Why OKLCH is the Future of CSS Colors
OKLCH is a revolutionary color space from CSS Color Module Level 4 that provides perceptual uniformity and wide-gamut support. Unlike traditional RGB or HSL, OKLCH ensures consistent visual perception across all hues, making color manipulation predictable and accessible for modern web development.
Perceptual Uniformity
Equal changes in OKLCH values correspond to equal visual differences. Unlike HSL where blue and yellow at 50% lightness look drastically different, OKLCH lightness values are perceptually accurate across all hues.
Wide Gamut Support
Access Display P3, Rec2020, and beyond - 50% more colors than sRGB. Perfect for modern high-end displays including Apple devices and OLED screens that can show more vibrant colors.
Intuitive Color Control
Lightness (0-100%), Chroma (colorfulness), and Hue (0-360°) provide intuitive color manipulation. Adjust brightness without affecting saturation, or change hue while maintaining consistent lightness.
Better Accessibility
Predictable lightness values make WCAG compliance easier. You can reliably ensure proper contrast ratios without trial and error, as OKLCH lightness corresponds to visual perception.
Smooth Color Gradients
Creates natural color transitions without muddy gray areas. OKLCH gradients maintain perceptual uniformity, resulting in more beautiful and visually appealing color blends than sRGB.
Future-Proof Technology
Built for CSS Color 4 specification with native browser support in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge. Works with CSS relative colors and modern color manipulation functions.
Mathematical Precision
Based on Björn Ottosson's Oklab color space (2020), designed to fix CIE LAB issues. Provides improved gamut mapping and is recommended by CSSWG for color operations.
Human-Readable Format
Unlike hex or RGB, OKLCH values are intuitive to understand. You can quickly identify color properties just by looking at the numbers, making color work more efficient and predictable.
Device Independence
Can encode any color visible to the human eye, not limited to specific monitor capabilities. Browsers automatically map out-of-gamut colors to the closest displayable color.
OKLCH vs Traditional Color Formats
See how OKLCH compares to traditional color formats like RGB, HSL, and HEX. Understanding these differences will help you make better color choices for your projects.
rgb(109, 162, 218) or #6da2daoklch(70% 0.15 240)hsl(240, 100%, 50%) vs hsl(60, 100%, 50%)oklch(45% 0.31 264) vs oklch(97% 0.21 110)Limited to sRGB gamutFull human vision gamutUnpredictable lightness changesConsistent visual modificationsOKLCH Conversion & Development Tools
Essential tools and resources for working with OKLCH colors in your development workflow. From conversion utilities to design system integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about OKLCH and modern CSS color management
What is OKLCH and why should I use it?
OKLCH is a modern color space from CSS Color Module Level 4 that provides perceptual uniformity and wide-gamut support. Unlike RGB or HSL, OKLCH ensures that equal changes in values correspond to equal visual differences, making it easier to create consistent and accessible color schemes.
How does OKLCH compare to HSL?
OKLCH provides true perceptual uniformity, meaning colors appear consistent to human vision across different hues. HSL often produces uneven lightness - for example, yellow and blue at 50% lightness look very different. OKLCH's lightness values are perceptually accurate.
Can I use OKLCH in production websites?
Yes! OKLCH is supported in all modern browsers (Chrome 111+, Firefox 113+, Safari 15.4+, Edge 111+). You can use progressive enhancement with fallback colors for older browsers, ensuring compatibility across all user environments.
What are the OKLCH parameters?
OKLCH uses three parameters: L (Lightness 0-100%), C (Chroma, colorfulness from 0-0.37), and H (Hue angle 0-360°). These are more intuitive than RGB values and provide predictable color manipulation.
Does OKLCH support wide-gamut displays?
Yes! OKLCH can represent colors in Display P3, Rec2020, and beyond. This allows you to take advantage of modern high-end displays that can show 50% more vibrant colors than traditional sRGB.
How do I convert existing colors to OKLCH?
Our converter automatically transforms colors from any format (HEX, RGB, HSL) to OKLCH. Simply input your existing colors and get instant OKLCH equivalents with proper gamut mapping and browser fallbacks.
Is OKLCH better for accessibility?
Yes! OKLCH's perceptual lightness makes it much easier to ensure proper contrast ratios. You can reliably predict which colors will have good accessibility without trial and error, making WCAG compliance more straightforward.
Can I generate color palettes with OKLCH?
Absolutely! OKLCH's perceptual uniformity makes it perfect for generating harmonious color palettes. You can create consistent lightness and chroma scales across different hues with mathematical precision.
How do I handle browser fallbacks?
Use progressive enhancement: specify a fallback color first, then the OKLCH value. For example: `color: #4a90e2; color: oklch(65% 0.15 240);`. Browsers that don't support OKLCH will use the fallback.
What's the difference between OKLCH and LCH?
Both use Lightness, Chroma, and Hue, but OKLCH is based on the newer Oklab color space while LCH uses CIE LAB. OKLCH fixes hue shift issues in blues and provides better perceptual uniformity overall.