Which end do I start reading from?

Start from the end with the band closest to the edge. The tolerance band (often gold or silver) is usually set slightly apart from the others and goes last.

What does a gold multiplier band mean?

Gold as a multiplier means ×0.1, so brown-black-gold is 1.0 Ω. Silver means ×0.01.

Why does my multimeter read slightly different?

Tolerance. A 5% 1 kΩ resistor may read anywhere from 950 Ω to 1050 Ω. Also make sure the part is out of circuit.

Resistor Color Code Calculator (4, 5 & 6 Band)

Through-hole resistors print their value as colored bands. On a 4-band part the first two bands are digits, the third is a power-of-ten multiplier and the fourth is tolerance. Precision 5-band parts add a third digit, and 6-band parts add a temperature coefficient at the end.

Number of bands

Band 1 (digit)

Band 2 (digit)

Band 3 (multiplier)

Band 4 (tolerance)

Reverse lookup: value → bands

= 4.7 kΩTry 4k7, 220, 1M, 0.47

Look for: Yellow – Violet – Red + tolerance band

Results

Resistance: 4.7 kΩ
Tolerance: ±5%
Range: 4.465 kΩ – 4.935 kΩ

Pro

PDF export is an Ohmlark Pro feature.

Resistance: 4.7 kΩ

Formula

R = (digits) × multiplier
e.g. yellow-violet-red-gold = 47 × 100 = 4.7 kΩ ±5%

FAQ

Which end do I start reading from?: Start from the end with the band closest to the edge. The tolerance band (often gold or silver) is usually set slightly apart from the others and goes last.
What does a gold multiplier band mean?: Gold as a multiplier means ×0.1, so brown-black-gold is 1.0 Ω. Silver means ×0.01.
Why does my multimeter read slightly different?: Tolerance. A 5% 1 kΩ resistor may read anywhere from 950 Ω to 1050 Ω. Also make sure the part is out of circuit.

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