Resistor Color Code: Read Resistance Values

Resistor color code is a quick way to read a resistor’s value, tolerance, and sometimes its temp drift from painted bands. This electronics color code guide covers 4-band, 5-band, and 6-band parts with a simple color band chart, clear steps, and a few common resistor values. It also helps with resistor identification when printed text is too small to read.

What the code shows

A resistor color code gives the value in ohms and the allowed error range. On most parts, the first bands are digits, the next band is the multiplier, and the last band is tolerance. A 6-band part adds a band for temperature coefficient, which tells you how much the value may shift with heat.

The code is useful on small resistors where numbers are hard to see. A color code calculator can help if you want a fast check, but reading the bands by hand is faster once you learn it. The same pattern works for resistor values from a few ohms to many megaohms.

Resistor color band chart

Use this plain-text color band chart to decode resistor bands.

• Black: digit 0, ×1
• Brown: digit 1, ×10, ±1%, 100 ppm/°C
• Red: digit 2, ×100, ±2%, 50 ppm/°C
• Orange: digit 3, ×1,000, 15 ppm/°C
• Yellow: digit 4, ×10,000, 25 ppm/°C
• Green: digit 5, ×100,000, ±0.5%
• Blue: digit 6, ×1,000,000, ±0.25%, 10 ppm/°C
• Violet: digit 7, ×10,000,000, ±0.1%, 5 ppm/°C
• Gray: digit 8, ×100,000,000, ±0.05%
• White: digit 9, ×1,000,000,000
• Gold: ×0.1, ±5%
• Silver: ×0.01, ±10%
• No tolerance band: about ±20%

Gold and silver are not used as normal digit bands. They usually sit near the end of the part and mark multiplier or tolerance. That makes them a useful clue when you are doing resistor decoding.

How to read a 4-band resistor

First, find the tolerance band. It is often gold, silver, brown, red, or a band that sits a little apart from the others. Then read from the opposite end.

1. Read the first two bands as digits.
2. Use the third band as the multiplier.
3. Use the fourth band as tolerance.
4. Convert the result to Ω, kΩ, or MΩ.

Example: yellow, violet, red, gold = 47 × 100 = 4,700 Ω, or 4.7 kΩ ±5%.

This same method works for many common resistor values, such as a 47 ohm resistor color code, a color code 100 ohm resistor, a 220 ohm resistor color code, a 330 ohm resistor color code, or a resistor color code 470 ohm part.

How to read a 5-band resistor

A 5-band resistor uses three digit bands, then a multiplier band, then a tolerance band. This is common when you need tighter resistor values than a 4-band part gives.

The steps are the same, but you collect three digits before you multiply.

Example: brown, black, black, red, brown = 100 × 100 = 10,000 Ω, or 10 kΩ ±1%.

A 5-band part can show values such as 10.2 kΩ, 47.5 kΩ, or 332 Ω more clearly. If you are not sure whether you have a 4-band or 5-band part, count the bands and check the spacing. If the reading looks wrong for the circuit, flip it and read again.

How to read a 6-band resistor

A 6-band resistor is read like a 5-band part, but the last band shows temperature coefficient. In plain terms, that band shows how much the value may change as the part warms up or cools down.

This matters most in precision circuits, test gear, timing circuits, and other places where stable resistor values matter. For LED limiters and basic pull-up parts, the last band may not change your choice much.

Example: brown, black, black, red, brown, red = 10 kΩ ±1% with a 50 ppm/°C temp coefficient.

Common mistakes when reading resistor bands

Even people with experience can misread resistor colors under bad light or when the part is dirty.

• Reading from the wrong end: start opposite the tolerance band when you can.
• Confusing red, orange, and brown: use bright light or a lens if the paint is faded.
• Ignoring the multiplier: the digits alone do not give the full value.
• Mixing up 4-band and 5-band parts: count all bands first.
• Expecting an exact meter match: tolerance means some spread is normal.
• Forgetting unit changes: 1,000 Ω = 1 kΩ and 1,000,000 Ω = 1 MΩ.

A digital multimeter is a good backup when the bands are damaged or hard to see. Still, reading the code first tells you the part’s planned value, not just the value you measure right now.

Quick bench checklist

Before you place a resistor in a circuit, run this short check.

• Count the bands: 4, 5, or 6.
• Find the tolerance end.
• Read the significant digits.
• Apply the multiplier.
• Convert to Ω, kΩ, or MΩ.
• Check tolerance and temp coefficient if needed.
• Compare the result with the circuit need.
• Use a meter if the colors are unclear.

This habit saves parts, protects LEDs and ICs, and makes troubleshooting faster. It is also a simple part of good resistor identification.

Final takeaway

The resistor color code looks hard at first, but the pattern is simple: digits, multiplier, tolerance, and sometimes temperature coefficient. Four-band parts use two digits, five-band parts use three digits, and six-band parts add a temp band.

Once you have practiced a few resistor colors and bands, decoding them becomes quick and reliable. That makes this color code guide useful on the bench, in repairs, and in electronics projects.

Q&A

Question: How do I know which end to read first?

Short answer: Find the tolerance band first. It is often gold, silver, brown, red, or slightly apart from the other bands. Start from the opposite end. Gold and silver are especially helpful clues because they usually mark tolerance or multiplier, not a digit.

Question: What is the main difference between 4-band and 5-band parts?

Short answer: A 4-band resistor uses two digit bands, then a multiplier and tolerance band. A 5-band resistor uses three digit bands before the multiplier and tolerance bands, which lets it show more exact resistor values.

Question: When does the sixth band matter?

Short answer: The sixth band shows the temperature coefficient, or how much the value may change with heat. It matters most in precision circuits, measurement gear, timing networks, and other sensitive analog work. For simple LED or pull-up use, it is often less important.

Question: Should I trust the color code or a multimeter?

Short answer: Use both when you can. The color code gives the intended rated value and tolerance. A multimeter shows the value at that moment. If the bands are hard to read or damaged, the meter is a helpful backup. If the measured value is inside the tolerance range, the part is usually fine.