What do the codes on a capacitor signify?

The codes on a capacitor signify the capacitance, tolerance and voltage of the capacitor. The capacitor color code was developed for clarity even on very small capacitors, as decimal places may be difficult to see on the smaller sizes.

The color code has five colors. The order of these bands varies depending on the capacitor. The five bands are known as the A, B, D, T and V bands. A and B are the first and second digits in the capacitance. The D band stands for the multiplier, which is a power of 10. The T and V bands denote the tolerance and voltage, respectively.

The values for the capacitance on older capacitors that use the color code are measured in picofarads.