NCS to HEX Converter
Pick any NCS benchmark color to see its HEX, RGB, CMYK, and LAB values. All 50 NCS codes in our benchmark set are covered. HEX values are approximations of the physical NCS paint standard — use them for design reference and digital mockups, and always verify against a physical NCS swatch before committing to paint or architectural specifications.
What is NCS?
NCS (Natural Color System) is a perceptual color notation system developed in Sweden by the Scandinavian Colour Institute (Skandinaviska Färginstitutet), based on the work of color researcher Tryggve Johansson in the 1930s and formalized by the Swedish Color Center Foundation (Sveriges Färgcentrum) through the 1960s and 1970s. It describes colors in terms of how humans perceive them relative to six elementary colors — yellow, red, blue, green, black, and white — rather than in terms of light or ink mixtures. NCS is the dominant color standard for paint, coatings, and architectural finishes in Scandinavia, and it is used widely throughout Northern Europe.
Unlike Pantone, which is a print ink standard, or sRGB, which is a screen display standard, NCS is designed for painted and coated surfaces. NCS codes appear on paint can labels, architectural specifications, and building standards throughout Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. The NCS Atlas contains roughly 1,950 colors; our benchmark subset covers 50 that are widely used in real specifications.
How NCS notation works
Every NCS code follows the format S xx yy - Hue. Reading from left to right: S is "Standard" (present on every code), xx is the blackness percentage (0–100), yy is chromaticness percentage (0–100), and the Hue names the position on the perceptual color wheel. Hue codes include Y (yellow), R (red), B (blue), G (green), N (neutral), and combinations like Y50R, B20G, R90B, etc.
For example, S 0500-N means "white" (0% black, 0% chromatic, neutral). S 1080-Y50R means "10% black, 80% chromatic, hue halfway between yellow and red" — an orange. S 6030-G10Y means "60% black, 30% chromatic, green hue slightly biased toward yellow" — a dark muted green.
Common NCS to HEX conversions
| NCS Code | Name | HEX | Swatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 0500-N | White | #FFFFFF | |
| S 1000-N | Light Grey | #E3E3E3 | |
| S 9000-N | Black | #0C0C0C | |
| S 1080-R | Pure Red | #FF0000 | |
| S 5040-B | Deep Blue | #002FA7 | |
| S 1050-G10Y | Bright Green | #00FF00 | |
| S 3040-B20G | Teal | #008080 |
Accuracy and limitations
Every HEX value on this page is an approximation. NCS does not publish official HEX values — the standard defines perceptual color notation and physical paint swatches, not digital color values. Different published sources can disagree by 2–5% for the same NCS code.
The values here are mid-range approximations that closely match the most commonly-cited references. They are useful for design reference, digital mockups, and as a starting point for conversion to Pantone, CMYK, or other systems. They are not a substitute for physical NCS swatches when ordering paint or coating.
Use cases
- Design tool integration. Entering an NCS color into Figma, Sketch, or Adobe tools requires HEX or RGB values.
- Digital mockups. Architectural renderings, interior design visualizations, and product mockups that reference physical paint colors.
- Web implementation of Nordic brands. Converting NCS brand standards into CSS-ready HEX values for digital products.
- Cross-media references. Getting a NCS color into a digital format for design documentation, mood boards, and presentations.
Frequently asked questions
What is NCS S 0500-N in HEX?
NCS S 0500-N (White) has a HEX approximation of #FFFFFF. This is the neutral white at the top of the NCS scale — 0% blackness, 0% chromaticness. Note that NCS is a perceptual system, not a hex-based one, so #FFFFFF is the digital approximation, not an official conversion.
What is NCS S 9000-N in HEX?
NCS S 9000-N (Black) has a HEX approximation of #0C0C0C. This is the darkest code in the standard neutral NCS scale — 90% blackness, 0% chromaticness. Note that true black in NCS corresponds to S 9000-N, not to #000000; the digital approximation sits slightly off from pure black to preserve the visual distinction from NCS 8500-N.
Are NCS HEX values accurate?
They are approximations. NCS is a perceptual color notation system, not a digital color space — it does not have official HEX values the way sRGB does. Published sources disagree by a few percent for the same NCS code. Our values are mid-range approximations that match the most commonly-cited digital translations. Always verify against a physical NCS swatch.
How do I use NCS HEX values in CSS?
Any NCS HEX value can be used directly in CSS, e.g. background: #002FA7 for NCS S 5040-B. But NCS colors are optimized for paint on walls and surfaces, not for screens — a NCS color rendered in CSS may look "correct" on a calibrated display but will not match the physical paint under real lighting. For accurate digital representation of an NCS color, use the HEX value as a starting point and verify against a physical sample.
Why does NCS not have official HEX values?
Because NCS is a perceptual notation system, not a device-dependent color space. NCS defines colors in terms of how humans perceive them relative to six elementary colors (yellow, red, blue, green, black, white), not in terms of RGB channels. Any HEX representation is therefore a translation, not a definition. Physical NCS colour fans are the authoritative source.