An RGB color picker lets you select any color by adjusting three independent channels — Red, Green, and Blue — each ranging from 0 to 255. This tool gives you precise control over color mixing, with a live preview that updates as you drag the sliders. Every color you pick is instantly converted to HEX, HSL, and CSS code for direct use in web design and development projects.
Drag the R, G, and B sliders above to mix your color. Type exact values into the number inputs for precision. Click any common color swatch to jump to a preset. When you find the right color, use the Copy buttons to grab the code you need.
How the RGB Color Model Works
RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue — the three primary colors of light. Unlike paint mixing (which is subtractive), light mixing is additive: combining all three colors at full intensity produces white, and setting all three to zero produces black.
Each channel uses a value from 0 (none of that color) to 255 (maximum intensity). This gives 256 levels per channel, resulting in 256 × 256 × 256 = 16,777,216 possible colors. The RGB model directly maps to how computer screens work: every pixel is made up of tiny red, green, and blue sub-pixels that combine to create the color you see.
Here are the core principles:
- Primary colors: rgb(255, 0, 0) is pure red, rgb(0, 255, 0) is pure green, rgb(0, 0, 255) is pure blue
- Secondary colors: Red + Green = Yellow (255, 255, 0), Green + Blue = Cyan (0, 255, 255), Red + Blue = Magenta (255, 0, 255)
- White and black: All channels at 255 = white, all at 0 = black
- Gray shades: Equal values across all channels produce grays. rgb(128, 128, 128) is medium gray
- Brightness: Higher values make colors brighter, lower values make them darker
RGB vs HEX vs HSL: What Is the Difference?
All three formats — RGB, HEX, and HSL — can represent the same 16.7 million colors, but each has different strengths in practice:
| Format | Example | Best For | Readability |
|---|---|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(37, 99, 235) | Precise channel control, dynamic color generation in code | Easy — decimal values are intuitive |
| HEX | #2563EB | CSS shorthand, design tools, compact notation | Moderate — requires knowing hexadecimal |
| HSL | hsl(221, 83%, 53%) | Adjusting brightness and saturation, creating palettes | Easy — hue, saturation, lightness are human-intuitive |
RGB is the most precise format for programmatic color manipulation because each channel is independent. If you need to increase only the red component of a color, you change one number. In HSL, changing saturation or lightness affects all channels simultaneously. For CSS, any format works — browsers support all three natively.
Common RGB Color Codes Reference
Here are frequently used RGB values organized by color family. Click any color in the tool above to load its values instantly.
| Color | RGB | HEX | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| rgb(255, 0, 0) | #FF0000 | Errors, alerts, urgency | |
| rgb(0, 128, 0) | #008000 | Success, confirmation | |
| rgb(0, 0, 255) | #0000FF | Links, primary actions | |
| rgb(255, 165, 0) | #FFA500 | Warnings, highlights | |
| rgb(128, 0, 128) | #800080 | Creativity, premium | |
| rgb(255, 192, 203) | #FFC0CB | Soft accents, feminine themes | |
| rgb(0, 0, 0) | #000000 | Text, strong contrast | |
| rgb(255, 255, 255) | #FFFFFF | Backgrounds, white space | |
| rgb(128, 128, 128) | #808080 | Muted text, borders |
Using RGB Colors in CSS and Web Design
CSS supports RGB colors in two syntaxes. The traditional function notation and the modern space-separated notation:
- Traditional:
color: rgb(37, 99, 235); - With alpha (opacity):
color: rgba(37, 99, 235, 0.5); - Modern CSS (Level 4):
color: rgb(37 99 235 / 50%);
The rgba() function adds a fourth parameter for alpha transparency, where 0 is fully transparent and 1 is fully opaque. This is useful for overlays, semi-transparent backgrounds, and glassmorphism effects. In modern CSS (supported by all current browsers), you can use the slash syntax inside rgb() instead of the separate rgba() function.
RGB is particularly useful in JavaScript and CSS custom properties where you need to manipulate individual channels dynamically. For example, you can store channel values as CSS variables and compose the color at runtime:
--r: 37; --g: 99; --b: 235;background: rgb(var(--r), var(--g), var(--b));
Building a Color Palette with RGB
Creating harmonious color palette combinations using RGB requires understanding how channel values relate to color theory. Here are practical approaches:
- Monochromatic palette: Start with your base color, then create lighter versions by moving all three channels toward 255, and darker versions by moving them toward 0. Maintain the same ratio between channels.
- Complementary colors: Subtract each channel from 255. If your color is rgb(37, 99, 235), its complement is rgb(218, 156, 20).
- Neutral palette: Use equal R, G, B values to create a range of grays from dark (30, 30, 30) to light (240, 240, 240).
For more advanced palette generation including triadic and analogous harmonies, use our HTML color picker which calculates harmonies automatically in HSL color space.
When to Use RGB vs Other Color Formats
Choose RGB when you need to control individual color channels precisely — for example, when creating dynamic colors in JavaScript, working with image pixel data via Canvas API, or building color manipulation features. Choose HEX when you want compact color codes in CSS stylesheets. Choose HSL when you need to adjust brightness or saturation intuitively, such as creating hover states (just change lightness) or building themed palettes (lock hue, vary saturation and lightness).
For hex-specific workflows, our hex color picker focuses on hexadecimal codes and shorthand notation. To extract colors from existing photos or designs, use our color picker from image tool. For CSS color picker needs with code output, the tool above provides ready-to-use CSS with a Copy button. And for creating gradient color picker effects, combine two RGB values in a CSS linear-gradient() function.