Convert HEX Colors to HSL Values Online Convert HEX color codes to HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) values.

🎨

HEX to HSL Converter

Convert HEX color codes to HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) values.

Enter HEX Color

Type a HEX color code or use the color picker to select your color.

Read HSL Values

See Hue (0–360°), Saturation (0–100%), and Lightness (0–100%) values instantly.

Copy HSL Output

Copy the hsl() CSS function value to use directly in your stylesheets.

Loading tool...

What Is HEX to HSL Converter?

A HEX to HSL converter transforms hexadecimal color codes into the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) color model. Unlike RGB which describes colors by mixing red, green, and blue light, HSL describes colors in a way that is more intuitive to humans. Hue is the color itself (measured in degrees around a color wheel: 0° is red, 120° is green, 240° is blue). Saturation describes the intensity or purity of the color (0% is gray, 100% is fully vivid). Lightness describes how light or dark the color is (0% is black, 50% is pure color, 100% is white). This makes HSL invaluable for creating color palettes, adjusting brightness without shifting hue, and generating harmonious color schemes. Designers and developers frequently need to convert from HEX (the standard web format) to HSL to make meaningful adjustments. For example, creating a darker shade is trivial in HSL — just reduce the lightness — whereas in HEX or RGB, you would need to adjust all three channels proportionally.

Why Use HEX to HSL Converter?

See color broken down into intuitive hue, saturation, and lightness components
Live color preview swatch updates as you type the HEX code
Outputs CSS-ready hsl() function for direct use in stylesheets
Supports 3-digit and 6-digit HEX input codes
Useful for understanding and manipulating color relationships

Common Use Cases

Color Palette Design

Convert brand HEX colors to HSL to easily create variations by adjusting saturation and lightness.

Theme Generation

Build light and dark theme variants by modifying the lightness value while keeping hue constant.

CSS Custom Properties

Store HSL values as CSS variables for flexible color theming: --primary-h, --primary-s, --primary-l.

Accessibility Adjustments

Tweak lightness values to ensure sufficient contrast ratios between text and backgrounds.

Technical Guide

The conversion from HEX to HSL first decodes the hex string into RGB values (0–255), then transforms to HSL. The algorithm normalizes RGB to 0–1 range, finds the maximum and minimum channel values, and computes: Lightness = (max + min) / 2. If max equals min, the color is achromatic (gray) with hue = 0 and saturation = 0. Otherwise, Saturation = delta / (1 - |2L - 1|) where delta = max - min. Hue depends on which channel is maximum: if red is max, H = (G-B)/delta; if green, H = (B-R)/delta + 2; if blue, H = (R-G)/delta + 4. The result is multiplied by 60 to convert to degrees (0–360). HSL is a cylindrical representation of the RGB cube. One important distinction: HSL lightness of 50% represents the most vivid form of any hue, while 0% is always black and 100% is always white. This differs from HSV/HSB where 100% value (brightness) represents the most vivid color.

Tips & Best Practices

1
HSL lightness of 50% gives the purest version of any hue — useful for base palette colors
2
Desaturating (lowering S) creates muted, professional-looking tones
3
HSL is ideal for CSS theming because hue, saturation, and lightness are independently adjustable
4
Equal R, G, B values in HEX always produce H=0, S=0 in HSL (pure gray)
5
Modern CSS supports hsl() natively in all browsers — no conversion needed at runtime

Related Tools

HEX to RGB Converter

Convert HEX color codes to RGB values instantly with a live preview swatch.

🎨 Color Tools

HSL to HEX Converter

Convert HSL color values to HEX codes with interactive sliders.

🎨 Color Tools

RGB to HSL Converter

Convert RGB values to HSL color format with interactive sliders.

🎨 Color Tools

Color Picker

Interactive color picker with HEX, RGB, HSL, and CMYK outputs.

🎨 Color Tools

Color Shade Generator

Generate darker shades of any color with adjustable step count.

🎨 Color Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Q What is the HSL color model?

HSL stands for Hue (color angle 0-360°), Saturation (intensity 0-100%), and Lightness (brightness 0-100%). It is a cylindrical representation that is more intuitive for humans than RGB.

Q Why convert HEX to HSL?

HSL makes it easy to create color variations. You can lighten, darken, or desaturate a color by changing a single value, whereas in HEX you would need to modify all six characters.

Q Is hsl() supported in CSS?

Yes, hsl() is supported in all modern browsers and has been since IE9. Modern CSS also supports the newer space-separated syntax: hsl(217 91% 60%).

Q How do I darken a HEX color using HSL?

Convert HEX to HSL, then reduce the Lightness value. For example, hsl(217, 91%, 60%) darkened to hsl(217, 91%, 40%) creates a darker shade of the same blue.

Q What is the difference between HSL and HSV?

HSL and HSV both use hue and saturation, but differ in the third component. HSL uses lightness (50% is pure color), while HSV uses value/brightness (100% is pure color). HSL is more common in CSS.

About This Tool

HEX to HSL Converter is a free online tool by FreeToolkit.ai. All processing happens directly in your browser — your data never leaves your device. No registration or installation required.