Reference Tool
Resistor Color Code Calculator
Select each band color to read the resistance value, or switch to 5-band mode for tighter-tolerance resistors. The diagram updates live as you choose.
Resistor Diagram
Resistance
—
± — tolerance
Minimum (with tolerance)—
Maximum (with tolerance)—
Band 1 — 1st Digit
Band 2 — 2nd Digit
Band 3 — 3rd Digit (5-band only)
Multiplier
Tolerance
How to read a resistor
On a 4-band resistor, the first two bands are digits, the third is the multiplier (how many zeros or decimal shift), and the fourth is tolerance — how much the actual resistance can vary from the printed value. A 5-band resistor adds a third digit for tighter precision (used in 1% and better tolerance resistors).