col2hex2col

Overview

col2hex2col provides fast and simple functions to convert between color names and hexadecimal color codes. The package now supports an extensive database of over 32,000 color names, including all 657 R built-in colors plus the comprehensive color-names database.

The name is a playful reference to “2 Fast 2 Furious” - because color conversion should be both fun and fast!

Installation

You can install the development version from GitHub:

# install.packages("devtools")
devtools::install_github("AnttiRask/col2hex2col")

Usage

Convert color names to hex codes

library(col2hex2col)

# Single color
color_to_hex("red")
#> [1] "#FF0000"

# Multiple colors
color_to_hex(c("red", "blue", "green"))
#> [1] "#FF0000" "#0000FF" "#00FF00"

# Works with all 657 R color names
color_to_hex(c("skyblue", "coral", "chartreuse"))
#> [1] "#87CEEB" "#FF7F50" "#7FFF00"

# Also works with 32,000+ extended color names!
color_to_hex(c("sunset orange", "arctic ocean"))
#> [1] "#FD5E53" "#66C3D0"

Convert hex codes to color names

# Single hex code
hex_to_color("#FF0000")
#> [1] "red"

# Multiple hex codes
hex_to_color(c("#FF0000", "#0000FF", "#00FF00"))
#> [1] "red"   "blue"  "green"

# Case insensitive
hex_to_color("#ff0000")
#> [1] "red"

Round-trip conversion

# Color -> Hex -> Color
colors <- c("red", "blue", "green")
hex_codes <- color_to_hex(colors)
hex_to_color(hex_codes)
#> [1] "red"   "blue"  "green"

Explore and visualize the color database

# Get all 32,462 colors as a data frame
colors_df <- get_color_data()
head(colors_df)
#>           name     hex
#> 1    aaron blue #6FC6E0
#> 2 abbey purple #73607C
#> 3   aberdonian #4D6767
#> 4    aborigine #A99B85
#> 5    aboukir   #8BA58F
#> 6    abraxas   #5B6E91

# Find specific colors
blue_colors <- colors_df[grepl("blue", colors_df$name), ]
nrow(blue_colors)
#> [1] 1517

# Create a beautiful color swatch table (requires gt package)
create_color_table(head(colors_df, 9))

The create_color_table() function creates an interactive table with visual color swatches, making it easy to explore and select colors for your projects.

Features

Extensive Database: 32,000+ color names including all R colors and the color-names database
Data Export: Access the complete color database as a data frame for exploration and analysis
Visual Tables: Create beautiful color swatch tables with the optional gt package
Fast: Pre-built lookup tables for instant color conversion
Simple: Four intuitive functions to remember
Backward Compatible: R colors are prioritized, ensuring existing code works unchanged
Case Insensitive: “Red”, “red”, and “RED” all work the same
Vectorized: Works with single values or vectors
Validated: Comprehensive input validation and error messages
Tested: Extensive test coverage with testthat (111 tests)

Why col2hex2col?

Zero dependencies: Pure base R implementation with no external dependencies
Extensive coverage: 32,000+ color names vs ~657 in base R
Optimized performance: Pre-built lookup tables for instant conversion
Backward compatible: R colors are prioritized, ensuring existing code works
Well-documented: Complete function documentation and examples

Acknowledgments

The create_color_table() function was inspired by a question from Nehal Darakhshan on LinkedIn about visualizing color palettes. Thank you!
The extended color database (32,000+ colors) comes from David Aerne’s color-names project. Thank you for maintaining this excellent resource!

Code of Conduct

Please note that this project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct. By contributing to this project, you agree to abide by its terms.