Lab to RGB Converter
CIE Lab in, RGB out — with the working shown.
To convert Lab to RGB, normalise the input, convert Lab back to RGB, write out the RGB value, then check the gamut. For example, lab(55.09% 17.34 -65.86) in Lab is rgb(47 129 247) in RGB.
This is a free Lab to RGB converter. Type or paste any CIE L*a*b* into the field above and the RGB value updates as you type, along with every other notation the web understands. RGB is three channels from 0 to 255 describing how hard the display drives its red, green and blue subpixels.
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 Lab to RGB
- Normalise the input. Read the Lab value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects.
- Convert Lab back to RGB. Lab is not the display's native model, so the first move is always back to red, green and blue.
- Write out the RGB value. Convert back through sRGB and format the result as RGB.
- 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: lab(55.09% 17.34 -65.86) converts to rgb(47 129 247). That color is Dodger Blue, and the tool above shows each intermediate step for whatever value you enter.
Common Lab to RGB values
The twenty colors people look up most often, converted from Lab to RGB. Every row is computed by the same engine as the tool above.
| Color | Lab | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| White | lab(100% 0 0) | rgb(255 255 255) |
| Black | lab(0% 0 0) | rgb(0 0 0) |
| Red | lab(53.24% 80.09 67.2) | rgb(255 0 0) |
| Lime | lab(87.73% -86.18 83.18) | rgb(0 255 0) |
| Blue | lab(32.3% 79.19 -107.86) | rgb(0 0 255) |
| Yellow | lab(97.14% -21.55 94.48) | rgb(255 255 0) |
| Cyan | lab(91.11% -48.09 -14.13) | rgb(0 255 255) |
| Magenta | lab(60.32% 98.23 -60.82) | rgb(255 0 255) |
| Silver | lab(77.7% 0 0) | rgb(192 192 192) |
| Gray | lab(53.59% 0 0) | rgb(128 128 128) |
| Maroon | lab(25.54% 48.05 38.06) | rgb(128 0 0) |
| Olive | lab(51.87% -12.93 56.67) | rgb(128 128 0) |
| Green | lab(46.23% -51.7 49.9) | rgb(0 128 0) |
| Purple | lab(29.78% 58.93 -36.49) | rgb(128 0 128) |
| Teal | lab(48.25% -28.85 -8.48) | rgb(0 128 128) |
| Navy | lab(12.97% 47.5 -64.7) | rgb(0 0 128) |
| Orange | lab(74.94% 23.93 78.95) | rgb(255 165 0) |
| Pink | lab(83.59% 24.14 3.33) | rgb(255 192 203) |
| Gold | lab(86.93% -1.92 87.13) | rgb(255 215 0) |
| Crimson | lab(47.04% 70.92 33.6) | rgb(220 20 60) |
Lab and RGB, briefly
Lab is a device-independent, perceptually organized space with a lightness axis and two opponent color axes. Valid range: L 0–100, a and b roughly −128 to 127.
RGB is three channels from 0 to 255 describing how hard the display drives its red, green and blue subpixels. Valid range: 0–255 per channel.
Frequently asked questions
How do you convert Lab to RGB?
1. Read the Lab value and scale each component into the 0–1 range the maths expects. 2. Lab is not the display's native model, so the first move is always back to red, green and blue. 3. Convert back through sRGB and format the result as RGB. 4. 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 lab(53.24% 80.09 67.2) in RGB?
Pure red, lab(53.24% 80.09 67.2), is rgb(255 0 0) in RGB. There is a table of twenty common colors converted to RGB further up this page.
What is lab(55.09% 17.34 -65.86) in RGB?
lab(55.09% 17.34 -65.86) converts to rgb(47 129 247). 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 Lab to RGB conversion lossless?
Within sRGB, yes — converting to RGB 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 RGB directly in CSS?
Yes. rgb(47 129 247) is valid CSS and works in every current browser.
Does this Lab to RGB 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.