Resistor Color Code Calculator: Read Bands or Find Colors
How the resistor color code calculator works: the first bands are digits, the next is the multiplier, then tolerance and, on 6-band parts, the temperature coefficient. Yellow (4) – violet (7) – red (× 100) – gold (±5 %) = 47 × 100 = 4.7 kΩ ±5 %. Pick the colors; the picture updates.
Source: IEC 60062:2016, IEC 60062:2016 – Marking codes for resistors and capacitors, Table 1 (code colour prescriptions). Updated: .
How it is calculated
How to read the resistor color code
Through-hole resistors show their value as colored bands defined by the international standard IEC 60062. Read from the end where the bands sit closer to the edge; the tolerance band is usually set slightly apart.
- 4 bands: digit – digit – multiplier – tolerance
- 5 bands: digit – digit – digit – multiplier – tolerance (precision resistors)
- 6 bands: like 5 bands plus temperature coefficient
- 3 bands: two digits and multiplier, tolerance ±20 %
Color code chart (IEC 60062:2016, Table 1)
| Color | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | TCR ppm/K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | × 1 | – | 250 |
| Brown | 1 | × 10 | ±1 % | 100 |
| Red | 2 | × 100 | ±2 % | 50 |
| Orange | 3 | × 1 k | ±0.05 % | 15 |
| Yellow | 4 | × 10 k | ±0.02 % | 25 |
| Green | 5 | × 100 k | ±0.5 % | 20 |
| Blue | 6 | × 1 M | ±0.25 % | 10 |
| Violet | 7 | × 10 M | ±0.1 % | 5 |
| Grey | 8 | × 100 M | ±0.01 % | 1 |
| White | 9 | × 1 G | – | – |
| Gold | – | × 0.1 | ±5 % | – |
| Silver | – | × 0.01 | ±10 % | – |
| no band | – | – | ±20 % | – |
Examples
- Red – red – brown – gold = 22 × 10 = 220 Ω ±5 % (a common LED resistor)
- Brown – black – orange – gold = 10 × 1,000 = 10 kΩ ±5 %
- Brown – black – black – brown – brown = 100 × 10 = 1 kΩ ±1 %
Mnemonic and limits
A classic mnemonic for black to white (0–9) is “Bad Beer Rots Our Young Guts But Vodka Goes Well”. On old or heat-damaged parts red, orange and brown are easy to confuse – when in doubt, measure with a multimeter. For picking a resistor for an LED, see the LED resistor calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read a 4-band resistor?
Bands 1 and 2 are digits, band 3 is the multiplier (number of zeros), band 4 the tolerance. Yellow-violet-red-gold = 47 × 100 = 4.7 kΩ ±5 %.
How do you read a 5-band resistor?
Three digits, then multiplier and tolerance. Brown-black-black-brown-brown = 100 × 10 = 1 kΩ ±1 %.
Which side do you start reading a resistor from?
From the end where the bands are closer to the edge. Gold and silver never come first, and the tolerance band is often wider or spaced apart.
What are the colors of a 10k resistor?
With 4 bands brown – black – orange plus tolerance (usually gold); with 5 bands brown – black – black – red plus tolerance (usually brown).
What does the 6th band mean?
The temperature coefficient in ppm/K – how much the resistance changes per degree. Brown = ±100 ppm/K, i.e. 0.01 % per kelvin.
Sources and legal basis
- IEC 60062:2016: IEC 60062:2016 – Marking codes for resistors and capacitors, Table 1 (code colour prescriptions)
- Vishay: Vishay Draloric/Beyschlag – Resistor color card (IEC 60062 coding, E24/E96)
- IEC 60063:2015: IEC 60063:2015 – Preferred number series for resistors and capacitors (E24)
As of:
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