Colors ready for real-world use.
Convert colors to practical formats for real-world applications including print simulation, LED displays, terminal output, and data encoding.
Choose a color
Pick a color, or type any code (HEX, rgb(), hsl() or a color name). Everything below updates instantly.
Print & Production
Simulate how colors appear when printed with CMYK inks on physical media.
The print swatch is a simple estimate with ink limits and dot gain. Real printing depends on your printer, ink and paper, so always ask for a proof.
Digital Displays
Control LED strips, RGB lighting, and display hardware with precise values.
Development
Terminal colors, byte encoding, and data formats for programming use.
Practical Formats
Convert colors to practical formats for real-world applications including print simulation, LED displays, terminal output, and data encoding. These formats help you implement colors across different media, platforms, and physical devices.
Print & Production
Simulate how colors appear when printed with CMYK inks on physical media.
Digital Displays
Control LED strips, RGB lighting, and display hardware with precise values.
Development
Terminal colors, byte encoding, and data formats for programming use.
How to use this tool (step by step)
Small steps, each with the reason behind it. Perfect for beginners, and a handy checklist for experts.
Choose your color
- Press the color square or type a code in the box at the top.
- The big swatch shows your color.
- All formats below update at once.
Why we do this: Every format below is calculated from this single color, so you only choose it once.
Pick the right group
- Use Print & Production for printers and CMYK.
- Use Digital Displays for LED strips, microcontrollers and screens.
- Use Development for terminals, code and data.
Why we do this: Each job needs a different notation, and the groups save you from searching through all of them.
Copy and paste
- Press the copy icon on a card.
- A message in the corner confirms the copy.
- Paste it straight into your code, firmware or design file.
Why we do this: Typing byte values and escape codes by hand easily causes mistakes. Copying avoids them.
Check the real result
- For print, order a proof and compare it with the simulation.
- For LEDs, test one pixel before programming a whole strip.
- For terminals, try the escape code in the program you use.
Why we do this: Real devices differ, so a quick test prevents surprises.
Questions people ask
Quick answers.
Is the CMYK conversion exact?
No. A simple formula converts RGB to CMYK. Professional printing uses color profiles (ICC) that depend on the press and paper. Use these values as a starting point.
Why do LED strips need gamma correction?
LEDs respond to brightness almost linearly, but our eyes do not. Without correction mid-tones look too bright. The PWM duty cycle shown here applies a typical gamma of 2.2.
What is RGB565?
A compact 16-bit format (5 bits red, 6 green, 5 blue) used by many small displays. It cannot show every color, so we also show the color after rounding.
What is the difference between true color and 256-color terminals?
True color terminals accept any RGB value. Older ones only have 256 or 16 colors, so we show the closest match.