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Resistor Color Code Calculator

Read 4-band and 5-band resistor values from IEC 60062 colors. Informational, not a wattage rating or wiring approval.

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How to read resistor color bands

  1. Set band 1 and band 2 to the first digit colors, starting at the end opposite the tolerance band.
  2. Leave band 3 on None for a 4-band resistor, or pick a third digit for a 5-band resistor.
  3. Set the multiplier band and the tolerance band.
  4. Read ohms, a k or M prefix when it fits, and the tolerance. Nothing is uploaded.

Resistor color code

IEC 60062 band table

StandardIEC 60062 color numerals and multipliers
4-bandTwo digits, multiplier, tolerance
5-bandThree digits, multiplier, tolerance
Digit colorsBlack 0 through white 9
Gold multiplierTimes 0.1. Silver multiplier is times 0.01.
Gold tolerancePlus or minus 5%. None is plus or minus 20%.

How band colors become ohms

Each of the first two (or three) bands is a digit from 0 to 9. The multiplier band scales that integer. Tolerance is a separate band. The default brown, black, none, brown, gold is a 4-band 100 ohm part with plus or minus 5%.

IEC 60062, 4-band, and 5-band

IEC 60062 assigns black through white to 0 through 9. A 4-band resistor has two digits plus multiplier plus tolerance. A 5-band resistor adds a third digit before the multiplier. This page does not decode 6-band temperature coefficients.

How this page maps the selects

Band 3 set to None keeps two digits. Any other band 3 color uses three digits. Grey is the spelling this table uses for 8. Gold and silver appear on the multiplier and on tolerance, not on the digit bands.

Limits

Paint wear, body color, and 6-band parts can mislead a reading. Informational, not a wattage rating or wiring approval. CZNull does not receive the colors. See the disclaimer.

Resistor color questions

Does this page upload the colors I pick?
No. The band table runs in this tab. CZNull does not receive the selection.
When do I use band 3?
Leave it on None for four bands. Pick a digit color when the part has three digit bands.
What is brown black brown gold?
Band 3 None, multiplier brown, tolerance gold: 10 times 10, which is 100 ohms, plus or minus 5%.
Does gold on the multiplier mean plus or minus 5%?
No. Gold as multiplier means times 0.1. Gold as tolerance means plus or minus 5%.
Is this a power rating?
No. Color bands do not state watts. Check the part body or the datasheet.
Grey or gray?
This table uses grey for 8, which matches IEC 60062 English. The engine also accepts gray as the same digit.