Choose band count
Select 3, 4, 5, or 6 bands to match the resistor body.
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Resistor Color Code Calculator
Decode 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-band resistor color codes to ohms, tolerance, range, and temperature coefficient (TCR). Free IEC 60062 calculator — no sign-up.
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How to use
Follow these steps for a clear answer.
Tap each color
Use the color chips for digit, multiplier, tolerance, and (for 6-band) TCR—the large resistor graphic updates live.
Read resistance & range
See ohms, ±tolerance, min–max range, and optional ppm/K—then copy the value.
Resistor color code calculator specification
Version 1.1.0 · Last reviewed 2026-07-29
- Definition
- Resistor color codes encode resistance, tolerance, and optionally temperature coefficient as colored bands on through-hole resistors (IEC 60062).
- What it calculates
- Band colors → resistance (ohms), tolerance (%), allowable range, and optional TCR (ppm/K).
- Inputs
- Band count (3, 4, 5, or 6)
- Color for each band
- Outputs
- Resistance in Ω / kΩ / MΩ / GΩ
- Tolerance percent and min–max range
- Temperature coefficient (6-band)
- Formula
3/4-band: (10·d1+d2)×mult; 5/6-band: (100·d1+10·d2+d3)×mult; gold/silver mult 0.1/0.01; range = R±(R·tol%)Pick the band colors on a through-hole resistor to read resistance, tolerance, allowable range, and (for 6-band parts) temperature coefficient. Supports the common 3–6 band layouts used on through-hole parts.
Band layouts
Bands Meaning 3 Digit · Digit · Multiplier (±20% implied) 4 Digit · Digit · Multiplier · Tolerance 5 Digit · Digit · Digit · Multiplier · Tolerance 6 Digit · Digit · Digit · Multiplier · Tolerance · TCR (ppm/K) Example
4-band: brown · black · red · gold → 1 kΩ ±5% (range 950 Ω – 1.05 kΩ)
Band Color Meaning 1st digit Brown 1 2nd digit Black 0 Multiplier Red ×100 Tolerance Gold ±5% IEC 60062 color chart
Color Digit Multiplier Tolerance TCR Black 0 ×1 — 250 ppm/K Brown 1 ×10 ±1% 100 ppm/K Red 2 ×100 ±2% 50 ppm/K Orange 3 ×1k ±0.05% 15 ppm/K Yellow 4 ×10k ±0.02% 25 ppm/K Green 5 ×100k ±0.5% 20 ppm/K Blue 6 ×1M ±0.25% 10 ppm/K Violet 7 ×10M ±0.1% 5 ppm/K Gray 8 ×100M ±0.01% 1 ppm/K White 9 ×1G — — Gold — ×0.1 ±5% — Silver — ×0.01 ±10% — None — — ±20% — How to read a resistor
- Orient the part so the tolerance band (often gold/silver, or spaced farther out) is on the right.
- Read significant digits left to right, then apply the multiplier.
- Apply tolerance to get the min–max range. On 6-band parts, the last band is TCR in ppm/K.
- Assumptions
- IEC 60062 color coding for digits, multipliers, tolerances, and common TCR bands.
- 3-band parts assume ±20% when no tolerance band is present.
- Gold/silver are valid as multiplier or tolerance only—not as digit bands.
- Units
- Resistance: ohms (Ω)
- Tolerance: percent (%)
- TCR: ppm/K
- Boundary conditions
- Invalid color for a band role → error.
- Missing bands for the selected count → error.
- Example
- brown-black-red-gold → 1 kΩ ±5% (950 Ω – 1.05 kΩ)
- Validation cases
- 3-band brown black red → 1000 Ω ±20%
- 4-band brown black red gold → 1000 Ω ±5%
- 5-band brown black black brown brown → 1000 Ω ±1%
- 6-band brown black black brown brown brown → 1000 Ω ±1% · 100 ppm/K
- Sources
- IEC 60062
- Common electronics color-code charts
- Last reviewed
- 2026-07-29
- Calculation version
- 1.1.0
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Key distinctions behind the tool.
Which band counts are supported?
3-band (two digits + multiplier, ±20% implied), 4-band (+ tolerance), 5-band (three digits for precision), and 6-band (+ temperature coefficient in ppm/K).
Which end do I start from?
Start from the end opposite the tolerance band (often gold or silver), or opposite the TCR band on 6-band parts. Digit bands are usually grouped closer together.
What does the 6th band mean?
On precision resistors the 6th band is typically the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) in ppm/K—how much the value drifts with temperature.
Is gray tolerance ±0.05% or ±0.01%?
Per IEC 60062, gray (grey) tolerance is ±0.01% (letter code L). Orange is ±0.05% and yellow is ±0.02%.