Resistor Color Codes

Decode 4-band, 5-band, and 6-band resistors; check tolerances; and reference preferred values by E-series.

Band Layouts

Type	Band Order (left → right)	Notes
4-band	Digit₁, Digit₂, Multiplier, Tolerance	Common for ±5%/±10%. Gold/Silver often used for tolerance.
5-band	Digit₁, Digit₂, Digit₃, Multiplier, Tolerance	Higher precision values; typical for ±1-±2% parts.
6-band	Digit₁, Digit₂, Digit₃, Multiplier, Tolerance, Tempco	Like 5-band with an extra band for temperature coefficient (ppm/°C).

Digits, Multipliers, Tolerance (Master Table)

Color	Digit	Multiplier	Tolerance	Typical Tempco (6th band, ppm/°C)
Black	0	x10⁰	-	~250
Brown	1	x10¹	±1%	~100
Red	2	x10²	±2%	~50
Orange	3	x10³	-	~15
Yellow	4	x10⁴	-	~25
Green	5	x10⁵	±0.5%	~20
Blue	6	x10⁶	±0.25%	~10
Violet	7	x10⁷	±0.1%	~5
Grey	8	x10⁸	±0.05%	~1
White	9	x10⁹	-	-
Gold	-	x10⁻¹	±5%	-
Silver	-	x10⁻²	±10%	-
None	-	-	±20%	-

Notes: Tolerance and tempco options vary by manufacturer/series. The tempco values shown are common reference figures for 6th-band coding; always confirm with the part datasheet.

Worked Examples

4-band: Brown-Black-Orange-Gold
Digits: 1, 0, Multiplier: x10³ → 10 x 10³ = 10 kΩ
Tolerance: ±5% (gold).
Actual range ≈ 9.5 kΩ to 10.5 kΩ.
5-band: Red-Violet-Black-Brown-Brown
Digits: 2, 7, 0, Multiplier: x10¹ → 270 x 10¹ = 2.70 kΩ
Tolerance: ±1% (brown).
6-band: Yellow-Violet-Black-Red-Brown-Brown
Digits: 4, 7, 0, Multiplier: x10² → 470 x 10² = 47 kΩ
Tolerance: ±1% (brown), Tempco: 100 ppm/°C (brown).
Approx change 0.01% per °C from 25 °C nominal.
Gold/Silver multipliers
Example: Red-Violet-Gold-Gold → 27 x 10⁻¹ = 2.7 Ω, ±5%.
Example: Green-Blue-Silver-Gold → 56 x 10⁻² = 0.56 Ω, ±5%.

Tip For 5-/6-band parts, the tolerance band is usually spaced slightly from the others; read left→right from the tight group toward the spaced band.

E-Series (Preferred Values)

Preferred values per decade are logarithmically spaced. Tighter tolerances use higher-count series.

Series	Typical Tolerance	Values in One Decade (examples)
E6	±20%	10, 15, 22, 33, 47, 68
E12	±10%	10, 12, 15, 18, 22, 27, 33, 39, 47, 56, 68, 82
E24	±5%	10, 10.5, 11, 11.5, 12, …, 91, 95, 100
E48	±2%	~48 values/decade (e.g., 10.0, 10.2, 10.5, 10.7, …)
E96	±1%	~96 values/decade (e.g., 10.0, 10.2, 10.5, 10.7, 11.0, …)
E192	±0.5% and tighter	~192 values/decade (fine steps; precision metal film)

Real parts are marked with color bands; the nominal value should match the nearest preferred value for the given tolerance class.

Common Quick Lookups

Target Value	Typical Bands (4-band)	Notes
220 Ω ±5%	Red-Red-Brown-Gold	22 x 10¹ = 220 Ω, gold = ±5%.
1.0 kΩ ±5%	Brown-Black-Red-Gold	10 x 10² = 1 kΩ.
4.7 kΩ ±5%	Yellow-Violet-Red-Gold	47 x 10² = 4.7 kΩ.
10 kΩ ±1%	Brown-Black-Black-Red-Brown (5-band)	100 x 10² = 10 kΩ, ±1% tolerance.
1 MΩ ±5%	Brown-Black-Green-Gold	10 x 10⁵ = 1 000 000 Ω.

Cheat Sheet (At a Glance)

Band	Meaning	Use
Digit bands	First 2 (4-band) or first 3 (5/6-band) bands are digits.	e.g., Yellow(4)-Violet(7)-Black(0)
Multiplier	Power-of-ten scaling (gold x10⁻¹, silver x10⁻²).	Value = Digits x Multiplier
Tolerance	Accuracy band; none = ±20%.	Gold ±5%, Silver ±10%, Brown ±1%, Red ±2%, …
Tempco (6th)	Change with temperature (ppm/°C).	Common: Brown 100, Red 50, Blue 10, Violet 5
E-series	Preferred values by tolerance class.	E12 (±10%), E24 (±5%), E96 (±1%), …

Reading order: start at the group of tightly spaced bands and read toward the tolerance band (often slightly separated).