How do I read a resistor?
- Find the reading direction. Start opposite the separated tolerance band, often gold or silver.
- Select the band count. Match the number of bands on your resistor.
- Choose each colour from left to right. The value and tolerance update immediately.
- Check the physical part when safety matters. Confirm uncertain readings with a multimeter.
Can I use it to check a resistor's value?
Yes. Choose the colours you see on the part and the calculator works as a resistance checker: it shows the value the bands stand for, the tolerance and the range a good part measures within.
The colours only say what the resistor is meant to be. To confirm it, set a multimeter to resistance (Ω) and touch one probe to each lead, with the power off and the resistor out of the circuit. A brown, black, red and gold resistor is 1 kΩ ±5%, so a good one reads between 950 Ω and 1.05 kΩ.
What does each colour mean?
Each colour stands for a number. Where the band sits decides what it does: a digit, a multiplier, the tolerance or the temperature coefficient (TCR).
| Colour | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | TCR (ppm/K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pink | — | ×0.001 | — | — |
| Silver | — | ×0.01 | ±10% | — |
| Gold | — | ×0.1 | ±5% | — |
| Black | 0 | ×1 | — | ±250 |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1% | ±100 |
| Red | 2 | ×100 | ±2% | ±50 |
| Orange | 3 | ×1k | ±0.05% | ±15 |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10k | ±0.02% | ±25 |
| Green | 5 | ×100k | ±0.5% | ±20 |
| Blue | 6 | ×1M | ±0.25% | ±10 |
| Violet | 7 | ×10M | ±0.1% | ±5 |
| Gray | 8 | ×100M | ±0.01% | ±1 |
| White | 9 | ×1G | — | — |
| No band | — | — | ±20% | — |
Digit bands use Black to White (0–9). A leading black band is accepted as digit 0, although it is uncommon because the leading zero adds nothing. Each band position accepts only the colours valid for that role: pink is valid only as the rare ×0.001 multiplier, and no tolerance band means ±20% on a 3-band resistor.
What colours does a common value have?
The most-used values from 10 Ω to 1 MΩ as four-band codes with a gold ±5% tolerance band, worked out by the same engine as the calculator and shown with their true band colours.
| Resistance | Band sequence, read left to right | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Ω | BrownBlackBlackGold | ±5% |
| 22 Ω | RedRedBlackGold | ±5% |
| 47 Ω | YellowVioletBlackGold | ±5% |
| 100 Ω | BrownBlackBrownGold | ±5% |
| 120 Ω | BrownRedBrownGold | ±5% |
| 150 Ω | BrownGreenBrownGold | ±5% |
| 180 Ω | BrownGrayBrownGold | ±5% |
| 220 Ω | RedRedBrownGold | ±5% |
| 270 Ω | RedVioletBrownGold | ±5% |
| 330 Ω | OrangeOrangeBrownGold | ±5% |
| 470 Ω | YellowVioletBrownGold | ±5% |
| 560 Ω | GreenBlueBrownGold | ±5% |
| 680 Ω | BlueGrayBrownGold | ±5% |
| 1 kΩ | BrownBlackRedGold | ±5% |
| 1.2 kΩ | BrownRedRedGold | ±5% |
| 1.5 kΩ | BrownGreenRedGold | ±5% |
| 2.2 kΩ | RedRedRedGold | ±5% |
| 3.3 kΩ | OrangeOrangeRedGold | ±5% |
| 4.7 kΩ | YellowVioletRedGold | ±5% |
| 5.6 kΩ | GreenBlueRedGold | ±5% |
| 6.8 kΩ | BlueGrayRedGold | ±5% |
| 10 kΩ | BrownBlackOrangeGold | ±5% |
| 22 kΩ | RedRedOrangeGold | ±5% |
| 47 kΩ | YellowVioletOrangeGold | ±5% |
| 100 kΩ | BrownBlackYellowGold | ±5% |
| 220 kΩ | RedRedYellowGold | ±5% |
| 470 kΩ | YellowVioletYellowGold | ±5% |
| 1 MΩ | BrownBlackGreenGold | ±5% |
Step by step, with circuits and look-alikes:
- 68 Ω colour code
- 100 Ω colour code
- 120 Ω colour code
- 150 Ω colour code
- 220 Ω colour code
- 270 Ω colour code
- 330 Ω colour code
- 470 Ω colour code
- 560 Ω colour code
- 680 Ω colour code
- 820 Ω colour code
- 1 kΩ colour code
- 1.5 kΩ colour code
- 1.8 kΩ colour code
- 2.2 kΩ colour code
- 2.7 kΩ colour code
- 3.3 kΩ colour code
- 3.9 kΩ colour code
- 4.7 kΩ colour code
- 5.6 kΩ colour code
- 6.8 kΩ colour code
- 8.2 kΩ colour code
- 10 kΩ colour code
- 12 kΩ colour code
- 15 kΩ colour code
- 18 kΩ colour code
- 22 kΩ colour code
- 27 kΩ colour code
- 33 kΩ colour code
- 39 kΩ colour code
- 47 kΩ colour code
- 56 kΩ colour code
- 68 kΩ colour code
- 82 kΩ colour code
- 100 kΩ colour code
- 150 kΩ colour code
- 220 kΩ colour code
- 330 kΩ colour code
- 470 kΩ colour code
- 680 kΩ colour code
- 1 MΩ colour code
- 2.2 MΩ colour code
- 10 MΩ colour code
Why do values like 4.7k exist?
Common resistor values follow E series. The E12 sequence is 10, 12, 15, 18, 22, 27, 33, 39, 47, 56, 68, 82, repeated at each power of ten.
E24 and E96 provide finer steps. Reverse lookup shows when a value must be rounded to a representable colour code.
What changes with 3, 4, 5 or 6 bands?
More bands add precision and, with a sixth band, temperature information. The rule stays the same: significant digits × multiplier.
| Type | Significant digits | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temperature coefficient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 bands | 2 digits | Band 3 | No band: ±20% | — |
| 4 bands | 2 digits | Band 3 | Band 4 | — |
| 5 bands | 3 digits | Band 4 | Band 5 | — |
| 6 bands | 3 digits | Band 4 | Band 5 | Band 6 |
How do I read a 3-band resistor?
Read it like a 4-band resistor with the last band missing: two digit bands, then the multiplier. With no tolerance band, the tolerance is ±20%. Start from the end the bands sit closest to.
YellowVioletRed
Yellow is 4, violet is 7 and red means ×100: 47 × 100 = 4.7 kΩ. At ±20%, a good part measures between 3.76 kΩ and 5.64 kΩ.
How do I read a 6-band resistor?
Read it like a 5-band resistor with one more band: three digit bands, the multiplier and the tolerance. The sixth band is the temperature coefficient (TCR), which says how much the value drifts as the part warms up or cools down.
YellowVioletBlackOrangeBrownRed
Yellow, violet and black are 4, 7 and 0, and orange means ×1,000: 470 × 1,000 = 470 kΩ. The fifth band, brown, is ±1% (465.3 kΩ to 474.7 kΩ). The sixth band, red, is ±50 ppm/K: the value moves by at most 0.005% for each 1 °C change in temperature.
Which end comes first?
Black is digit 0 and may appear as a leading black band in a multi-band code. It is uncommon in the first position because a leading zero adds no precision. A separated tolerance band normally sits at the right-hand end; gold and silver are never significant digits.
A zero-ohm jumper is a separate component marking, usually one centred black band. It is not a normal all-black 3-, 4-, 5- or 6-band resistance code.
How do I remember the colours?
Big Boys Race Our Young Girls But Violet Generally Wins.
- BigBlack = 0
- BoysBrown = 1
- RaceRed = 2
- OurOrange = 3
- YoungYellow = 4
- GirlsGreen = 5
- ButBlue = 6
- VioletViolet = 7
- GenerallyGray = 8
- WinsWhite = 9
Use the first letter of each word. Black, brown and blue all start with B, so keep their order. Phrase source
Can I see a few worked out?
These examples are generated with the same calculation engine as the live tool.
220 Ω ±5%
Red · Red · Brown · Gold
22 × 10¹209 Ω to 231 Ω4.7 kΩ ±5%
Yellow · Violet · Red · Gold
47 × 10²4.465 kΩ to 4.935 kΩ12.3 kΩ ±1%
Brown · Red · Orange · Red · Brown
123 × 10²12.177 kΩ to 12.423 kΩ68 kΩ ±1%
Blue · Gray · Black · Red · Brown · Red
680 × 10² · TCR ±50 ppm/K67.32 kΩ to 68.68 kΩWhat do people often get wrong?
Reading backwards
Look for the wider gap before the tolerance band and begin at the opposite end.
Gold versus yellow
Gold is metallic and reflective; yellow is a solid paint colour. Gold is a multiplier or tolerance, never a digit.
Silver versus gray
Silver is metallic and is used for ×0.01 or ±10%. Gray is a digit and can also represent tolerance or TCR.
Assuming every value is exact
Reverse lookup can return the nearest representable band code. The tool clearly labels that case.
How is the value worked out?
Resistance = significant digits × 10multiplier exponent Ω
Minimum = nominal × (1 − tolerance ÷ 100)
Maximum = nominal × (1 + tolerance ÷ 100)
For a six-band resistor, the last band is the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), expressed as ±parts per million per kelvin.
Tolerance range and TCR
A 1 kΩ ±5% resistor is expected to measure from 950 Ω to 1.05 kΩ at its specified reference conditions. A TCR of ±50 ppm/K means resistance may change by up to 0.005% per kelvin from the reference temperature.
The pink multiplier (×0.001), orange ±0.05%, yellow ±0.02% and gray ±0.01% values are rare but valid in the current IEC table.
Short answers to common questions
Which end of the resistor do I read first?
Start from the end opposite the tolerance band. The tolerance band is usually separated from the others by a wider gap and is commonly gold or silver — two colours that are never significant digits. If neither clue is visible, decode both directions and keep the one that lands on a standard value.
What is the colour code for a 220 ohm resistor?
A four-band 220 Ω resistor is Red, Red, Brown, Gold: digits 2 and 2 followed by a ×10 multiplier and a ±5% tolerance band. The five-band ±1% version is Red, Red, Black, Black, Brown.
What is the difference between a 4-band and 5-band resistor?
A four-band resistor has two significant digits; a five-band resistor has three, so it can identify more precise nominal values.
What does the sixth resistor band mean?
The sixth band is TCR. It describes how much resistance may shift with temperature, in ±ppm/K.
What if there is no tolerance band at all?
A resistor with only three colour bands has no tolerance band and is read as ±20%. The three bands still follow the normal rule: two significant digits followed by a multiplier.
Why does my 5-band resistor decode to a strange value?
Try reading from the other end and check the tolerance band position. If the marking is unclear, verify the value with a multimeter.
What does a leading black band mean?
Black is digit 0 in a multi-band code. Manufacturer calculators accept it in the first position, although it is uncommon because the leading zero is redundant. A component with only one centred black band is instead a nominal zero-ohm jumper.
Is pink a real resistor band colour?
Yes. IEC 60062 added pink as the rare ×0.001 multiplier. Many simplified manufacturer charts omit values they do not use.
Can I download the resistor image or the colour chart?
Yes. The clean PNG keeps a transparent background, the labelled guide adds role arrows and Wirecora attribution for sharing, and the full colour code chart can be printed, saved as a PDF or downloaded as a PNG from the chart section.
Should I trust colour bands for repair work?
Use them to identify the intended value, then verify uncertain or safety-critical parts with proper test equipment.
How do we check the calculator?
Band roles follow IEC 60062:2016+A1:2019. Manufacturer guidance from Panasonic Industry and Vishay is used as a practical cross-check. The calculator uses deterministic arithmetic, not AI estimation. The page shows no ads and sets no cookies.
Logic verification: 25,740 canonical 3–6 band encode/decode combinations tested.