Reference · updated 10 November 2026
Resistor color code chart: 4, 5 and 6 band resistors
The resistor colour code is the set of coloured bands that give a resistor's value in ohms, its tolerance and, on 6-band parts, its temperature coefficient. This page is the chart for 4-band, 5-band and 6-band resistors (IEC 60062), with a worked example of each. Read the bands with the chart, then confirm the value with the ohms range of a multimeter.
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How the bands are laid out
| Band | 4-band | 5-band | 6-band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1st digit | 1st digit | 1st digit |
| 2nd | 2nd digit | 2nd digit | 2nd digit |
| 3rd | Multiplier | 3rd digit | 3rd digit |
| 4th | Tolerance | Multiplier | Multiplier |
| 5th | – | Tolerance | Tolerance |
| 6th | – | – | Temperature coefficient |
Use a 4-band chart for most general-purpose carbon-film resistors, and 5 or 6 bands for precision metal-film parts, where a third digit and a tighter tolerance are needed.
Resistor color code chart
| Colour | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temp. coefficient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 | – | 250 ppm/K |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1 % | 100 ppm/K |
| Red | 2 | ×100 | ±2 % | 50 ppm/K |
| Orange | 3 | ×1,000 | ±0.05 % | 15 ppm/K |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10,000 | ±0.02 % | 25 ppm/K |
| Green | 5 | ×100,000 | ±0.5 % | 20 ppm/K |
| Blue | 6 | ×1,000,000 | ±0.25 % | 10 ppm/K |
| Violet | 7 | ×10,000,000 | ±0.1 % | 5 ppm/K |
| Grey | 8 | ×100,000,000 | ±0.01 % | 1 ppm/K |
| White | 9 | ×1,000,000,000 | – | – |
| Gold | – | ×0.1 | ±5 % | – |
| Silver | – | ×0.01 | ±10 % | – |
| None (no band) | – | – | ±20 % | – |
The multiplier is the power of ten the digits are multiplied by; gold and silver as multiplier give ×0.1 and ×0.01 and are used for values below 10 Ω. Gold and silver are not digits. The temperature-coefficient colours are the common IEC 60062 set in ppm/K, and manufacturers differ on the 6th band, so check the datasheet for a precision part. Orange (±0.05 %), yellow (±0.02 %) and grey (±0.01 %) as tolerance bands are the current IEC 60062:2016 assignments and appear only on high-precision parts; yellow and grey were assigned a tolerance only in that edition, and on older charts some manufacturers use them for other values.
Which end to start from
The first band is the one closest to a lead. Three checks help when that is not obvious.
- A gold or silver band is almost always the tolerance band, so it belongs at the right-hand end. Gold or silver is never a first digit.
- The tolerance band often sits a little further from the others, with a wider gap. Put that end on the right.
- If both ends look alike, read both ways. Only one direction gives a value that is a standard E-series number (for example 4.7 kΩ, not 7.4 kΩ), and the other can usually be ruled out by measuring the resistor.
Worked examples
4-band: yellow, violet, red, gold
Yellow 4, violet 7, so the digits are 47. Red is ×100, so 47 × 100 = 4,700 Ω = 4.7 kΩ. Gold is ±5 %, so the value lies between 4.465 kΩ and 4.935 kΩ.
5-band: brown, black, black, red, brown
Brown 1, black 0, black 0, so the digits are 100. Red is ×100, so 100 × 100 = 10,000 Ω = 10 kΩ. Brown in the fifth place is ±1 %, so 9.9 kΩ to 10.1 kΩ.
6-band: red, red, black, orange, brown, red
Red 2, red 2, black 0, so the digits are 220. Orange is ×1,000, so 220 × 1,000 = 220,000 Ω = 220 kΩ. Brown is ±1 %, and the red sixth band is 50 ppm/K: in a 40 K temperature rise the value drifts by at most 220 kΩ × 50 × 10⁻⁶ × 40 = 440 Ω.
Check the value with a multimeter
Set the meter to the resistance (Ω) range and read the colour code first so you know which range to expect. Then keep these rules in mind.
- Power off, and lift one leg. In a circuit, other parts in parallel make the reading lower than the real value, so desolder or lift one leg of the resistor. Switch the power off and discharge capacitors first.
- Zero the leads. Touch the probes together and note the reading, or press REL, so the lead resistance is not counted. This matters for values under about 10 Ω.
- Keep your fingers off the metal. Holding both leads adds the resistance of your body in parallel and lowers the reading for high values.
- Compare with the tolerance. A 4.7 kΩ ±5 % resistor that reads 4.62 kΩ is good. Outside the tolerance, or OL on a part that should read, the resistor is out of spec or open.
Read this live with a meter
To read the resistor live, connect a Bluetooth multimeter the app reads, such as the OWON OW18B, and set it to ohms. Press REL with the probes shorted to remove the lead resistance, then measure the resistor with one leg lifted. OL is shown as OL, never as a number.
The calculator in the app has preset formulas for Ohm's law and power, series and parallel, dividers, LED resistors, RC, dB and unit conversion, and Cal Box fills it from your live reading and recent captures. The app does not decode colour bands itself; this page is the reference. For the markings on the meter's dial, see the multimeter symbols chart.
Sources
- Digit, multiplier, tolerance and temperature-coefficient colours: Wikipedia, Electronic color code, resistor table marked IEC 60062:2016 (read 2026-11-10). It confirms the tolerance codes yellow ±0.02 % and grey ±0.01 % as assigned in the 2016 edition; orange ±0.05 % and the ppm/K colours (black 250, brown 100, red 50, orange 15, yellow 25, green 20, blue 10, violet 5, grey 1) are given in the same table. The standard itself was not read (the public sample PDF could not be extracted), and some charts show grey as ±0.05 %, which the sources above do not support.
What the app does here, and what it doesn't
| What it does | Plan |
|---|---|
| A large readout that shows which digits have settled; OL and UL are shown as OL and UL, never as a number. | Free |
| REL shows the difference from a stored reference, for example to null out test-lead resistance. | Free |
| Presets for Ohm's law and power, series and parallel, dividers, LED resistors, RC, dB and unit conversion. | Free |
| Cal Box fills the calculator from your live reading and recent captures, and suggests Ohm's law. | Free |
Questions
How do I read a 4-band resistor?
Read the first two bands as digits, the third as the multiplier (the power of ten) and the fourth as the tolerance. Yellow, violet, red, gold is 47 × 100 = 4.7 kΩ ±5 %.
What is the difference between a 4-band, 5-band and 6-band resistor?
A 4-band resistor has two digits, a multiplier and a tolerance. A 5-band resistor adds a third digit for more precision. A 6-band resistor also has a temperature-coefficient band, in ppm/K, that tells how much the value drifts with temperature.
Which colour is the tolerance band?
On a 4-band resistor it is the fourth band, on 5 and 6 band resistors it is the fifth. Gold is ±5 %, silver ±10 %, brown ±1 %, red ±2 %, green ±0.5 %, blue ±0.25 %, violet ±0.1 %, and on precision parts orange ±0.05 %, yellow ±0.02 % and grey ±0.01 %. No band at all means ±20 %.
Why does my meter read a different value than the colour code?
Within the tolerance a difference is normal. Beyond it, the resistor may have drifted, or you measured it in a circuit where other parts are in parallel, or the lead resistance is in the reading on a low value. Lift one leg, zero the leads and measure again.
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