Understanding resistor color codes is essential for engineers, hobbyists, and technicians working with electronic components. The Standard Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) Color Code Table provides a universal system for identifying the resistance value, multiplier, and tolerance of resistors using color bands on their bodies.
Resistor color coding typically includes 4 or 5 color bands. The first two or three bands represent the significant digits, followed by a multiplier band, and the final band indicates tolerance. For precision resistors, a 6th band may denote the temperature coefficient.
Each color corresponds to a numerical value or multiplier as standardized by the EIA. For example, Black = 0, Brown = 1, Red = 2, up to White = 9. Multiplier bands represent powers of ten, including gold and silver for decimal multipliers.
Common tolerance colors include gold (±5%), silver (±10%), brown (±1%), green (±0.5%), and blue (±0.25%). A missing tolerance band typically denotes ±20%.
| Color | No. 1 | No. 2 | Multiplier | Tol. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BLACK |
|
|
100 (1) |
– |
|
BROWN |
1 |
1 |
101 (10) |
– |
|
RED |
2 |
2 |
102 (100) |
±2% (G) |
|
ORANGE |
3 |
3 |
103 (1000) |
– |
|
YELLOW |
4 |
4 |
104 (10,000) |
– |
|
GREEN |
5 |
5 |
105 (100,000) |
– |
|
BLUE |
6 |
6 |
106 (1,000,000) |
– |
|
VIOLET |
7 |
7 |
107 (10,000,000) |
– |
|
GRAY |
8 |
8 |
108 (100,000,000) |
– |
|
WHITE |
9 |
9 |
109 (1,000,000,000) |
– |
|
GOLD |
– |
– |
10-1 (0.1) |
±5% (J) |
|
SILVER |
– |
– |
10-2 (0.01) |
±10% (K) |
| Color | No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | Multiplier | Tol. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
BLACK |
|
|
|
100 (1) |
– |
|
BROWN |
1 |
1 |
1 |
101 (10) |
±1% (F) |
|
RED |
2 |
2 |
2 |
102 (100) |
– |
|
ORANGE |
3 |
3 |
3 |
103 (1000) |
– |
|
YELLOW |
4 |
4 |
4 |
104 (10,000) |
– |
|
GREEN |
5 |
5 |
5 |
105 (100,000) |
±0.50% (D) |
|
BLUE |
6 |
6 |
6 |
106 (1,000,000) |
±0.25% (C) |
|
VIOLET |
7 |
7 |
7 |
107 (10,000,000) |
±0.10% (B) |
|
GRAY |
8 |
8 |
8 |
108 (100,000,000) |
– |
|
WHITE |
9 |
9 |
9 |
109 (1,000,000,000) |
– |
|
GOLD |
– |
– |
– |
10-1 (0.1) |
– |
|
SILVER |
– |
– |
– |
10-2 (0.01) |
– |
The first two bands signify digits, the third is the multiplier, and the fourth is the tolerance.
The first three bands denote digits, followed by the multiplier and tolerance band for higher precision.
The resistor value is calculated by combining the digits and multiplier, and the tolerance band specifies the variation range.
E-6, E-12 and E-24 Color Code:
First 3 bands represent the resistance value (two significant digits followed by number of zero’s), 4th band represents the tolerance. Values from 1Ω to 9.9Ω 3rd band multiplier is gold. (Values from 0.1Ω to 0.99Ω 3rd band multiplier is silver)
E-96, E-192
First 4 bands represent the resistance value (three significant digits followed by number of zero’s). Values from 1Ω to 9.9Ω 4th brand multiplier is gold.
Bands 1-3 (4-band code)
Bands 1-4 (5-band code)
| BLACK = 0 |
|---|
| YELLOW = 4 |
|---|
| GREY = 8 |
|---|
| BROWN = 1 |
|---|
| GREEN = 5 |
|---|
| WHITE = 9 |
|---|
| RED = 2 |
|---|
| BLUE = 6 |
|---|
| ORANGE = 3 |
|---|
| VIOLET = 7 |
|---|
4th Band (4-band code)
5th Band (5-band code)
| VIOLET = 0.10% |
|---|
| BROWN = 1% |
|---|
| BLUE = 0.25% |
|---|
| RED = 2% |
|---|
| GREEN = 0.50% |
|---|
| SILVER = 10% |
|---|
| COLOR CODE EXAMPLES ±5% | |
|---|---|
|
0.10Ω 5% |
BRN-BLK-SILV-GOLD |
|
1Ω 5% |
BRN-BLK-GOLD-GOLD |
|
10Ω 5% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-GOLD |
|
100Ω 5% |
BRN-BLK-BRN-GOLD |
|
1KΩ 5% |
BRN-BLK-RED-GOLD |
|
10KΩ 5% |
BRN-BLK-ORN-GOLD |
|
100KΩ 5% |
BRN-BLK-YLW-GOLD |
|
1MΩ 5% |
BRN-BLK-GRN-GOLD |
|
10MΩ 5% |
BRN-BLK-BLU-GOLD |
|
100MΩ 5% |
BRN-BLK-VIOL-GOLD |
|
1GΩ 5% |
BRN-BLK-GRAY-GOLD |
| COLOR CODE EXAMPLES ±1% | |
|---|---|
|
1Ω 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-SILV-BRN |
|
10Ω 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-GOLD-BRN |
|
100Ω 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-BLK-BRN |
|
1KΩ 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-BRN-BRN |
|
10KΩ 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-RED-BRN |
|
100KΩ 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-ORN-BRN |
|
1MΩ 1% |
BRN-BK-BLK-YLW-BRN |
|
10MΩ 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-GRN-BRN |
|
100MΩ 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-BLU-BRN |
|
1GΩ 1% |
BRN-BLK-BLK-VIOL-BRN |
