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Resistor color codes: 4, 5 and 6 bands

Decode the colored bands for digits, multipliers, tolerance and temperature coefficient, with readable diagrams.

Three color-band diagrams

Read left to right. Labels repeat each color in text so the code does not rely on color vision.

4-band: 4.7 kΩ ±5%47 × 100 Ω = 4,700 Ω; gold = ±5%

5-band: 1 kΩ ±1%100 × 10 Ω = 1,000 Ω; brown = ±1%

6-band: 10 kΩ ±1%, 100 ppm/K100 × 100 Ω = 10,000 Ω; final brown = 100 ppm/K

49 entries

Identify band positions

Four-band ordering: digit · digit · multiplier · tolerance
Two significant digits followed by power-of-ten scaling and tolerance. [1][2]
Five-band ordering: digit · digit · digit · multiplier · tolerance
Three significant digits precede the multiplier. [1][2]
Six-band ordering: digit · digit · digit · multiplier · tolerance · TCR
Final band encodes approximate temperature coefficient in ppm/°C. [1][2]
First significant band: Use the first colored digit band
Do not confuse it with a metal-colored gold or silver tolerance band. [1][2]
Multiplier band: Multiply combined digits by selected power of ten
The multiplier is not another significant digit. [1][2]
Tolerance band: Percentage of nominal resistance
For example, ±5% means ±5 ohms for a nominal 100 Ω resistance. [1][2]
Look for tolerance spacing: A separated final band often marks the reading end
Manufacturers' spacing varies; verify with a meter and datasheet if unclear. [1][2]
No tolerance stripe: Commonly interpreted as ±20% on older four-band codes
Absence is not a universal guarantee of part construction. [1][2]
Temperature coefficient (TCR): Resistance variation per °C or K
On a conventional six-band resistor the sixth band is TCR, not another tolerance. [1][2]
Always retain band count: 4-band and 5-band digit positions differ
Interpreting a precision five-band part as four bands changes its nominal value. [1][2]

Digit colors 0–9

Black digit: 0
Used in later significant-digit positions, not normally the first digit. [1][2]
Brown digit: 1
A brown first band begins values whose first digit is one. [1][2]
Red digit: 2
Red is digit two, or a multiplier when placed in the multiplier position. [1][2]
Orange digit: 3
Orange corresponds to digit three. [1][2]
Yellow digit: 4
Yellow corresponds to digit four. [1][2]
Green digit: 5
Green corresponds to digit five. [1][2]
Blue digit: 6
Blue corresponds to digit six. [1][2]
Violet digit: 7
Violet, also called purple, corresponds to seven. [1][2]
Grey digit: 8
Gray/grey corresponds to digit eight. [1][2]
White digit: 9
White corresponds to digit nine. [1][2]

Multiplier colors

Black multiplier: ×1 (10^0)
Significant digits are not scaled above their base number. [1][2]
Brown multiplier: ×10 (10^1)
Append one decimal place in ordinary whole-number examples. [1][2]
Red multiplier: ×100 (10^2)
A 47 base becomes 4,700 Ω. [1][2]
Orange multiplier: ×1,000 (10^3)
A 22 base becomes 22,000 Ω or 22 kΩ. [1][2]
Yellow multiplier: ×10,000 (10^4)
A 12 base becomes 120 kΩ. [1][2]
Green multiplier: ×100,000 (10^5)
A 47 base becomes 4.7 MΩ. [1][2]
Blue multiplier: ×1,000,000 (10^6)
A 10 base becomes 10 MΩ. [1][2]
Violet multiplier: ×10,000,000 (10^7)
A 10 base becomes 100 MΩ. [1][2]
Grey multiplier: ×100,000,000 (10^8)
This large value is unusual in everyday through-hole parts. [1][2]
White multiplier: ×1,000,000,000 (10^9)
A 10 base would mean 10 GΩ. [1][2]
Gold multiplier: ×0.1 (10^-1)
Gold in multiplier position scales resistance down by one decade. [1][2]
Silver multiplier: ×0.01 (10^-2)
Silver in multiplier position scales resistance down by two decades. [1][2]

Tolerance, temperature and examples

Brown tolerance: ±1%
A nominal 1 kΩ component spans 990–1,010 Ω at rated measurement conditions. [1][2]
Red tolerance: ±2%
A nominal 100 Ω component spans 98–102 Ω. [1][2]
Green tolerance: ±0.5%
Half-percent nominal tolerance, before other operating effects. [1][2]
Blue tolerance: ±0.25%
Quarter-percent precision tolerance. [1][2]
Violet tolerance: ±0.1%
One-tenth-percent precision tolerance. [1][2]
Grey tolerance: ±0.05%
Very tight nominal tolerance on some precision resistors. [1][2]
Gold tolerance: ±5%
Common tolerance designation on four-band resistors. [1][2]
Silver tolerance: ±10%
A common broader tolerance designation. [1][2]
Brown sixth band: 100 ppm/°C
Typical sixth-band coefficient, subject to the manufacturer's coding. [1][2]
Red sixth band: 50 ppm/°C
Nominal temperature coefficient marking. [1][2]
Orange sixth band: 15 ppm/°C
Read as TCR only when used in the sixth position. [1][2]
Yellow sixth band: 25 ppm/°C
Sixth-band TCR can be yellow in common charts. [1][2]
Blue sixth band: 10 ppm/°C
A smaller magnitude indicates less temperature drift in the given reference model. [1][2]
Violet sixth band: 5 ppm/°C
Verify ultra-low coefficient parts against their datasheet. [1][2]
Four-band illustration: Yellow · violet · red · gold → 4.7 kΩ ±5%
47 × 100 Ω = 4,700 Ω; gold sets the tolerance. [1][2]
Five-band illustration: Brown · black · black · brown · brown → 1 kΩ ±1%
100 × 10 Ω = 1,000 Ω. [1][2]
Six-band illustration: Brown · black · black · red · brown · brown → 10 kΩ ±1%, 100 ppm/°C
100 × 100 Ω = 10,000 Ω; last brown is TCR. [1][2]

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Updated 2026-10-20Resistor color codes · common IEC-derived practice

Sources

cheatsheetatlas.com/sheets/resistor-colors/ · Updated 2026-10-20 · Resistor color codes · common IEC-derived practice

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