diff --git a/api/api.lua b/api/api.lua
index 72636398..47b0ec69 100644
--- a/api/api.lua
+++ b/api/api.lua
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function pfUI.api.GetUnitColor(unitstr)
     r, g, b = RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].r, RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].g, RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].b
   end
 
-  return string.format("|cff%02x%02x%02x", r * 255, g * 255, b * 255), r, g, b
+  return pfUI.api.rgbhex(r,g,b), r, g, b
 end
 
 -- [ strvertical ]
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ function pfUI.api.SetAutoPoint(frame, parent, spacing)
   end
 end
 
--- [ GetDefaultColors ]
+-- [ GetStringColor ]
 -- Queries the pfUI setting strings and extract its color codes
 -- returns r,g,b,a
 local color_cache = {}
@@ -692,6 +692,39 @@ function pfUI.api.GetStringColor(colorstr)
   return unpack(color_cache[colorstr])
 end
 
+-- [ rgbhex ]
+-- Returns color format from color info
+-- 'r'          [table or number]  color table or r color component
+-- 'g'          [number] optional g color component
+-- 'b'          [number] optional b color component
+-- 'a'          [number] optional alpha component
+-- returns color string in the form of '|caaxxyyzz'
+local hexcolor_cache = {}
+function pfUI.api.rgbhex(r, g, b, a)
+  local key
+  if type(r)=="table" then
+    local _r,_g,_b,_a
+    if r.r then
+      _r,_g,_b,_a = r.r, r.g, r.b, r.a or 1
+    elseif table.getn(r) >= 3 then
+      _r,_g,_b,_a = r[1], r[2], r[3], r[4] or 1
+    end
+    if _r and _g and _b and _a then
+      key = string.format("%s%s%s%s",_r,_g,_b,_a)
+      if hexcolor_cache[key] == nil then
+        hexcolor_cache[key] = string.format("|c%02x%02x%02x%02x", _a*255, _r*255, _g*255, _b*255)
+      end
+    end
+  elseif tonumber(r) and g and b then
+    a = a or 1
+    key = string.format("%s%s%s%s",r,g,b,a)
+    if hexcolor_cache[key] == nil then
+      hexcolor_cache[key] = string.format("|c%02x%02x%02x%02x", a*255, r*255, g*255, b*255)
+    end
+  end
+  return hexcolor_cache[key] or ""
+end
+
 -- [ Create Backdrop ]
 -- Creates a pfUI compatible frame as backdrop element
 -- 'f'          [frame]         the frame which should get a backdrop.
@@ -887,19 +920,19 @@ function pfUI.api.GetColoredTimeString(remaining)
   if not remaining then return "" end
   if remaining > 99 * 60 * 60 then
     local r,g,b,a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.daycolor)
-    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining / 60 / 60 / 24) .. "|rd"
+    return pfUI.api.rgbhex(r,g,b) .. round(remaining / 60 / 60 / 24) .. "|rd"
   elseif remaining > 99 * 60 then
     local r,g,b,a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.hourcolor)
-    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining / 60 / 60) .. "|rh"
+    return pfUI.api.rgbhex(r,g,b) .. round(remaining / 60 / 60) .. "|rh"
   elseif remaining > 99 then
     local r,g,b,a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.minutecolor)
-    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining / 60) .. "|rm"
+    return pfUI.api.rgbhex(r,g,b) .. round(remaining / 60) .. "|rm"
   elseif remaining <= 5 then
     local r,g,b,a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.lowcolor)
-    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. string.format("%.1f", round(remaining,1))
+    return pfUI.api.rgbhex(r,g,b) .. string.format("%.1f", round(remaining,1))
   elseif remaining >= 0 then
     local r, g, b, a = pfUI.api.GetStringColor(C.appearance.cd.normalcolor)
-    return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. round(remaining)
+    return pfUI.api.rgbhex(r,g,b) .. round(remaining)
   else
     return ""
   end
@@ -928,7 +961,7 @@ function pfUI.api.GetColorGradient(perc)
     local r = r1 + (r2 - r1)*perc
     local g = g1 + (g2 - g1)*perc
     local b = b1 + (b2 - b1)*perc
-    local h = string.format("|cff%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255)
+    local h = pfUI.api.rgbhex(r,g,b)
 
     gradientcolors[perc] = {}
     gradientcolors[perc].r = r
diff --git a/api/unitframes.lua b/api/unitframes.lua
index c6782142..a9d03b5e 100644
--- a/api/unitframes.lua
+++ b/api/unitframes.lua
@@ -1412,7 +1412,7 @@ function pfUI.uf:RefreshUnit(unit, component)
         pfUI.uf:AddIcon(unit, pos, icon)
       end
 
-      -- hide unued icon slots
+      -- hide unused icon slots
       for pos=table.getn(active)+1, 6 do
         pfUI.uf:HideIcon(unit, pos)
       end
@@ -2062,5 +2062,5 @@ function pfUI.uf.GetColor(self, preset)
   g = ( g + .75 ) * .5
   b = ( b + .75 ) * .5
 
-  return "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255)
+  return rgbhex(r,g,b)
 end
diff --git a/libs/libtipscan.lua b/libs/libtipscan.lua
index 6879384f..86675c01 100644
--- a/libs/libtipscan.lua
+++ b/libs/libtipscan.lua
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ local getFontString = function(obj)
     segment = segment and segment ~= "" and segment or nil
     if segment then
       r, g, b, a = left:GetTextColor()
-      segment = "|c" .. string.format("ff%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255) .. segment .. "|r"
+      segment = rgbhex(r,g,b) .. segment .. "|r"
       text = text and text .. "\n" .. segment or segment
     end
   end
diff --git a/modules/afkcam.lua b/modules/afkcam.lua
index 0707d855..2c0cd430 100644
--- a/modules/afkcam.lua
+++ b/modules/afkcam.lua
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("afkcam", 20400, function ()
     local class = GetUnitData(arg2 or "")
     local author, msg
     if class and class ~= UNKNOWN then
-      local class_color = string.format("%02x%02x%02x", RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].r * 255, RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].g * 255, RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].b * 255)
-      author = string.format("|cff%s%s|r",class_color,arg2)
+      local class_color = rgbhex(RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class])
+      author = string.format("%s%s|r",class_color,arg2)
     else
       author = arg2
     end
diff --git a/modules/buffwatch.lua b/modules/buffwatch.lua
index c7018919..bb0eac61 100644
--- a/modules/buffwatch.lua
+++ b/modules/buffwatch.lua
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("buffwatch", function ()
             sr, sg, sb, sa = 1, .3, .3, 1
           end
           if frame.config.colorstacks == "1" then
-            frame.bars[bar].stacks:SetText("|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", sr*255, sg*255, sb*255) .. data[5])
+            frame.bars[bar].stacks:SetText(rgbhex(sr,sg,sb) .. data[5])
           else
             frame.bars[bar].stacks:SetText(data[5])
           end
diff --git a/modules/chat.lua b/modules/chat.lua
index 3b4fdb63..e7361252 100644
--- a/modules/chat.lua
+++ b/modules/chat.lua
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("chat", 20400, function ()
   -- read and parse whisper color settings
   local cr, cg, cb, ca = strsplit(",", C.chat.global.whisper)
   cr, cg, cb = tonumber(cr), tonumber(cg), tonumber(cb)
-  local wcol = string.format("%02x%02x%02x",cr * 255,cg * 255, cb * 255)
+  local wcol = rgbhex(cr, cg, cb)
 
   -- read and parse chat bracket settings
   local left = "|r" .. string.sub(C.chat.text.bracket, 1, 1)
@@ -626,15 +626,15 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("chat", 20400, function ()
   _G.CHAT_YELL_GET = left .. "Y" .. right ..default
 
   if C.chat.global.whispermod == "1" then
-    _G.CHAT_WHISPER_GET = '|cff' .. wcol .. '[W]' .. default
+    _G.CHAT_WHISPER_GET = wcol .. '[W]' .. default
     _G.CHAT_WHISPER_INFORM_GET = '[W]' .. default
   end
 
   local r,g,b,a = strsplit(",", C.chat.text.timecolor)
-  local timecolorhex = string.format("%02x%02x%02x%02x", a*255, r*255, g*255, b*255)
+  local timecolorhex = rgbhex(r,g,b,a)
 
   local r,g,b = strsplit(",", C.chat.text.unknowncolor)
-  local unknowncolorhex = string.format("%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255)
+  local unknowncolorhex = rgbhex(r,g,b)
 
   for i=1,NUM_CHAT_WINDOWS do
     if not _G["ChatFrame"..i].HookAddMessage then
@@ -668,17 +668,14 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("chat", 20400, function ()
               local class = GetUnitData(name)
               if class then
                 if class ~= UNKNOWN then
-                  color = string.format("%02x%02x%02x",
-                    RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].r * 255,
-                    RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].g * 255,
-                    RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class].b * 255)
+                  color = rgbhex(RAID_CLASS_COLORS[class])
                   match = true
                 end
               end
 
               if C.chat.text.tintunknown == "1" or match then
                 text = string.gsub(text, "|Hplayer:"..name.."|h%["..name.."%]|h(.-:-)",
-                    left.."|cff"..color.."|Hplayer:"..name.."|h" .. name .. "|h|r"..right.."%1")
+                    left..color.."|Hplayer:"..name.."|h" .. name .. "|h|r"..right.."%1")
               end
             end
           end
@@ -695,13 +692,13 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("chat", 20400, function ()
 
           -- show timestamp in chat
           if C.chat.text.time == "1" then
-            text = "|c" .. timecolorhex .. tleft .. date(C.chat.text.timeformat) .. tright .. "|r " .. text
+            text = timecolorhex .. tleft .. date(C.chat.text.timeformat) .. tright .. "|r " .. text
           end
 
           if C.chat.global.whispermod == "1" then
             -- patch incoming whisper string to match the colors
-            if string.find(text, '|cff'..wcol, 1) == 1 then
-              text = string.gsub(text, "|r", "|r|cff" .. wcol)
+            if string.find(text, wcol, 1) == 1 then
+              text = string.gsub(text, "|r", "|r" .. wcol)
             end
           end
 
diff --git a/modules/chatcopy.lua b/modules/chatcopy.lua
index 21e7cdca..5d21ee9f 100644
--- a/modules/chatcopy.lua
+++ b/modules/chatcopy.lua
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("chatcopy", 20400, function ()
         local AddMessage = frame.AddMessage
         frame.AddMessage = function(self,msg,r,g,b)
           if msg and r and g and b then
-            local col = string.format("|cff%02x%02x%02x", r*255, g*255, b*255)
+            local col = rgbhex(r,g,b)
             table.insert(history, 1, col..string.gsub(msg, "|r", col))
           elseif msg then
             table.insert(history, 1, "|cffffffff"..msg)
diff --git a/modules/socialmod.lua b/modules/socialmod.lua
index 884bf726..e2d504c9 100644
--- a/modules/socialmod.lua
+++ b/modules/socialmod.lua
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ pfUI:RegisterModule("socialmod", function ()
           local lcolor = GetDifficultyColor(tonumber(level)) or { 1, 1, 1 }
 
           zone = ( zone == playerzone and "|cffffffff" or "|cffaaaaaa" ) .. zone .. "|r"
-          name = "|cff" .. string.format("%02x%02x%02x", ccolor.r*255, ccolor.g*255, ccolor.b*255) .. name .. "|r"
+          name = RgbHex(ccolor) .. name .. "|r"
 
           _G["FriendsFrameFriendButton"..i..FRIENDS_NAME_LOCATION]:SetText(format(TEXT(FRIENDS_LIST_TEMPLATE), name, zone, status))
           _G["FriendsFrameFriendButton"..i.."ButtonTextInfo"]:SetText(format(TEXT(FRIENDS_LEVEL_TEMPLATE), level, class))