HTML Hex Color Code Conversion

A simple method of converting HTML Hex Color Codes
to
Binary RGB (red green blue) formats
for use in your Paint programs

There is no intention here of trying to demonstrate the conversion of base number systems, just a simple way of you being able to achieve the colors you are seeking

First a simple explanation
When you see a hex code such as "FF0088" it is important to understand that this code represents 3 pairs of numbers representing the three different colors that go into defining RGB colors.

The first pair "FF" is the code for the Red Factor
The second pair "00" is the Green Factor
And the third pair "88" represents the Blue Factor

Now we can open up the calculator that comes with Windows
Mine is Windows 95 and might be a little different from yours.
You should be able to find it under your Start Menu | Accessories in Win95, if not you can install it through Add Remove software in your control Panel
oops -- I just noticed I have my calculator set to "Scientific", under the "View" options.

In our everyday lives we are only aware of the decimal number system, and this is the system that RGB uses for its codes versus the Hex system used in HTML
Note in the image below you have radio buttons for "Hex" "Dec" "Oct" and "Bin"
The only two we are concerned with here are "Hex", and "Dec"

Win95 Calculator image

For an example Lets try with the text Color for this table
The Hex code is "#FFFF00"
The 3 pairs are "FF", "FF", "00"
Now to convert the "FF" I click on the Hex radio button in the calculator and type FF in the input box.
Then I just click on the "Dec" radio button and the calculator returns the "Dec" equivalent in this case 255
There is no point in doing that twice so I will go to the "00" pair, and repeat the conversion.
Click on "Hex", enter 00, click on "Bin", and I get 0
So now I know that my Red = 255, Green = 255, and Blue = 0
I can go to my paint program, and in custom colors select the RGB Color Model, and insert these three values to come up with the same color. Also Netscape allows me to select "Custom Colors" in it's "Options | Colors" menu.
Just keep in mind that the sequence is always the same. The first pair is for Red, the second is for Green, and the third is for Blue.
Note that the inverse of this process is the same for building a "Hex" string. Enter the "Dec" value, click on "Hex", and build the string remembering to keep the "RGB" sequence in it proper order.

Note to the user. My memory of Windows 3.xx is not so hot now, but I am sure that I recall that the calculator does allow for "Dec" "Hex" conversion. Also it rings a bell that Windows 3.xx has two calculators, a standard one, and a Scientific one. Don't be afraid of the scientific one. For what we want here, it is still pretty simple. You might have to play around with it a bit to find the conversion options. If you have a problem with your calculator, please contact me and I will try to find a solution for you.