Find the color bands for a given resistor value (4-band standard).
4-band resistors encode value using two significant-digit bands and a multiplier band, each color representing a digit 0-9 (Black=0 through White=9), with the multiplier band representing a power of ten.
A 5th band, when present, indicates tolerance (Brown=±1%, Red=±2%, Gold=±5%, Silver=±10%) and isn't part of the value itself.
This tool works backward from a target resistance to the color sequence — useful when selecting a resistor to order or verifying you grabbed the right one from a mixed bin.
4,700Ω decodes to Yellow-Violet-Red — 4, 7, then ×100 (10²) — a standard, commonly stocked value.
Orient the resistor with the tolerance band (usually gold or silver, and often set slightly apart) on the right, then read left to right.
5-band resistors add a third significant digit for tighter-tolerance parts; 6-band adds a temperature coefficient. This tool covers the standard 4-band case, the most common in general electronics.
Resistors are manufactured in standardized value series (E12, E24, etc.), not arbitrary numbers — the nearest standard value shown here reflects what's actually available to buy.