What is a hexadecimal value?

A hexadecimal value (or hex code) is a six-digit alpha or numeric value that is read by a browser to produce a specific color. For example, the hex code for black is #000000; the hex code for white is #ffffff; the hex code for red is #cc0033.

It is possible to just type the name of the color you want (e.g., green). The HTML code would look like this:

<span style="color: green;">green</span>

and appear like this

green

in the browser.

Using a hex code allows you to match a specific shade of a color (e.g., #cc0066, #ff0033, or #ff0000) and are more precise.

You can find hex codes at several sites by simply doing a search for hex codes.