Resistor color code calculator — 4, 5 & 6 band
Decode any through-hole resistor from its color bands — 4, 5 or 6 band (IEC 60062) — or type a resistance and read the bands to look for.
Choose the color of each band from left to right.
Decoded value
Resistance
2 digits × multiplier
Tolerance
A blank 4th band would mean ±20%
Nearest E24 value
E24 preferred value
About the model
IEC 60062 bands: the first two (or three) rings are significant digits, the next ring is the decimal multiplier (×10ⁿ, with gold = ×0.1 and silver = ×0.01), and the last ring is the tolerance (±1% brown, ±2% red, ±5% gold, ±10% silver). A 6th ring adds the temperature coefficient in ppm/K. So brown-black-red-gold reads 1 0 ×100 = 1 kΩ at ±5%.
Working backwards, a target like 47 kΩ maps to yellow-violet-orange = 4 7 ×1000. Precision parts (under ±5%) use a third digit, e.g. brown-black-black-red-brown for a 10 kΩ ±1%. The nearest standard value is looked up in the E24 series (10, 11, 12 … 91 per decade), which is what most through-hole resistors are manufactured to.
Looking for parts: resistors · resistor kits · through-hole resistors. The color code applies to through-hole resistors; surface-mount (SMD) parts use a numeric marking instead.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I read a 4-band resistor color code?
The first two bands are significant digits, the third is the multiplier (10^n), and the fourth is tolerance. Brown-black-red-gold reads 1, 0, ×100 → 1000 Ω = 1 kΩ at ±5%.
What do the resistor tolerance colors mean?
Brown = ±1%, red = ±2%, gold = ±5%, silver = ±10%. A 4-band resistor with no tolerance band is ±20%. Precision parts (≤2%) carry a third significant digit and read as 5-band codes.
How do I find the nearest standard resistor value?
Through-hole resistors are made to the E24 series (10, 11, 12, 13, 15 … 91 per decade). This calculator matches any decoded value to the closest E24 part and shows the percentage difference, so you can pick the standard part closest to your design value.
Colors can be hard to tell apart under poor lighting — when in doubt, confirm with a multimeter. ICBOMS provides this tool for reference only.