How to read the colour code
Hold the resistor so that the tolerance band (usually gold or silver, set further apart from the others) is on the right. Read from left to right.
- 4 bands: two digits, multiplier, tolerance.
- 5 bands: three digits, multiplier, tolerance — for precision resistors.
- 6 bands: like 5 bands plus the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR).
| Colour | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 | — |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 | ±1% |
| Red | 2 | ×100 | ±2% |
| Orange | 3 | ×1 k | — |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10 k | — |
| Green | 5 | ×100 k | ±0.5% |
| Blue | 6 | ×1 M | ±0.25% |
| Violet | 7 | ×10 M | ±0.1% |
| Grey | 8 | ×100 M | ±0.05% |
| White | 9 | ×1 G | — |
| Gold | — | ×0.1 | ±5% |
| Silver | — | ×0.01 | ±10% |
Example. Brown, black, red, gold: 1, 0, ×100, ±5% — that’s 1,000 Ω = 1 kΩ ±5%, with an actual value from 950 to 1,050 Ω.
Colours can be hard to tell apart: brown looks like red and grey like silver, especially on old or overheated resistors. If in doubt, check the resistance with a multimeter after desoldering at least one lead from the circuit.