Resistor Color Code Calculator (4 Band and 5 Band)

How to read the bands

Hold the resistor so the tolerance band, usually gold or silver and slightly separated from the rest, is on the right. Read left to right. On a 4 band part the first two bands are digits, the third is the multiplier and the fourth is tolerance. On a 5 band part the first three bands are digits, the fourth is the multiplier and the fifth is tolerance. For example brown, black, red, gold is 1, 0, times 100 = 1,000 ohms, plus or minus 5 percent.

• Gold and silver as multipliers give x0.1 and x0.01 for sub-10 ohm values.
• Brown or red tolerance bands usually indicate precision metal film parts.
• A single black band or zero ohm link has no value bands.

Common mistakes and sourcing notes

People most often read the code from the wrong end, confuse red and orange under poor light, or treat a 5 band part as 4 band. Brown and red tolerance can be mistaken for digit bands. Surface mount resistors use printed codes instead, such as 103 for 10 kilohms, so check the marking system before relying on colors. When buying, put the full spec on the PO and AVL: value, tolerance, power rating, temperature coefficient, package and manufacturer part number. Color alone is not a purchasing specification.