Image & Color Tools
RGB to HSL Converter
Convert RGB colors to HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) and vice versa. Instant bidirectional conversion with visual color preview. Essential tool for designers, developers, and CSS styling.
Use RGB to HSL Converter to get instant results without uploads or sign-ups. Everything runs securely in your browser for fast, reliable output.
Your results will appear here.
About this tool
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) and HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) are two different ways to represent colors in digital design. RGB is an additive color model based on mixing light, while HSL is a more intuitive color model based on human perception of color properties. Understanding both formats is essential for modern web development and design.
HSL is often preferred by designers because it's easier to create color variations. Want a lighter shade? Increase lightness. Need a more vibrant color? Increase saturation. Want to shift the color hue? Just change the hue value. This is much more intuitive than trying to adjust three RGB values simultaneously.
RGB remains the standard for display technology (monitors, TVs, phones) and is required for most image formats. CSS supports both RGB and HSL, and modern web development often uses HSL for theming and color manipulation because it makes creating harmonious color schemes easier.
Our converter provides instant bidirectional conversion with live color preview, so you can work in whichever color space is most convenient for your task, then convert to the format you need for implementation.
Usage examples
Pure Red Conversion
RGB to HSL
RGB(255, 0, 0) → HSL(0°, 100%, 50%) Pure red at maximum saturation
Sky Blue Conversion
RGB to HSL
RGB(135, 206, 235) → HSL(197°, 71%, 73%) Light blue with high saturation
Gray Conversion
RGB to HSL
RGB(128, 128, 128) → HSL(0°, 0%, 50%) Neutral gray with no saturation
CSS Color Format
Get CSS-ready values
rgb(255, 100, 50) ↔ hsl(15, 100%, 60%) Both formats work in CSS
How to use
- Enter RGB values (Red: 0-255, Green: 0-255, Blue: 0-255).
- Or enter HSL values (Hue: 0-360, Saturation: 0-100%, Lightness: 0-100%).
- The tool automatically converts in both directions.
- View the color preview to see the actual color.
- Copy CSS-ready color codes for use in your designs.
- Adjust values to find the perfect color shade.
Benefits
- Bidirectional RGB ↔ HSL conversion
- Instant color space translation
- Live color preview for visual confirmation
- CSS-ready output formats
- Accurate conversion algorithms
- Perfect for web design and development
- Understand color relationships better
- Create color variations easily in HSL
- Convert design colors to code
- Essential for CSS custom properties
- No installation required
- Works offline in your browser
FAQs
What is RGB color format?
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive color model where colors are created by mixing red, green, and blue light. Each component ranges from 0-255 (8-bit). RGB(0,0,0) is black, RGB(255,255,255) is white, and RGB(255,0,0) is pure red. It's the native color space for displays and digital images.
What is HSL color format?
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) represents colors based on human perception. Hue (0-360°) is the color type on the color wheel, Saturation (0-100%) is color intensity (0% is gray), and Lightness (0-100%) is brightness (0% is black, 100% is white). HSL is more intuitive for creating color variations.
When should I use RGB vs HSL?
Use RGB for image editing, working with photos, and when interfacing with graphics libraries. Use HSL for creating color schemes, making color variations (lighter/darker shades), adjusting saturation, and theme development. HSL makes color manipulation more intuitive than RGB.
How do I make a color lighter in HSL?
Increase the Lightness (L) value. For example, HSL(200, 50%, 30%) is a dark blue. Change lightness to 70% → HSL(200, 50%, 70%) for a light blue. The hue and saturation stay the same, only brightness changes.
Can I use HSL in CSS?
Yes! Modern CSS fully supports HSL. Use hsl(200, 50%, 50%) or hsla(200, 50%, 50%, 0.8) for semi-transparent colors. HSL is excellent for CSS custom properties (variables) because you can manipulate individual components easily: var(--hue), var(--saturation), var(--lightness).
What does 0° hue represent?
Hue represents position on the color wheel in degrees (0-360°). 0° is red, 60° is yellow, 120° is green, 180° is cyan, 240° is blue, 300° is magenta, and 360° wraps back to red. This makes it easy to create complementary colors (opposite on wheel) or analogous colors (adjacent).
Why does my gray have a hue value?
When saturation is 0% (pure gray), hue is technically undefined and may show as 0° or any value. This is normal - hue only matters when there's saturation. RGB(128,128,128) converts to HSL(0°, 0%, 50%), but that 0° hue is meaningless for a desaturated color.
Is the conversion accurate?
Yes, our converter uses standard mathematical algorithms for RGB↔HSL conversion. The conversion is lossless and reversible - you can convert RGB→HSL→RGB and get the exact same values. Small rounding may occur with floating-point calculations but differences are imperceptible.
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