This resistor color code chart is a quick reference for through-hole resistor bands. It covers the four roles a color can have: significant digit, multiplier, tolerance, and temperature coefficient. The role comes from the band position and the band count, not from the color name alone. Use the Resistor Color Code Calculator when you want to test a complete sequence or reverse a value into a band candidate.
Quick resistor color code chart
| Color | Code | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temperature coefficient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | BK | 0 | x1 | 250 ppm/K | |
| Brown | BN | 1 | x10 | +/- 1% | 100 ppm/K |
| Red | RD | 2 | x100 | +/- 2% | 50 ppm/K |
| Orange | OG | 3 | x1,000 | +/- 0.05% | 15 ppm/K |
| Yellow | YE | 4 | x10,000 | +/- 0.02% | 25 ppm/K |
| Green | GN | 5 | x100,000 | +/- 0.5% | 20 ppm/K |
| Blue | BU | 6 | x1,000,000 | +/- 0.25% | 10 ppm/K |
| Violet | VT | 7 | x10,000,000 | +/- 0.1% | 5 ppm/K |
| Grey | GY | 8 | x100,000,000 | +/- 0.01% | 1 ppm/K |
| White | WH | 9 | x1,000,000,000 | ||
| Gold | GD | x0.1 | +/- 5% | ||
| Silver | SR | x0.01 | +/- 10% | ||
| Pink | PK | x0.001 |
Blank cells mean that the color is not normally used for that role in this reference table. The two-letter code is a compact color abbreviation; it is not a substitute for the band position or the manufacturer marking specification.
How to read the columns
Black through white map to digits 0 through 9. The same sequence supplies multipliers from x1 through x1,000,000,000. Gold, silver, and pink extend the multiplier range downward to x0.1, x0.01, and x0.001. Tolerance and TCR are separate specifications: tolerance describes the initial allowed deviation from nominal, while TCR describes change with temperature in ppm/K.
Some high-precision tolerance and TCR values are convention or series dependent. Treat this chart as a decoding reference, then check the component datasheet when the part is safety-related, precision-critical, or difficult to identify.
Resistor band structure
| Band count | Band 1 | Band 2 | Band 3 | Band 4 | Band 5 | Band 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-band | Digit 1 | Digit 2 | Multiplier | Not shown; commonly +/- 20% | Not used | Not used |
| 4-band | Digit 1 | Digit 2 | Multiplier | Tolerance | Not used | Not used |
| 5-band | Digit 1 | Digit 2 | Digit 3 | Multiplier | Tolerance | Not used |
| 6-band | Digit 1 | Digit 2 | Digit 3 | Multiplier | Tolerance | TCR |
Worked examples by band count
3-band
Brown, black, red means 10 x 100 = 1,000 ohms. Because no tolerance band is shown, it is commonly treated as 1 kohm +/- 20% for decoding. Brown, black, gold is 10 x 0.1 = 1 ohm, which shows why gold can be a multiplier.
4-band
Brown, black, red, gold means 1 kohm +/- 5%. Yellow, violet, red, silver means 4.7 kohm +/- 10%. In both examples, the third band is the multiplier and the fourth is tolerance.
5-band
Brown, black, black, brown, brown means 100 x 10 = 1 kohm +/- 1%. The third black is a significant digit, not a multiplier, because five-band parts have three significant digits.
6-band
Brown, black, red, brown, brown, red means 1.02 kohm +/- 1%, 50 ppm/K. The last red is TCR and must not be folded into the resistance calculation.
Low-resistance and boundary examples
| Marking | Format | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Red, red, silver | 3-band | 22 x 0.01 = 0.22 ohm; commonly +/- 20% |
| Brown, black, gold, gold | 4-band | 10 x 0.1 = 1 ohm +/- 5% |
| Brown, black, pink, gold | 4-band | 10 x 0.001 = 0.01 ohm +/- 5%; verify that the part uses pink |
| White, white, white, brown | 4-band | 99 Gohm +/- 1%; mathematically valid but unusual |
| Black, brown, red, gold | 4-band | Invalid in the common system because the first significant digit cannot be black |
CSV fields and download
The resistor-color-codes.csv file contains the same 13 color rows shown above. Color is the human-readable name, Code is the two-letter abbreviation, Digit applies only to significant-digit positions, and Multiplier, Tolerance, and Temperature coefficient apply only when the band role permits them. Blank cells are intentional. The multiplier values are human-readable strings such as x1,000, not bare numeric values for direct spreadsheet arithmetic.
Common questions
Can the first band be black?
Black represents digit zero, but it is not normally valid as the first significant digit because it would create a leading zero. Black can be the second or third significant digit in a five-band code.
Can gold and silver be digits?
No. They can be multipliers or tolerance colors depending on their position. Pink is also a multiplier-only color in this reference.
What does a missing tolerance band mean?
A three-band resistor has no separate tolerance band. Common decoding practice treats the missing tolerance as +/- 20%, but that is a convention rather than a measured or universal manufacturer guarantee.
What does the sixth band mean?
It is normally the temperature coefficient in ppm/K. The exact mapping should be checked against the resistor series datasheet.
Source and limits
This guide follows IEC 60062-style resistor color marking practice and the color/value conventions used in common through-hole manufacturer tables. Color decoding identifies the nominal marking; it does not prove that a particular part is genuine, undamaged, correctly installed, or available in the stated power rating.
- Use the Resistor Color Code Calculator as a reading aid, then compare the result with the component body, schematic, bill of materials, and datasheet.
- Gold, silver, faded paint, unusual spacing, and manufacturer-specific marks can create more than one plausible reading.
- Do not use a color-only result as a safety, installation, procurement, customs, or compliance decision.
Related guides
How to Read Resistor Color Codes shows the reading workflow; Resistor Color Code Tolerance Bands explains the tolerance column; and Resistor Temperature Coefficient explains ppm/K.