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
Pick the band colours to read a resistor, or type a value to get its colour bands. Supports 3, 4, 5 and 6-band resistors (IEC 60062).
Accepts 4700, 4.7k, 4k7, 2M2, 0R47 or 470m (milliohms). Keeps the tolerance you have selected.
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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
