Resistor Color Code Calculator
Choose the colour of each band and read the resistance, tolerance and value range straight away, for 4, 5 and 6-band resistors.
Set each band's colour on this resistor band calculator and it converts the code to resistance as you go. It handles 4-band, 5-band and 6-band parts, so the same colour code to resistance lookup covers a plain carbon resistor and a precision metal-film one. You get the value in Ω, kΩ or MΩ, the ± tolerance, the min and max the part is allowed to be, and the temperature coefficient on a 6th band. It all runs in your browser with nothing to install.
Colour bands
Resistance
1 kΩ
±5% tolerance
- Tolerance
- ±5%
- Minimum
- 950 Ω
- Maximum
- 1.05 kΩ
Read the bands from the end that has more of them, or with the tolerance band (gold or silver) on your right. The first bands are digits, the next is the multiplier, then tolerance, and a 6th band gives the temperature coefficient.
Older or non-standard resistors can use different colour meanings, and a faded band is easy to misread. Confirm a critical value with a multimeter before you rely on it.
How it works
- 1
Pick the band count
Switch between 4, 5 and 6 bands. Count the coloured rings on the resistor, holding the tolerance band (gold or silver) to the right.
- 2
Set each colour
Choose the colour for each digit band, the multiplier and the tolerance from the swatches. A 6-band part adds a temperature coefficient.
- 3
Read the value
The resistance, tolerance and the min-to-max range update instantly, then copy the result for your notes.
Instant & 100% private — nothing is uploaded
Every calculation runs locally in your browser. The income, balances and goals you enter stay on your own device and are never sent to a server — nothing is stored, logged or shared.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I read a 4 band resistor?
- The first two bands are digits, the third is a multiplier (a power of ten) and the fourth is the tolerance. Brown, black, red, gold reads as 1, 0, ×100, ±5%, which is 1,000 Ω or 1 kΩ. This 4 band resistor calculator does that arithmetic for you as you pick the colours.
- What is the difference between 4, 5 and 6-band resistors?
- A 4-band resistor has two digit bands; 5 and 6-band resistors have three, so they carry an extra significant figure for tighter tolerances. The 6th band adds a temperature coefficient in ppm/K, showing how much the resistance drifts as the part heats up.
- Which end do I start reading from?
- Start from the end where the bands are grouped closest together, or keep the tolerance band, usually gold or silver, on your right. If both ends look the same, the tolerance colour tells you which way round the resistor goes.
- What do gold and silver bands mean?
- As a multiplier, gold means ×0.1 and silver means ×0.01, used for resistances below 10 Ω. As the tolerance band, gold is ±5% and silver is ±10%, the two most common tolerances on general-purpose resistors.
- Why does the tool show a minimum and maximum?
- Tolerance is how far the real resistance may sit from the marked value. A 1 kΩ ±5% resistor is guaranteed only to fall between 950 Ω and 1,050 Ω, so the min and max tell you the actual range to expect when you measure it.
- Is the colour code the same for every resistor?
- The standard EIA colours used here cover the vast majority of modern resistors. Some very old, military or specialty parts use different schemes, and faded bands are easy to misread, so check a critical value with a multimeter.
More tools
More from the Hivly network
Free sister tools on our other sites.
