Specify colors using HSL values

hsl(0, 100%, 50%)

hsl(240, 100%, 50%)

hsl(147, 50%, 47%)

hsl(300, 76%, 72%)

hsl(39, 100%, 50%)

hsl(248, 53%, 58%)

HSL Saturation

The second parameter of hsl() defines the saturation. Less saturation mean less color. 0% is completely gray:

hsl(0, 100%, 50%)

hsl(0, 80%, 50%)

hsl(0, 60%, 50%)

hsl(0, 40%, 50%)

hsl(0, 20%, 50%)

hsl(0, 0%, 50%)

HSL Lightness

The third parameter of hsl() defines the lightness. 0% means black, and 100% means white:

hsl(0, 100%, 0%)

hsl(0, 100%, 25%)

hsl(0, 100%, 50%)

hsl(0, 100%, 75%)

hsl(0, 100%, 90%)

hsl(0, 100%, 100%)

Shades of gray

With HSL, shades of gray are made by setting the saturation to 0%, and adjusting the lightness from 0% to 100%:

hsl(0, 0%, 0%)

hsl(0, 0%, 24%)

hsl(0, 0%, 47%)

hsl(0, 0%, 71%)

hsl(0, 0%, 94%)

hsl(0, 0%, 100%)

Make transparent colors with HSLA

hsla(9, 100%, 64%, 0)

hsla(9, 100%, 64%, 0.2)

hsla(9, 100%, 64%, 0.4)

hsla(9, 100%, 64%, 0.6)

hsla(9, 100%, 64%, 0.8)

hsla(9, 100%, 64%, 1)