Resistor Color Code Calculator
4-Band, 5-Band & 6-Band
Decode any through-hole resistor instantly. Select your band colours to identify resistance value, tolerance, and temperature coefficient — for 4-band, 5-band, and 6-band resistors.
What Is Resistor Color Code?
A Universal Standard for Identifying Resistor Values
Resistor color code is the standard method used to mark the resistance value, tolerance, and temperature coefficient of through-hole resistors using coloured bands printed on the component body. Defined by the IEC 60062 standard, this system allows engineers, technicians, and students to quickly identify any resistor without a meter. Each colour represents a specific digit, multiplier, or percentage value.
4-Band Resistors
Two digit bands + one multiplier + one tolerance. The most common type used in general-purpose circuits. Tolerance is typically ±5% (Gold) or ±10% (Silver).
5-Band Resistors
Three digit bands + one multiplier + one tolerance. Used for precision resistors with tighter tolerances of ±1% (Brown) or ±2% (Red) — common in professional PCB design.
6-Band Resistors
Same as 5-band plus a sixth temperature coefficient band. Used in precision, military, and aerospace applications where resistance stability across temperature is critical.
Resistor Color Code Calculator
Select band count and colours to decode any through-hole resistor value.
Reference Chart
Resistor Color Code Chart — All Colours & Values
Complete IEC 60062 resistor colour band reference. Each colour represents a specific digit, multiplier, tolerance, and temperature coefficient value.
| Colour | Digit Value | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temp. Coeff. (ppm/°C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 | — | 250 |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1% | 100 |
| Red | 2 | ×100 | ±2% | 50 |
| Orange | 3 | ×1K | — | 15 |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10K | — | 25 |
| Green | 5 | ×100K | ±0.5% | 20 |
| Blue | 6 | ×1M | ±0.25% | 10 |
| Violet | 7 | ×10M | ±0.1% | 5 |
| Grey | 8 | ×100M | ±0.05% | 1 |
| White | 9 | — | — | — |
| Gold | — | ×0.1 | ±5% | — |
| Silver | — | ×0.01 | ±10% | — |
| None | — | — | ±20% | — |
Step-by-Step Guide
How to Read a Resistor Color Code
Follow these steps to decode any resistor manually, or use the colour code calculator above for instant results.
-
1
Orient the Resistor
Hold the resistor with the tolerance band (Gold or Silver) on the right. The first significant digit band is on the left. For 5-band types, look for the wider gap before the last two bands.
-
2
Read the Digit Bands
For 4-band resistors, read the first two bands as digits (e.g. Red=2, Violet=7 → 27). For 5-band resistors, read three bands (e.g. Red, Violet, Green → 275).
-
3
Apply the Multiplier
Multiply the digit value by the multiplier band. Example: 27 × Red (×100) = 2,700Ω = 2.7kΩ. Gold = ×0.1, Silver = ×0.01 for sub-ohm values.
-
4
Note the Tolerance
The last band indicates tolerance: Gold = ±5%, Silver = ±10%, Brown = ±1%, Red = ±2%. A 2.7kΩ ±5% resistor ranges from 2,565Ω to 2,835Ω.
-
5
Read Temp. Coeff. (6-Band)
For 6-band resistors, the sixth band indicates temperature coefficient in ppm/°C. Brown = 100ppm/°C means resistance changes 100Ω per MΩ per °C change.
Designing a PCB That Needs Precision Resistors?
Our senior PCB engineers select and verify resistor values during schematic capture and layout — ensuring correct tolerance, footprint, and thermal rating for every component from prototype to production.
Explore PCB Layout Design →FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions — Resistor Color Code
Direct answers to the most common questions about resistor colour codes, band reading, and IEC standards.
To read a resistor colour code, orient the resistor with the tolerance band (Gold or Silver) on the right. Read the bands from left to right. For a 4-band resistor: Band 1 + Band 2 form the two-digit value, Band 3 is the multiplier, Band 4 is the tolerance. Multiply the two-digit number by the multiplier value. Example: Brown(1) + Black(0) + Red(×100) + Gold(±5%) = 10 × 100 = 1,000Ω (1kΩ) ±5%. For 5-band resistors, the first three bands are digits, then multiplier, then tolerance.
Each colour represents a number from 0 to 9 in sequence: Black=0 Brown=1 Red=2 Orange=3 Yellow=4 Green=5 Blue=6 Violet=7 Grey=8 White=9. As a multiplier band: Gold=×0.1, Silver=×0.01. As a tolerance band: Gold=±5%, Silver=±10%, Brown=±1%, Red=±2%, Green=±0.5%, Blue=±0.25%. The mnemonic "Bad Boys Race Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly" helps remember the order Black through White.
A 4-band resistor uses two digit bands + one multiplier + one tolerance band. It is the most common general-purpose type with tolerances of ±5% (Gold) or ±10% (Silver). A 5-band resistor adds a third digit band before the multiplier, providing a three-significant-figure value for greater precision — typically with ±1% (Brown) or ±2% (Red) tolerance. Use 5-band resistors in precision circuits where tighter resistance values are required, such as instrumentation, filters, and precision voltage dividers on PCBs.
A Gold band on a resistor has two meanings depending on its position. As a tolerance band (last band), Gold indicates ±5% tolerance — meaning the actual resistance is within 5% above or below the marked value. As a multiplier band, Gold represents ×0.1, used for sub-ohm resistor values (e.g. digit bands giving 27 × Gold = 2.7Ω). Gold is the most common tolerance band colour you will encounter in standard through-hole resistors.
A 6-band resistor is the same as a 5-band precision resistor with an additional sixth band indicating the temperature coefficient (tempco) in ppm/°C (parts per million per degree Celsius). This sixth band shows how much the resistance changes with temperature. For example, Brown (100 ppm/°C) means a 1kΩ resistor changes by 0.1Ω per °C. Six-band resistors are used in precision military, aerospace, industrial, and measurement applications where resistance stability across a wide temperature range is critical for circuit accuracy.
Resistors are read left to right, starting with the band closest to one end of the component. To correctly orient it: the tolerance band (Gold or Silver) should be on the right side. If there is no obvious gold/silver band, look for a band that is slightly farther from the body edge — that is typically the first digit band on the left. For 5-band resistors, a wider gap between bands 4 and 5 also helps identify orientation. When in doubt, use our resistor color code calculator above — try both orientations and pick the value that makes sense for your circuit.
