm the color swatch, HEX/RGB/HSL summaries, and accessibility insights.
4. Copy or export: copy single values, the entire set, or download JSON/CSV for documentation.

Supported Color Formats

• CSS & Web: HEX / HEXA, RGB / RGBA, HSL / HSLA, HWB, HSV / HSB
• Print & Production: CMYK with automatic percentage rounding
• Perceptual Color Science: CIE XYZ, xyY, LAB, LCH, LUV, HSI
• Modern Spaces: OKLab, OKLCH for perceptually uniform palettes
• Broadcast & Video: YIQ, YUV, YCbCr for analog and digital pipelines
• Rendering: Linear RGB and sRGB decimal for compositing workflows

Input methods & detection

Choose Auto detect to let the tool infer the format based on syntax clues. Each parser tolerates flexible whitespace, optional unit suffixes (deg, rad, turn), percentage inputs, and mixed separators. When auto detection succeeds, the detected format appears on the input card. If detection fails, switch to a specific format to see targeted validation hints.

Real-world usage examples

1. Hand-off HEX to brand teams

#1E90FF → RGB(30, 144, 255)
→ CMYK(88%, 44%, 0%, 0%)
→ OKLCH(0.74, 0.12, 246°)

Copy the RGB value for CSS, CMYK for print, and OKLCH for accessible tint adjustments.

2. Import from Figma HSLA

hsla(262, 83%, 58%, 0.85)
→ HEXA #7C3AEDD9
→ Linear RGB 0.23 0.02 0.71 0.85

Use the linear RGB output for shader programming while keeping HEXA for UI mockups.

3. Video production pipeline

yuv(0.74, -0.14, 0.09)
→ RGB(209, 122, 107)
→ YCbCr(182, 111, 143)

Ensure broadcast safety by checking that Y, Cb, and Cr stay within 16–235 / 16–240 where required.

4. Scientific color analysis

lab(53, 80, 67)
→ LCH(53, 105, 40°)
→ OKLab(0.65, 0.24, 0.08)

Compare perceptual differences by examining Lab delta values or OKLab vectors.

History & presets

• Sample colors: Quickly explore curated brand, UI, and neutrals to understand the output layout.
• Recent colors: Every input is stored locally so you can revisit past explorations without retyping.
• Picker sync: Adjusting the color picker automatically encodes the value back to HEX for consistency.

Copying and exporting values

Each conversion card includes a copy button and labels whether the format supports alpha. The Export & Share panel provides:

• Copy all values: Generates a newline-delimited list such as HEX: #3B82F6, RGB: rgb(59,130,246).
• Download JSON: Structured key/value pairs ideal for design tokens or API payloads.
• Download CSV: Spreadsheet-ready rows for documentation, QA, or stakeholder review.

Color insights

The preview panel calculates relative luminance, contrast on white and black, and recommends a foreground color for accessible text. Harmony swatches (complementary, analogous, triadic, monochrome) are generated using perceptual HSL rotations, giving you instant palettes for UI states, backgrounds, or brand accents.

Best practices & tips

1. Accessibility first: Check the contrast ratios before finalizing brand palettes used in UI.
2. Perceptual editing: Prefer OKLCH or Lab when modifying saturation or lightness to avoid banding.
3. Broadcast safety: For YUV/YCbCr workflows, ensure signals remain within broadcast-safe ranges.
4. Linear workflows: Use linear RGB values whenever blending, applying gamma correction, or rendering HDR content.
5. Precision control: Copy JSON output if you need more than four decimal places—raw data is preserved internally.

Keyboard shortcuts

• ⌘ / Ctrl + C — Copy the currently focused conversion value
• ⌘ / Ctrl + K — Focus the search box to filter formats
• Tab — Cycle between input, picker, and conversion cards for rapid workflows

Behind the scenes

Conversions run entirely in TypeScript with precise mathematical models for each color space. XYZ transforms use the D65 reference white, while perceptual spaces employ official CIE and OKLab matrices. All calculations round values to four decimal places by default for readable output without sacrificing accuracy. Exported JSON retains full precision so you can round downstream as needed.

Troubleshooting

• “Unable to detect format”: Switch from Auto to a specific format and follow the syntax hint in the error.
• Unexpected colors from CMYK: Ensure values stay between 0 and 100%—percentages over 100 will clip.
• Alpha missing in exports: Only formats with alpha support (HEXA, RGBA, HSLA, etc.) include transparency.
• Numerical slip: Use JSON export to confirm full-precision values before rounding for production use.

Whether you are preparing assets for print, ensuring brand consistency across platforms, or experimenting with modern color science, this tool offers a comprehensive, professional-grade workflow in your browser.