Understanding Color Formats
In digital design and development, colors are represented in various mathematical formats. Choosing the right format depends on whether you are designing for screens (Web/Mobile) or physical media (Print).
RGB & HEX (Screen)
Best for: Websites, Apps, Digital Art.
- RGB: An additive model using Red, Green, and Blue light. Values range from 0-255.
- HEX: A hexadecimal representation of RGB (e.g., #FF0000). Standard for CSS.
CMYK (Print)
Best for: Business Cards, Flyers, T-Shirts.
- CMYK: A subtractive model using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black) ink.
- Colors often look duller in CMYK than RGB because ink cannot emit light.
Why use HSL?
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is often preferred by designers over RGB because it is more intuitive. Instead of guessing how much "Red" and "Green" make a specific Yellow, you simply pick the Hue (360 degrees color wheel) and adjust how bright or vivid it is.
Accessibility & Contrast
When designing UIs, ensuring text is readable against the background is critical. Our tool automatically checks the Luminance of the selected color. If the color is dark, the text overlay turns white. If it's light, the text turns black. This mimics the WCAG AA/AAA contrast standards required for accessible web design.