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What is Hex Color? — Hexadecimal Color Codes Explained

A hex color code is a six-digit hexadecimal number that represents colors in the RGB color model. It is the most common way to specify colors in HTML and CSS, using the format #RRGGBB where each pair represents red, green, and blue intensity.

What Is It?

Hex color codes start with # followed by six hexadecimal digits (0-9 and A-F). The first two digits represent red intensity, the middle two green, and the last two blue. For example, #FF0000 is pure red (maximum red, no green or blue), #00FF00 is green, #0000FF is blue, #FFFFFF is white, and #000000 is black.

How It Works

Each color channel (red, green, blue) is represented by two hex digits ranging from 00 (0 in decimal, minimum intensity) to FF (255 in decimal, maximum intensity). This gives 256 possible values per channel, resulting in 256 = 16,777,216 total colors. Shorthand notation uses three digits (#RGB expands to #RRGGBB) when each pair has matching digits.

Key Characteristics

  • Six hex digits represent RRGGBB values from 00 to FF per channel
  • Supports 16.7 million possible colors with full 6-digit notation
  • Shorthand 3-digit notation (#RGB) available when each channel pair matches
  • Case-insensitive — #FF0000 and #ff0000 represent the same color
  • Can be extended to 8 digits (#RRGGBBAA) to include alpha transparency

Common Use Cases

  • Styling HTML elements with CSS color, background-color, and border-color properties
  • Defining brand color palettes for consistent design across web and print
  • Creating color schemes for data visualization (charts, graphs, maps)
  • Specifying colors in image editing software and design tools
  • Implementing dark mode and theme systems with CSS custom properties

Free Online Tools

Color Converter Color Palette Generator CSS Gradient Generator

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I read a hex color code?

Split #RRGGBB into three pairs: RR (red intensity 00-FF), GG (green intensity 00-FF), BB (blue intensity 00-FF). FF is maximum, 00 is minimum. #FF0000 is full red, #008000 is medium green.

What is the difference between hex and RGB?

Hex (#FF0000) and rgb (rgb(255, 0, 0)) represent the same colors. Hex is more compact, while RGB is more readable for understanding channel values. They are interchangeable in CSS.

How many colors can hex represent?

Six-digit hex (standard) represents 16,777,216 colors (256 per channel). Eight-digit hex adds alpha transparency for 256 levels of opacity.