HSV to RGB Converter
Welcome to the comprehensive HSV to RGB color space converter designed to help graphic designers, developers, and digital artists convert HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) colors to RGB (Red, Green, Blue) format with accurate calculations and detailed mathematical formulas.
Interactive HSV to RGB Converter
HSV Input
RGB Output
HSV Input Values
Conversion Results
Understanding HSV Color Model
What is HSV?
HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value), also known as HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness), is a cylindrical color model that represents colors in a way more aligned with human perception than RGB. HSV separates color information (hue) from its brightness (value) and colorfulness (saturation), making it intuitive for color selection, image processing, and color manipulation in graphic design applications like Adobe Photoshop.
HSV Components Explained
- Hue (H): The color type on a 360° color wheel. 0° = Red, 60° = Yellow, 120° = Green, 180° = Cyan, 240° = Blue, 300° = Magenta, returning to 360° = Red
- Saturation (S): Color intensity from 0% (gray/no color) to 100% (fully saturated pure color). Low saturation = pale/washed out, high saturation = vivid
- Value (V): Brightness from 0% (black) to 100% (brightest possible color). Also called Brightness in HSB. V=0% always produces black regardless of H and S
- Pure Colors: Occur at S=100% and V=100%
- Grayscale: Any color with S=0% (hue becomes irrelevant)
HSV to RGB Conversion Formulas
Step 1: Normalize HSV Values
\[ H' = \frac{H}{60}, \quad S' = \frac{S}{100}, \quad V' = \frac{V}{100} \]
Divide H by 60 (creates 6 sectors), S and V by 100 (convert to 0-1 range)
Step 2: Calculate Chroma and Intermediate Values
\[ C = V' \times S' \] \[ X = C \times \left(1 - \left|H' \bmod 2 - 1\right|\right) \] \[ m = V' - C \]
C = chroma (color intensity), X = intermediate value, m = brightness adjustment
Step 3: Assign RGB' Based on Hue Sector
\[ (R', G', B') = \begin{cases} (C, X, 0) & \text{if } 0 \leq H' < 1 \text{ (0°-60°)} \\ (X, C, 0) & \text{if } 1 \leq H' < 2 \text{ (60°-120°)} \\ (0, C, X) & \text{if } 2 \leq H' < 3 \text{ (120°-180°)} \\ (0, X, C) & \text{if } 3 \leq H' < 4 \text{ (180°-240°)} \\ (X, 0, C) & \text{if } 4 \leq H' < 5 \text{ (240°-300°)} \\ (C, 0, X) & \text{if } 5 \leq H' < 6 \text{ (300°-360°)} \end{cases} \]
Step 4: Convert to RGB (0-255)
\[ R = (R' + m) \times 255 \] \[ G = (G' + m) \times 255 \] \[ B = (B' + m) \times 255 \]
Add brightness adjustment (m) and scale to 0-255 range
Common HSV to RGB Conversions
| Color Name | HSV | RGB | Hex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | HSV(0°, 100%, 100%) | RGB(255, 0, 0) | #FF0000 |
| Yellow | HSV(60°, 100%, 100%) | RGB(255, 255, 0) | #FFFF00 |
| Green | HSV(120°, 100%, 100%) | RGB(0, 255, 0) | #00FF00 |
| Cyan | HSV(180°, 100%, 100%) | RGB(0, 255, 255) | #00FFFF |
| Blue | HSV(240°, 100%, 100%) | RGB(0, 0, 255) | #0000FF |
| Magenta | HSV(300°, 100%, 100%) | RGB(255, 0, 255) | #FF00FF |
| White | HSV(0°, 0%, 100%) | RGB(255, 255, 255) | #FFFFFF |
| Black | HSV(0°, 0%, 0%) | RGB(0, 0, 0) | #000000 |
| Gray | HSV(0°, 0%, 50%) | RGB(128, 128, 128) | #808080 |
Detailed Conversion Example
Example: Convert HSV(270°, 75%, 80%) to RGB
Step 1: Normalize values
H' = 270/60 = 4.5
S' = 75/100 = 0.75
V' = 80/100 = 0.80
Step 2: Calculate C, X, m
C = 0.80 × 0.75 = 0.60
H' mod 2 = 4.5 mod 2 = 0.5
X = 0.60 × (1 - |0.5 - 1|) = 0.60 × 0.5 = 0.30
m = 0.80 - 0.60 = 0.20
Step 3: Assign RGB' (4 ≤ 4.5 < 5, so 240°-300°)
R' = X = 0.30, G' = 0, B' = C = 0.60
Step 4: Convert to RGB
R = (0.30 + 0.20) × 255 = 128
G = (0 + 0.20) × 255 = 51
B = (0.60 + 0.20) × 255 = 204
Result: RGB(128, 51, 204) or #8033CC
HSV vs HSL: Key Differences
Third Component Comparison
The critical difference between HSV and HSL lies in the third component. HSV uses Value (brightness from black to brightest color), while HSL uses Lightness (from black through pure color to white). In HSV, fully saturated colors occur at V=100% with S=100%. In HSL, fully saturated colors occur at L=50% with S=100%. This makes HSV more intuitive for brightness adjustments—increasing V simply makes colors brighter without shifting through white.
When to Use HSV
- Image Editing: HSV is standard in Photoshop, GIMP, and most image editing software because brightness control feels natural
- Color Picking: Color picker wheels typically use HSV because the top of the brightness slider shows the pure color
- Computer Vision: OpenCV and image processing libraries prefer HSV for color-based object detection and tracking
- Brightness Adjustments: Increasing V brightens colors predictably without passing through white
When to Use HSL Instead
- CSS and Web Design: HSL is natively supported in CSS, HSV is not
- Accessibility: HSL's lightness component better correlates with perceived brightness for WCAG contrast calculations
- Pastel Colors: HSL makes creating pastels easier by adjusting L toward 100%
| Aspect | HSV | HSL |
|---|---|---|
| Third Component | Value/Brightness (0-100%) | Lightness (0-100%) |
| Pure Color Location | V=100%, S=100% | L=50%, S=100% |
| White | V=100%, S=0% | L=100% (any S) |
| Black | V=0% (any S) | L=0% (any S) |
| CSS Support | No native support | hsl() and hsla() |
| Common Use | Image editing, computer vision | Web design, CSS |
Practical Applications
Image Processing and Computer Vision
HSV is extensively used in computer vision for color-based object detection and tracking. Libraries like OpenCV convert images from RGB to HSV because it's easier to define color ranges in HSV space. For example, detecting all red objects is simpler with HSV thresholds (H: 0-10 and 350-360, S: 50-100%, V: 50-100%) than with RGB values which vary widely for different shades of red.
Graphic Design and Photo Editing
Professional image editing software like Adobe Photoshop uses HSV (called HSB in Photoshop) for its color picker and adjustment tools. The Hue/Saturation adjustment layer works in HSV space, allowing designers to shift colors, increase vibrancy, or adjust brightness independently. This intuitive control makes HSV the standard for creative color manipulation.
Color Selection Interfaces
Most color picker interfaces use HSV because it matches how humans think about colors. The hue wheel shows all colors at maximum saturation and brightness, the saturation-value square lets users adjust intensity and brightness, and the result feels natural. Converting the selected HSV values to RGB enables use across all digital platforms.
Common Questions
Why convert HSV to RGB?
While HSV is intuitive for color selection and manipulation, RGB is the native format for digital displays and most graphics APIs. Web browsers, image files (JPEG, PNG), and display hardware all use RGB. Converting HSV to RGB enables using intuitive HSV color selection while maintaining compatibility with systems that require RGB values. Additionally, many programming libraries and frameworks expect RGB input.
Is HSV to RGB conversion lossy?
No, HSV to RGB conversion is mathematically precise and fully reversible. Converting HSV → RGB → HSV returns the exact original values (accounting for rounding). Both color spaces represent the same gamut of colors—they're different mathematical representations of the same color information. The conversion formulas are deterministic with no information loss.
Why does Photoshop use HSB instead of HSV?
HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) and HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) are identical—just different names for the same color model. Adobe chose "Brightness" because it's more intuitive for users than "Value." The mathematical formulas, behavior, and color representation are exactly the same. Some software uses HSV, others use HSB, but they're interchangeable terms.
Can I use HSV in CSS?
CSS does not natively support HSV color notation. CSS supports RGB, hex, HSL, and newer color spaces like Lab and LCH, but not HSV. To use HSV-selected colors in CSS, you must convert to RGB, hex, or HSL format. Many design tools allow HSV color picking but export to CSS-compatible formats. JavaScript can perform HSV-to-RGB conversion for dynamic styling.
Which is better for color manipulation—HSV or RGB?
HSV is generally better for human-driven color manipulation. Adjusting brightness, saturation, or hue independently is intuitive in HSV, whereas RGB requires adjusting all three channels proportionally for similar effects. However, RGB is more efficient for computational operations and color mixing algorithms. Professional workflows often use HSV for user interfaces and selection, then convert to RGB for processing and display.
Why Choose RevisionTown Resources?
RevisionTown is committed to providing accurate, user-friendly calculators and educational resources across diverse topics. While we specialize in mathematics education for curricula like IB, AP, GCSE, and IGCSE, we also create practical tools for technical applications like this HSV to RGB converter.
Our converter combines mathematical precision with interactive visualizations and instant color previews to help graphic designers, developers, and students understand color space conversions and apply them effectively in their projects.
Note: This HSV to RGB converter uses standard color space conversion formulas. Hue ranges from 0-360 degrees, while Saturation and Value range from 0-100%. Conversions are mathematically precise with no loss of information. HSV is identical to HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) used in Adobe Photoshop—they're the same color model with different naming. For web development requiring CSS output, consider converting the resulting RGB values to hex format or using HSL color space which has native CSS support. Always verify colors across different displays to account for monitor calibration variations.
