Resistor color code calculator
Tap the band colors to read a resistor, or type a value to see which bands it should have. Colors follow IEC 60062.
Value to bands
Resistor color code chart
| Color | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 | — |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1% |
| Red | 2 | ×100 | ±2% |
| Orange | 3 | ×1 k | — |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10 k | — |
| Green | 5 | ×100 k | ±0.5% |
| Blue | 6 | ×1 M | ±0.25% |
| Violet | 7 | ×10 M | ±0.1% |
| Grey | 8 | ×100 M | ±0.05% |
| White | 9 | ×1 G | — |
| Gold | — | ×100 m | ±5% |
| Silver | — | ×10 m | ±10% |
No band in the tolerance position means ±20%.
How to read the bands
Hold the resistor so the tolerance band (often gold or silver, and usually set a little apart) is on the right. On a 4-band resistor the first two bands are digits and the third is the multiplier; 5- and 6-band precision resistors use three digits. Yellow-violet-red-gold is 4, 7, × 100 = 4,700 Ω ±5%.
Colors fade and brown, red and orange can be hard to tell apart under warm light. When it matters, confirm with a meter.
Questions people ask
How do you read a 4-band resistor?
Bands 1 and 2 are digits, band 3 is the multiplier and band 4 is tolerance. Brown-black-red-gold is 1, 0, × 100 = 1,000 Ω ±5%.
Which end do I start from?
The tolerance band (often gold or silver) is usually slightly separated from the others and goes on the right. Start from the end closest to a band.
What does the 6th band mean?
The temperature coefficient in ppm/K, for example brown = 100 ppm/K.