RGB Int to RGB - Python

Omar picture Omar · Feb 14, 2010 · Viewed 56.5k times · Source

How can I convert an RGB integer to the corresponding RGB tuple (R,G,B)? Seems simple enough, but I can't find anything on google.

I know that for every RGB (r,g,b) you have the integer n = r256^2 + g256 + b, how can I solve the reverse in Python, IE given an n, I need the r,g,b values.

Answer

Nils Pipenbrinck picture Nils Pipenbrinck · Feb 14, 2010

I'm not a Python expert by all means, but as far as I know it has the same operators as C.

If so this should work and it should also be a lot quicker than using modulo and division.

Blue =  RGBint & 255
Green = (RGBint >> 8) & 255
Red =   (RGBint >> 16) & 255

What it does it to mask out the lowest byte in each case (the binary and with 255.. Equals to a 8 one bits). For the green and red component it does the same, but shifts the color-channel into the lowest byte first.