The universal standard for identifying axial leaded resistors is the IEC 60062 marking code. If you are holding a through-hole resistor and need its exact value, tolerance, and temperature drift, the electronics color code chart below provides the direct translation. Read the bands from left to right, keeping the tolerance band (usually gold or silver) on the far right. The first two or three bands are your significant digits, the next is your multiplier, and the final bands dictate precision.
The Master Electronics Color Code Chart (IEC 60062)
Which column applies to your specific component depends entirely on the physical band count printed on the body. For standard 5% carbon or metal film resistors (4-band), you only need the Base Digit, Multiplier, and Tolerance columns. For 1% precision metal film (5-band), you use the first three digits. For high-stability analog circuits (6-band), you must also read the Temperature Coefficient (TCR) column.
| Color | Base Digit (Bands 1-3) | Multiplier (Band 3 or 4) | Tolerance (Band 4 or 5) | Temp Coeff / ppm/°C (Band 6) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0 | ×1 (10^0) | — | 250 |
| Brown | 1 | ×10 (10^1) | ±1% | 100 |
| Red | 2 | ×100 (10^2) | ±2% | 50 |
| Orange | 3 | ×1k (10^3) | — | 15 |
| Yellow | 4 | ×10k (10^4) | — | 25 |
| Green | 5 | ×100k (10^5) | ±0.5% | — |
| Blue | 6 | ×1M (10^6) | ±0.25% | 10 |
| Violet | 7 | ×10M (10^7) | ±0.1% | 5 |
| Gray | 8 | ×100M (10^8) | ±0.05% | — |
| White | 9 | ×1G (10^9) | — | — |
| Gold | — | ×0.1 (10^-1) | ±5% | — |
| Silver | — | ×0.01 (10^-2) | ±10% | — |
Quick-Jump: Most Queried Resistor Values
Bookmark this section for the bench. These are the most common E24 (5%) and E96 (1%) series values pulled from component bins in DIY and repair environments. Cross-reference your multimeter reading with these band sequences to verify you grabbed the right part.
| Target Resistance | 4-Band Code (5% Tolerance) | 5-Band Code (1% Tolerance) | Common Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 220 Ω | Red - Red - Brown - Gold | Red - Red - Black - Black - Brown | LED current limiting (5V logic) |
| 330 Ω | Orange - Orange - Brown - Gold | Orange - Orange - Black - Black - Brown | LED current limiting (3.3V logic) |
| 1 kΩ | Brown - Black - Red - Gold | Brown - Black - Black - Brown - Brown | I2C pull-up, general biasing |
| 4.7 kΩ | Yellow - Violet - Red - Gold | Yellow - Violet - Black - Brown - Brown | I2C pull-up, transistor base |
| 10 kΩ | Brown - Black - Orange - Gold | Brown - Black - Black - Red - Brown | Voltage dividers, GPIO pull-down |
| 100 kΩ | Brown - Black - Yellow - Gold | Brown - Black - Black - Orange - Brown | Op-amp feedback, high-impedance |
Decision Path: Choose Your Band Count
Do not guess the band count based on the physical size of the resistor. Use this decision tree to terminate on the exact reading method for the component in your hand.
| Condition | Band Count | Concrete Pick / Action |
|---|---|---|
| Component has 4 painted bands. Tolerance is Gold (5%) or Silver (10%). | 4-Band | Read Bands 1 & 2 as digits. Band 3 is multiplier. Band 4 is tolerance. (Standard E24 series carbon/metal film). |
| Component has 5 painted bands. Tolerance is Brown (1%), Red (2%), or Green (0.5%). | 5-Band | Read Bands 1, 2, & 3 as digits. Band 4 is multiplier. Band 5 is tolerance. (Standard E96 series precision metal film). |
| Component has 6 painted bands. The 6th band is Brown, Red, Orange, Yellow, or Blue. | 6-Band | Read exactly as 5-band, then read Band 6 for Temperature Coefficient (TCR). Use for precision analog or high-heat environments. |
| Component is entirely one color (usually green or beige) with no distinct bands, or has printed text. | N/A | Stop. This is likely a wire-wound power resistor, a fuse, or an inductor. Use a multimeter; color charts do not apply. |
How Multiplier and Tolerance Columns Modify the Base
The base digits give you a raw number, but the multiplier band scales that number into a real-world ohmic value. According to All About Circuits, the multiplier is strictly a power of ten. If your first two bands are Yellow (4) and Violet (7), your base is 47. If the multiplier band is Red (×100), your final value is 4,700 Ω, or 4.7 kΩ.
The tolerance band modifies your expectation of the physical part. A 4.7 kΩ resistor with a Gold tolerance band (±5%) means the actual measured resistance on your bench could legally fall anywhere between 4,465 Ω and 4,935 Ω. If your circuit requires tighter bounds—such as the feedback loop of an operational amplifier or the timing network of a 555 timer—you must select a 5-band resistor with a Brown tolerance band (±1%), narrowing that physical range to 4,653 Ω - 4,747 Ω.
For 6-band resistors, the final band indicates the Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR), measured in parts per million per degree Celsius (ppm/°C). A 6th band of Brown (100 ppm/°C) means that for every 1°C rise in temperature, the resistance shifts by 0.01%. In a high-power audio amplifier output stage where component temperatures easily exceed 80°C, ignoring this 6th band will result in severe thermal drift and audio distortion.
What the Electronics Color Code Chart Cannot Tell You
The most common mistake beginners make is assuming the color code dictates the power handling capability of the component. The IEC 60062 standard strictly defines optical marking for resistance and tolerance; it does not encode wattage. A 1 kΩ, 5% resistor will have the exact same Brown-Black-Red-Gold bands whether it is rated for 0.25W or 2W.
To determine wattage, you must measure the physical dimensions of the resistor body. As detailed in standard Electronics Tutorials component guides, axial wattage is standardized by size:
- 1/8W (0.125W): ~1.8mm diameter × 3.2mm length (Tiny, common in dense SMD-to-DIP adapters)
- 1/4W (0.25W): ~2.3mm diameter × 6.3mm length (The standard default for breadboards and general DIY)
- 1/2W (0.5W): ~3.2mm diameter × 9.0mm length (Used for LED drivers and moderate pull-ups)
- 1W: ~5.0mm diameter × 12.0mm length (Power supplies, high-current sensing)
- 2W: ~6.5mm diameter × 15.0mm length (Bleeder resistors, snubber networks)
Furthermore, the color code will not tell you the maximum voltage rating. A standard 1/4W metal film resistor is typically rated for 250V maximum working voltage. If you place a 1 MΩ, 1/4W resistor across a 400V DC bus to bleed off a capacitor, the color code is correct for the resistance, but the physical part will arc and fail because the voltage exceeds the dielectric limits of the epoxy coating. Always cross-reference your calculated power dissipation (I²R) and voltage drop against the manufacturer's physical datasheet, not just the painted bands.
