Resistor Color Code Calculator
Resistor Color Code Calculator
Pick the colour of each band on a 4-, 5- or 6-band resistor and read its resistance, the tolerance range it may really be, and the temperature coefficient — using the IEC 60062 colour code.
Resistor colour bands
Yellow, violet, red, gold (4 bands)
Reading the bands
- digits
- bands 1–2 (4-band) or 1–3 (5- and 6-band), black = 0 to white = 9
- multiplier
- the next band: a power of ten, silver ×0.01 and gold ×0.1 for values below 10 Ω
- TCR
- temperature coefficient, the 6th band, in ppm per kelvin (10−6/K)
Worked example
Yellow, violet, red, gold (4 bands)
Yellow = 4, violet = 7: digits 47
Red multiplier = ×100: 47 × 100 = 4,700 Ω = 4.7 kΩ
Gold = ±5%: anywhere from 4.465 kΩ to 4.935 kΩ
6-band example: red, yellow, white, brown, brown, red = 249 × 10 = 2.49 kΩ ±1%, 50 ppm/K — it changes by 6.225 Ω over a 50 K rise
IEC 60062 colour code for resistors
| Colour | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance (letter) | Temp. coefficient (ppm/K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | — | — | ±20% (M) | — |
| Pink | — | ×10−3 | — | — |
| Silver | — | ×10−2 | ±10% (K) | — |
| Gold | — | ×10−1 | ±5% (J) | — |
| Black | 0 | ×1 | — | 250 |
| Brown | 1 | ×101 | ±1% (F) | 100 |
| Red | 2 | ×102 | ±2% (G) | 50 |
| Orange | 3 | ×103 | ±0.05% (W) | 15 |
| Yellow | 4 | ×104 | ±0.02% (P) | 25 |
| Green | 5 | ×105 | ±0.5% (D) | 20 |
| Blue | 6 | ×106 | ±0.25% (C) | 10 |
| Violet | 7 | ×107 | ±0.1% (B) | 5 |
| Grey | 8 | ×108 | ±0.01% (L) | 1 |
| White | 9 | ×109 | — | — |
Colour bands for common resistor values
| Value | 4 bands (±5%) | 5 bands (±1%) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Ω | Brown, Black, Black, Gold | Brown, Black, Black, Gold, Brown |
| 22 Ω | Red, Red, Black, Gold | Red, Red, Black, Gold, Brown |
| 47 Ω | Yellow, Violet, Black, Gold | Yellow, Violet, Black, Gold, Brown |
| 100 Ω | Brown, Black, Brown, Gold | Brown, Black, Black, Black, Brown |
| 220 Ω | Red, Red, Brown, Gold | Red, Red, Black, Black, Brown |
| 330 Ω | Orange, Orange, Brown, Gold | Orange, Orange, Black, Black, Brown |
| 470 Ω | Yellow, Violet, Brown, Gold | Yellow, Violet, Black, Black, Brown |
| 680 Ω | Blue, Grey, Brown, Gold | Blue, Grey, Black, Black, Brown |
| 1 kΩ | Brown, Black, Red, Gold | Brown, Black, Black, Brown, Brown |
| 2.2 kΩ | Red, Red, Red, Gold | Red, Red, Black, Brown, Brown |
| 4.7 kΩ | Yellow, Violet, Red, Gold | Yellow, Violet, Black, Brown, Brown |
| 10 kΩ | Brown, Black, Orange, Gold | Brown, Black, Black, Red, Brown |
| 22 kΩ | Red, Red, Orange, Gold | Red, Red, Black, Red, Brown |
| 47 kΩ | Yellow, Violet, Orange, Gold | Yellow, Violet, Black, Red, Brown |
| 100 kΩ | Brown, Black, Yellow, Gold | Brown, Black, Black, Orange, Brown |
| 220 kΩ | Red, Red, Yellow, Gold | Red, Red, Black, Orange, Brown |
| 470 kΩ | Yellow, Violet, Yellow, Gold | Yellow, Violet, Black, Orange, Brown |
| 1 MΩ | Brown, Black, Green, Gold | Brown, Black, Black, Yellow, Brown |
How to read resistor colour bands
Through-hole resistors are too small to print a value on, so it is coded in coloured bands, defined internationally in IEC 60062. Hold the resistor so that the tolerance band — usually gold or silver on a 4-band part, brown or red on a 5-band part, and often set slightly apart from the others — is on the right, and read from the left. The first two bands (three on a precision part) are digits, the next is a power-of-ten multiplier, and the last is the tolerance. Yellow, violet, red, gold is 4, 7, ×100, ±5%: 4.7 kΩ.
Digits and multipliers. Black to white run 0 to 9, in rainbow order from red to violet. The same colours as a multiplier mean ×1 up to ×109. Gold (×0.1) and silver (×0.01) as a multiplier mark values below 10 Ω: brown, black, gold, gold is 1.0 Ω; yellow, violet, silver, gold is 0.47 Ω. IEC 60062:2016 also lists pink for ×0.001.
Tolerance. The last band says how far the actual value may be from the marked one: gold ±5%, silver ±10%, brown ±1%, red ±2%, green ±0.5%, blue ±0.25%, violet ±0.1%. The 2016 edition added orange (±0.05%), yellow (±0.02%) and grey (±0.01%) for precision parts. No band at all means ±20%. Tolerance is fixed at manufacture; values drift further with heat, age and soldering.
Six bands. A sixth band gives the temperature coefficient: how many parts per million the resistance changes per kelvin. Brown is 100 ppm/K, red 50, yellow 25, orange 15, blue 10, violet 5. A 2.49 kΩ, 50 ppm/K resistor warming by 50 K changes by 6.225 Ω, or 0.25%.
When in doubt, measure. Colours are hard to tell apart under warm light, brown, red and orange fade with heat, and some parts can be read from either end. A multimeter settles it. Standard values come from the IEC 60063 E-series, so a reading that is not an E12, E24 or E96 value is probably backwards. Once you know the value, the Ohm’s law calculator gives current and power, and the LED resistor calculator and voltage divider calculator show which value to use in common circuits.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read a 4-band resistor?
With the gold or silver band on the right: band 1 and band 2 are digits, band 3 is the multiplier, band 4 is the tolerance. Yellow, violet, red, gold = 47 × 100 = 4.7 kΩ ±5%.
What is the difference between 4-band and 5-band resistors?
A 5-band resistor has a third digit, which precision (usually ±1% or better) values need: 1% resistors come in the E96 series, with values such as 10.2 kΩ that two digits cannot express. Brown, black, black, red, brown = 100 × 100 = 10 kΩ ±1%.
What does a gold band mean on a resistor?
As the last band, ±5% tolerance. As the third band of four (the multiplier), ×0.1, which marks values under 10 Ω.
Which end do I start reading from?
The end with the band closest to the lead, away from the tolerance band. If the result is not a standard E-series value, try the other end.
What is the colour code for a 10k resistor?
Brown, black, orange, gold on a 4-band part (10 × 1,000, ±5%); brown, black, black, red, brown on a 5-band part (100 × 100, ±1%).
Related calculators
References
- IEC 60062:2016. Marking codes for resistors and capacitors, edition 6.0, Table 1: code colour prescriptions (significant figures, multipliers, tolerances and temperature coefficients). International Electrotechnical Commission.
- IEC 60063:2015. Preferred number series for resistors and capacitors (the E6, E12, E24, E48, E96 and E192 series). International Electrotechnical Commission.
- Horowitz P, Hill W. The Art of Electronics, 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2015. Chapter 1: voltage, current and resistance; Ohm’s law; power in resistors; voltage dividers and Thévenin equivalents.