Color NCol
Natural Color System notation explained
What Is NCol?
NCol (Natural Color) is a color notation system that describes colors in a way that feels natural to humans. Instead of abstract numbers, NCol uses six named primary hues — Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Magenta — as starting points.
The format is: <Letter><Offset>, <Whiteness>%, <Blackness>%. For example, R0, 0%, 0% is pure red, while R30, 20%, 10% is red shifted 30° toward yellow, with 20% white and 10% black mixed in.
The Six Primary Hues
Select a Starting Hue
Adjust NCol Parameters
R0, 0%, 0%#FF0000
NColR0, 0%, 0%
HEX#FF0000
RGB255, 0, 0
Understanding the NCol Format
NCol breaks the 360° hue wheel into six equal 60° segments, each named after a primary color:
| Letter | Color | Hue Range | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| R | Red | 0°–59° | R0 = pure red, R30 = orange-red |
| Y | Yellow | 60°–119° | Y0 = pure yellow, Y30 = yellow-green |
| G | Green | 120°–179° | G0 = pure green, G30 = teal-green |
| C | Cyan | 180°–239° | C0 = pure cyan, C30 = ocean blue |
| B | Blue | 240°–299° | B0 = pure blue, B30 = violet |
| M | Magenta | 300°–359° | M0 = pure magenta, M30 = pink-magenta |
NCol Reference Table
Common colors and their NCol notation:
| Color | Swatch | HEX | NCol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Red | #FF0000 | R0, 0%, 0% | |
| Orange | #FF8800 | R32, 0%, 0% | |
| Pure Yellow | #FFFF00 | Y0, 0%, 0% | |
| Lime | #88FF00 | Y28, 0%, 0% | |
| Pure Green | #00FF00 | G0, 0%, 0% | |
| Spring | #00FF88 | G32, 0%, 0% | |
| Pure Cyan | #00FFFF | C0, 0%, 0% | |
| Sky Blue | #0088FF | C28, 0%, 0% | |
| Pure Blue | #0000FF | B0, 0%, 0% | |
| Violet | #8800FF | B32, 0%, 0% | |
| Pure Magenta | #FF00FF | M0, 0%, 0% | |
| Rose | #FF0088 | M28, 0%, 0% | |
| White | #FFFFFF | R0, 100%, 0% | |
| Light Gray | #C0C0C0 | R0, 75%, 25% | |
| Dark Gray | #404040 | R0, 25%, 75% | |
| Black | #000000 | R0, 0%, 100% |
Try It — Convert Any Color to NCol
NCol Explorer
NCol
C37, 26%, 4%RGB
66, 133, 244HSL
217°, 89%, 61%HWB
217° 26% 4%C37, 26%, 4%
#4285F4
Note: NCol is not a CSS-native color format — you cannot use it directly in stylesheets. It is a descriptive notation useful for education, design communication, and understanding color relationships. Convert to HEX, RGB, or HSL for use in code.
NCol vs. Other Color Models
| Feature | NCol | HSL | HWB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hue representation | Letter + offset (R30) | Degrees (30°) | Degrees (30°) |
| Tint control | Whiteness % | Lightness % | Whiteness % |
| Shade control | Blackness % | Lightness % | Blackness % |
| CSS native | No | Yes | Yes (Level 4) |
| Readability | Most natural | Good | Good |