About

Color miscalculation propagates through every downstream asset: print proofs shift, UI components clash, and brand identity fragments across media. The HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) model maps color perception more intuitively than RGB or CMYK because H isolates chromatic identity on a 0 - 360° wheel, while S and V independently control vividness and luminance on a 0 - 100% scale. This tool converts Hex, RGB, HSL, CMYK, and CSS named colors to HSV using the standard max/min channel decomposition algorithm. Results are deterministic and match the IEEE color-space specification. Note: HSV is device-dependent and does not account for perceptual uniformity. For critical color matching across media, validate output against a calibrated monitor or Pantone bridge.

Formulas

The RGB-to-HSV conversion decomposes three additive channels into a cylindrical coordinate system. Given normalized inputs R, G, B ∈ [0, 1], define:

C_max = max(R, G, B)

C_min = min(R, G, B)

Δ = C_max − C_min

Hue calculation uses a piecewise sector formula:

H = {

0° if Δ = 060° × G − BΔ mod 6 if C_max = R60° × (B − RΔ + 2) if C_max = G60° × (R − GΔ + 4) if C_max = B

Saturation and Value:

S =

{

0 if C_max = 0ΔC_max otherwise

V = C_max

Where H ∈ [0, 360)°, S ∈ [0, 100]%, V ∈ [0, 100]%. For Hex input, each pair of hexadecimal digits maps to R, G, B via base-16 parsing. HSL conversion first recovers RGB through the chroma-hue sector method. CMYK converts via R = 255 × (1 − C) × (1 − K).

Reference Data

Named Color	Hex	R	G	B	H (°)	S (%)	V (%)
Red	#FF0000	255	0	0	0	100	100
Orange	#FFA500	255	165	0	39	100	100
Yellow	#FFFF00	255	255	0	60	100	100
Lime	#00FF00	0	255	0	120	100	100
Cyan	#00FFFF	0	255	255	180	100	100
Blue	#0000FF	0	0	255	240	100	100
Magenta	#FF00FF	255	0	255	300	100	100
White	#FFFFFF	255	255	255	0	0	100
Silver	#C0C0C0	192	192	192	0	0	75
Gray	#808080	128	128	128	0	0	50
Black	#000000	0	0	0	0	0	0
Maroon	#800000	128	0	0	0	100	50
Olive	#808000	128	128	0	60	100	50
Green	#008000	0	128	0	120	100	50
Teal	#008080	0	128	128	180	100	50
Navy	#000080	0	0	128	240	100	50
Purple	#800080	128	0	128	300	100	50
Coral	#FF7F50	255	127	80	16	69	100
Salmon	#FA8072	250	128	114	6	54	98
Gold	#FFD700	255	215	0	51	100	100
Khaki	#F0E68C	240	230	140	54	42	94
Plum	#DDA0DD	221	160	221	300	28	87
SlateBlue	#6A5ACD	106	90	205	248	56	80
Tomato	#FF6347	255	99	71	9	72	100
SteelBlue	#4682B4	70	130	180	207	61	71
Chocolate	#D2691E	210	105	30	25	86	82
Indigo	#4B0082	75	0	130	275	100	51
Turquoise	#40E0D0	64	224	208	174	71	88
Crimson	#DC143C	220	20	60	348	91	86
DodgerBlue	#1E90FF	30	144	255	210	88	100

Frequently Asked Questions

HSV and HSL both use a cylindrical model, but they define brightness differently. In HSV, V = 100% corresponds to pure, fully saturated color (e.g., pure red), while in HSL, L = 100% is always white regardless of hue. HSV is preferred in image editing software (Photoshop, GIMP) because adjusting S and V independently feels more natural for selecting tint and shade. Use HSL when you need to find complementary lightness relationships in CSS; use HSV when manipulating color pickers or doing programmatic color selection.

When Δ = 0 (all RGB channels are equal), hue is mathematically undefined because there is no dominant wavelength. By convention, H is set to 0°. This does not mean the color is red. Any achromatic color has S = 0%, which nullifies the hue channel entirely. Software that displays a hue wheel for grays is simply showing the conventional default.

No. This tool uses the naive mathematical conversion R = 255 × (1 − C) × (1 − K), which assumes ideal inks. Real-world CMYK depends on paper stock, ink density, and the printer's ICC profile. For prepress work, use a color management system like Adobe Color Engine. This converter gives a fast approximation suitable for screen design and quick reference.

Yes. Three-character shorthand (#F00) is expanded to six characters (#FF0000) before parsing. Four-character shorthand (#F00A) is expanded to eight characters (#FF0000AA). If an 8-digit hex code is provided, the alpha channel is parsed and displayed separately but does not affect the HSV output, since HSV is a 3-channel model. The alpha value is shown for reference only.

Hue is rounded to the nearest integer degree (0-359). Saturation and Value are rounded to one decimal place (0.0-100.0%). This matches the precision used by most design tools. If you need higher precision for scientific colorimetry, the underlying floating-point values are computed to full IEEE 754 double precision before rounding for display.

HSV is a mathematical color model. It does not encode viewing conditions, ambient lighting, or display calibration. A color with H = 30°, S = 80%, V = 95% will appear different on a 6500K monitor versus a 9300K monitor. For perceptually uniform color work under varying conditions, consider CIE Lab or CIE LCH models. This tool solves the mathematical conversion, not the perceptual matching problem.