The Color Channel Basics

All three formats use the same underlying data — red, green, blue intensity values (each 0-255) plus optionally an alpha transparency value (0=transparent, 255=opaque). The differences are in format and application context.

RGB

Pure color, no transparency. Used in CSS (rgb(255, 0, 0)), image formats (JPG), and anywhere transparency isn't needed.

RGBA

CSS standard for transparent colors: rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5) = 50% transparent red. Alpha is 0-1 in CSS, or 0-255 in some systems. Used everywhere on the web where transparency is needed.

ARGB

Used in Android, Windows GDI, and some game engines. Same channels as RGBA but alpha comes first. Written as #AARRGGBB hex or as a 32-bit integer. Required for Android XML layouts and Paint/Canvas API.

Quick Conversion

• RGBA(255,0,0,128) → ARGB hex: #80FF0000
• ARGB hex #FF00FF00 → RGB(0, 255, 0) fully opaque green

Use the Color Picker tool to convert between all formats instantly.