Hex Color Details

What the numbers tell you

The HSL lightness figure is the fastest predictor of whether a color will work as text. Below roughly 40 percent it will usually pass on white; above roughly 70 percent it will usually pass on black. The middle band is where most brand colors sit and most contrast failures happen.

Contrast against pure black and pure white bounds what the color can do. If it fails against both, no text color will save it and it belongs in fills rather than type.

Frequently asked

What do the six characters in a hex color mean?

Three pairs, each a base-16 number from 00 to FF, giving the red, green, and blue channels. #FF7F50 is 255 red, 127 green, 80 blue.

What is an 8-digit hex color?

The last two characters are the alpha channel, from 00 for fully transparent to FF for fully opaque. #FF7F5080 is coral at roughly 50 percent opacity.

Can two different hex codes look identical?

Effectively yes. Adjacent values such as #FF7F50 and #FF8050 differ by one step in one channel, which is far below what the eye can resolve. That is what Delta E measures.

What is the hex code for pure white and pure black?

#FFFFFF is pure white and #000000 is pure black. They are the only pair that reaches the maximum contrast ratio of 21:1.