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Munsell to RGB Converter

Enter a Munsell color like 5R 5/14 to get an approximate RGB hex value.

Result

#EB4A14
hsl(15, 84%, 50%)
Approximate mapping for educational use; not a colorimetric Munsell conversion.

How it is calculated

Enter the notation as step+family value/chroma, for example 5R 5/14, with a space after the hue. The family is one of R, YR, Y, GY, G, BG, B, PB, P or RP, and neutral greys are written N 5. The tool converts it to HSL, then to a hex colour: hue H = family base angle + step ÷ 10 × 30 degrees (bases: R 0, YR 30, Y 60, GY 90, G 120, BG 180, B 240, PB 270, P 300, RP 330), lightness L = value × 10 percent, and saturation S = min(chroma × 6, 100) percent. Step and value must be 0 to 10. This is a rough visual mapping, not a colorimetric Munsell conversion, so it does not match official Munsell chip colours.

Worked example

Take 5R 5/14. Hue: family R has base 0°, so H = 0 + 5 ÷ 10 × 30 = 15°. Lightness: 5 × 10 = 50%. Saturation: 14 × 6 = 84%. The HSL colour hsl(15, 84%, 50%) converts to red 235, green 74 and blue 20, which is the hex code #EB4A14, a strong orange-red. With a chroma of 20 the saturation would be capped at 100% and the colour becomes #FF4000.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Leaving out the space between hue and value, as in 5R5/14. The tool needs 5R 5/14 and returns nothing for the joined form.
  • Putting the value and chroma the wrong way round. Value (lightness, 0-10) comes first, chroma after the slash; 5R 14/5 is out of range.
  • Expecting the hex to match a physical Munsell chip or soil colour book. The mapping is approximate and uses no illuminant data, so 5R comes out orange-red here.
  • Treating high chroma values as proportional. Saturation is capped at 100%, so chroma 17 and chroma 20 give the same colour.
  • Writing grey as 5/0 without N. Neutrals must be given as N 5 (or N 5/0).

About this calculator

The Munsell color system, developed by artist and professor Albert H. Munsell in 1905, describes any color with three perceptually-spaced coordinates: Hue (a letter-number code like 5R for a specific red), Value (lightness from 0 black to 10 white), and Chroma (colorfulness or saturation, with no fixed upper bound) — written as Hue Value/Chroma, e.g. “5R 5/14”. Unlike RGB or HSL, Munsell coordinates were defined by human visual judgment of equal perceptual steps, not by a mathematical color space, which is exactly why they don’t translate to RGB in a single, exact formula.

Munsell notation is still the standard in soil science (the Munsell Soil Color Charts used worldwide for describing soil horizons), as well as in paint matching, geology and color-education contexts. Because true Munsell-to-RGB conversion requires reference tables tied to a specific illuminant, this calculator instead parses the Hue Value/Chroma notation and produces a quick, approximate RGB hex code through a simplified HSL-based mapping — useful for a rough visual preview, not for colorimetric accuracy.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    Treat the hex as a screen swatch for orientation, not a match to a physical chip. The tool maps the hue step to a colour wheel angle and uses value as lightness, so even neutral N 5 simply becomes mid grey 808080. For soil description or paint matching, compare against the printed book under daylight. Which notation are you trying to preview?

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