HEX to LCh | Color Code Converter | Color Conversion
Online HEX to LCh tool: enter a HEX color value to convert it to LCh in real time, with one-click copy of the result. Free and no registration required.
HEXEnter or adjust the color values
rgba(255, 87, 51, 1)
LCh
lch(60.18% 82.49 41.2)
L
60.18
C
82.49
H
41.2
All Color Conversion Combinations
132 itemsAbout HEX to LCh
HEX to LCh is a free online tool that converts HEX to LCh, helping you quickly convert colors and switch between formats in web design, front-end development, and graphic design. HEX is Represents the three RGB channels with a hexadecimal value built from the characters 0-9 and A-F. LCh is The polar form of Lab, describing color with lightness L, chroma C, and hue H. At its core, HEX to LCh takes a color value expressed in HEX and converts it into LCh using a mathematical algorithm. The tool shows the result as both a visual color swatch and a complete CSS string, and you can copy it to the clipboard with a single click—no manual calculation or lookup tables required. This makes color code conversion fast, accurate, and reproducible, and it is suitable for designers, front-end developers, UI engineers, and anyone else who works with color.
What Is HEX to LCh
HEX is a hexadecimal color code. It starts with # followed by 6 digits (or a 3-digit shorthand) of hexadecimal. The first two digits represent the red channel, the middle two green, and the last two blue, with each digit taking a value from 0-9 and A-F, covering roughly 16.77 million colors. LCh is the polar form of Lab, describing color with lightness (L), chroma (C), and hue (H). It is more intuitive than Lab and closer to the way HSL is used. First convert HEX to RGB, then to XYZ and Lab, and finally turn the two orthogonal axes a and b into polar coordinates: C = √(a²+b²) and H = atan2(b, a), giving LCh.
How to Use HEX to LCh
Using this HEX to LCh tool is very simple and takes just three steps. First, select HEX from the "Source Color Unit" dropdown on the left (it is selected by default), and enter the HEX value you want to convert in the input card. Second, select LCh from the "Target Color Unit" dropdown on the right; the tool instantly calculates and displays the corresponding LCh value, along with a color swatch preview and the complete CSS string, so you can confirm the color and format at a glance. Third, once you are happy with the result, click the "Copy" button to copy the LCh value to your clipboard and paste it straight into your code or design software. If you picked the wrong source or target unit, click the "⇄" button in the middle to swap them with one click. The whole process requires no registration and no data upload—all calculations run locally in your browser.
Use Cases for HEX to LCh
Use this when generating a color scale with the same hue but different chroma in a design system; the hue of LCh is more perceptually uniform than that of HSL. Web CSS, design annotations, brand color specifications, and any situation where you need to copy and paste colors between different applications. Generating color scales in design systems, situations where only the chroma changes while the hue stays fixed, and modern CSS color schemes.
How HEX to LCh Works
First convert HEX to RGB, then to XYZ and Lab, and finally turn the two orthogonal axes a and b into polar coordinates: C = √(a²+b²) and H = atan2(b, a), giving LCh. HEX is essentially another way of writing RGB: it converts the decimal numbers 0-255 into two hexadecimal digits. For example, in #FF5733, FF=255, 57=87, and 33=51, which is the same color as rgb(255, 87, 51). LCh and Lab convert to each other losslessly: L stays the same, C = √(a²+b²), and H = atan2(b, a). This turns the two orthogonal chroma axes into "chroma + hue", which fits how humans think.
Tips for Using HEX to LCh
The reference point for H in LCh differs from that in HSL, so the same visual hue has a different number. Migrating directly from HSL to LCh requires recalibrating the hue. HEX is case-insensitive, and the 3-digit shorthand #F53 is equivalent to #FF5533, but shorthand only works when each channel has two identical digits. In production projects it is best to standardize on the six-digit uppercase form to reduce ambiguity. The reference point for H in LCh differs from that in HSL, so the same visual hue has different numbers in LCh and HSL. Migrating directly from HSL to LCh requires recalibrating the hue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the difference between LCh and Lab?
LCh is the polar form of Lab; the description differs but the colors expressed are completely equivalent.
Can the C in LCh be negative?
No. C is chroma, which is fundamentally a distance and is always ≥ 0.
How do I generate a color scale after converting HEX to LCh?
Keep L and H unchanged and adjust C proportionally to get a scale of the same hue with different chroma.
Can HEX represent transparency?
A regular HEX value has only 6 digits and carries no transparency. If you need transparency, use HEX8 (#RRGGBBAA) or RGBA.
Why do some HEX values have only 3 digits?
The 3-digit form is shorthand in which each digit is duplicated: for example, #F53 is equivalent to #FF5533. Shorthand is convenient for hand-typing but has limited expressive power.
Both LCh and HSL can adjust hue, so what is the difference?
The hue in HSL is perceptually uneven, so the same angular difference looks different under different hues. The hue in LCh is more perceptually uniform and better suited to building color scales.
Which is easier to use, LCh or Lab?
Use Lab for mathematical computation and LCh for manual color adjustment. The two are equivalent; only the coordinate form differs.
Can I convert in the opposite direction?
Yes. You can go directly to the "LCh to HEX" page, or click the "⇄" swap button in the middle of the current page to exchange the source and target units and convert in the opposite direction. The reverse conversion is just as precise, because the color conversion math is reversible.
Can I use the conversion results commercially?
Yes. Color values are numerical information and involve no copyright issues, so you are free to use the conversion results in websites, apps, design work, or commercial projects without authorization or attribution. Do note, however: if the original color comes from material that someone else holds the copyright to, using the color itself is unrestricted, but the copyright to the original material still belongs to its author.