HEX to LCH Converter
HEX color code in, LCH out — with the working shown.
To convert HEX to LCH, normalise the input, linearise the channels, move into the perceptual space, go polar, then check the gamut. For example, #2f81f7 in HEX is lch(55.09% 68.11 284.75) in LCH.
This is a free HEX to LCH converter. Type or paste any hexadecimal color code into the field above and the LCH value updates as you type, along with every other notation the web understands. LCH is CIE Lab expressed in polar coordinates, so chroma and hue are separate dials.
Conversions run entirely in your browser using the same color engine as the rest of the site: values round-trip through linear sRGB and CIE XYZ rather than through an approximation, so what you copy is accurate to the last digit the format can carry.
How to convert HEX to LCH
- Normalise the input. Read the HEX value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects.
- Linearise the channels. Undo the sRGB gamma curve, because the encoded 0–255 numbers are not proportional to light and averaging them directly is what makes gradients go muddy.
- Move into the perceptual space. Convert linear RGB to CIE XYZ under a D65 white point, then apply the Lab transfer function.
- Go polar. Chroma is the distance from the neutral axis and hue is the angle, so C = √(a² + b²) and H = atan2(b, a).
- Check the gamut. Clamp anything that falls outside what an sRGB display can show, so the value you copy is the value you get.
Worked example: #2f81f7 converts to lch(55.09% 68.11 284.75). That color is Dodger Blue, and the tool above shows each intermediate step for whatever value you enter.
Common HEX to LCH values
The twenty colors people look up most often, converted from HEX to LCH. Every row is computed by the same engine as the tool above.
| Color | HEX | LCH |
|---|---|---|
| White | #ffffff | lch(100% 0 0) |
| Black | #000000 | lch(0% 0 0) |
| Red | #ff0000 | lch(53.24% 104.55 40) |
| Lime | #00ff00 | lch(87.73% 119.78 136.02) |
| Blue | #0000ff | lch(32.3% 133.81 306.28) |
| Yellow | #ffff00 | lch(97.14% 96.91 102.85) |
| Cyan | #00ffff | lch(91.11% 50.12 196.38) |
| Magenta | #ff00ff | lch(60.32% 115.54 328.23) |
| Silver | #c0c0c0 | lch(77.7% 0 0) |
| Gray | #808080 | lch(53.59% 0 0) |
| Maroon | #800000 | lch(25.54% 61.29 38.38) |
| Olive | #808000 | lch(51.87% 58.13 102.85) |
| Green | #008000 | lch(46.23% 71.85 136.02) |
| Purple | #800080 | lch(29.78% 69.31 328.23) |
| Teal | #008080 | lch(48.25% 30.07 196.38) |
| Navy | #000080 | lch(12.97% 80.27 306.28) |
| Orange | #ffa500 | lch(74.94% 82.5 73.14) |
| Pink | #ffc0cb | lch(83.59% 24.37 7.84) |
| Gold | #ffd700 | lch(86.93% 87.15 91.26) |
| Crimson | #dc143c | lch(47.04% 78.48 25.35) |
HEX and LCH, briefly
HEX is a six-digit hexadecimal number, two digits per channel, written with a leading #. Valid range: #000000 to #ffffff.
LCH is CIE Lab expressed in polar coordinates, so chroma and hue are separate dials. Valid range: L 0–100, C 0–150, H 0–360°.
Frequently asked questions
How do you convert HEX to LCH?
1. Read the HEX value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects. 2. Undo the sRGB gamma curve, because the encoded 0–255 numbers are not proportional to light and averaging them directly is what makes gradients go muddy. 3. Convert linear RGB to CIE XYZ under a D65 white point, then apply the Lab transfer function. 4. Chroma is the distance from the neutral axis and hue is the angle, so C = √(a² + b²) and H = atan2(b, a). 5. Clamp anything that falls outside what an sRGB display can show, so the value you copy is the value you get. The converter on this page does all of it as you type, and shows the working underneath.
What is #ff0000 in LCH?
Pure red, #ff0000, is lch(53.24% 104.55 40) in LCH. There is a table of twenty common colors converted to LCH further up this page.
What is #2f81f7 in LCH?
#2f81f7 converts to lch(55.09% 68.11 284.75). It is a dodger blue, and you can paste any other value into the field at the top of the page to convert it.
Is HEX to LCH conversion lossless?
Within sRGB, yes — converting to LCH and back returns the value you started with. The only rounding happens when a component is written out to a fixed number of decimal places.
Can I use LCH directly in CSS?
Yes. lch(55.09% 68.11 284.75) is valid CSS and works in every current browser.
Does this HEX to LCH converter support transparency?
Alpha is preserved wherever the target notation can carry it — eight-digit hex, rgb() / a, hsl() / a and the modern CSS spaces all round-trip an alpha channel. CMYK has no alpha, so it is dropped there.
Is my color data sent anywhere?
No. Every conversion on this site runs in your browser with no network request, no account and no analytics. You can disconnect and it keeps working.