Color Code Converter
Comprehensive Color Management and Conversion
Color codes are essential in digital design, web development, and print media. Different color models serve specific purposes: RGB for screens, CMYK for print, HSL for intuitive color manipulation, and hexadecimal for web development. Understanding how to convert between these formats is crucial for consistent color representation across different media.
Color Models Explained
- Hexadecimal (Hex): Six-digit codes prefixed with #, used primarily in web design (e.g., #FF5733)
- RGB (Red, Green, Blue): Additive color model for screens, values from 0-255 (e.g., rgb(255, 87, 51))
- HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness): Intuitive model based on human color perception (e.g., hsl(12, 100%, 60%))
- CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black): Subtractive color model for printing (e.g., cmyk(0%, 66%, 80%, 0%))
- HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value): Alternative to HSL, often used in color pickers (e.g., hsv(12, 80%, 100%))
Color Harmony Principles
Creating visually appealing color schemes involves understanding color relationships:
- Monochromatic: Variations in lightness and saturation of a single hue
- Analogous: Colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel
- Complementary: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel for high contrast
- Triadic: Three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel
- Split-Complementary: A color plus the two colors adjacent to its complement
- Tetradic: Four colors arranged into two complementary pairs
Accessibility Considerations
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) specify minimum contrast ratios for text and interactive elements:
- AA (Minimum): 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text (18pt+)
- AAA (Enhanced): 7:1 for normal text, 4.5:1 for large text
- Non-text contrast: 3:1 for user interface components and graphical objects
This comprehensive color converter provides tools for format conversion, palette generation, contrast checking, and gradient creation - everything you need for professional color work in digital and print media.