Color coded resistor
Formulas, limitations and content checked according to our Editorial method.
Read the band colors and find the value in ohms. Works both ways: bands -> value and value -> bands. Supports 4, 5 and 6 bands.
4/5/6 bands
Tolerance
Tempco (6 bands)
Bands -> value
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Value -> bands
Enter a value and find the corresponding bands.
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FAQ
The resistor does not have a Gold/Silver band, how do I read it?
Precision 5 or 6 band resistors use Brown (±1%) or Red (±2%) as the last tolerance band.
What does the black band mean as a multiplier?
Multiplier ×1. E.g. 47Ω with 4 bands: Yellow-Purple-Black-Gold.
How do you read SMD resistors?
SMD components use numeric codes (3 or 4 digits) or EIA-96, not color bands. This tool is for axial resistors only.
Internal links
S/P resistors Calculate the equivalent of multiple resistors.
LED calculation Size the series resistor for an LED.
Capacitor codes Read codes 104, 473, etc.
Practical examples and common errors
1 kΩ classic
Brown, Black, Red, Gold = 1 kΩ ±5%. If the gold band is on the left, rotate the resistor.
Value format
You can write 4k7, 2k2, 1M5 or 4.7k. Now 4k7 is correctly read as 4.7 kΩ.
4, 5 or 6 bands
The 5 bands use three significant figures. The 6 bands add the thermal coefficient in ppm/K.
Quick color chart
| Color | Digit | Multiplier | Typical tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 | — |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1% |
| Red | 2 | ×100 | ±2% |
| Orange | 3 | ×1k | — |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10k | — |
| Green | 5 | ×100k | ±0.5% |
| Blue | 6 | ×1M | ±0.25% |
| Viola | 7 | ×10M | ±0.1% |
| Grey | 8 | ×100M | ±0.05% |
| White | 9 | ×1G | — |
| Gold | — | ×0.1 | ±5% |
| Silver | — | ×0.01 | ±10% |
See also
Frequently asked questions
How to read 4-band resistor color code?
Bands 1+2 = digits, band 3 = multiplier, band 4 = tolerance. Gold=±5%, Silver=±10%.
What is the E12 series?
Standard values with ±10% tolerance: 10, 12, 15, 18, 22, 27, 33, 39, 47, 56, 68, 82 and multiples.