Quick Start

1. Identify your band count: 3 / 4 / 5 / 6.
2. Read colors from the first band in order.
3. Map bands to: digits → multiplier → tolerance → temperature coefficient (if present).
4. Compute resistance and note tolerance; tempco where applicable.

Legend and Conventions

• Color-to-digit and color-to-multiplier follow IEC 60062.
• Gold/Silver typically indicate tolerance; gold may also act as 0.1× multiplier.
• Temperature coefficient is expressed in ppm/°C on 6-band parts.
• Rule of thumb: the tolerance or tempco band sits at the far end—start from the opposite side.
• Units shown as Ω, kΩ, MΩ; rounding aligns with standard series.

Band-by-Band Guides

Worked Examples

• Brown–Black–Red–Gold → 1 kΩ ±5% (4-band).
• Yellow–Violet–Red–Gold → 4.7 kΩ ±5% (4-band).
• Red–Red–Orange–Gold → 22 kΩ ±5% (4-band).
• Brown–Black–Black–Gold–Brown → 10 Ω ±1% (5-band).

Tolerance and Tempco Notes

• No tolerance band → typically ±20%.
• Gold ≈ ±5%, Silver ≈ ±10% are common; other colors denote tighter bins.
• Tempco indicates drift per °C; smaller ppm/°C means better stability.

Common Mistakes

• Reading from the wrong end.
• Treating gold/silver as significant digits.
• Confusing red vs brown in poor lighting.
• Mixing multiplier and digit on 5-band parts.