A much faster alternative to Microsoft's ColorTranslator.FromHtml() function.

benchmark.txt

The following benchmark was done by loop-calling the functions 1,000,000 times.

SIX DIGIT TEST:
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=89ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=244ms
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=86ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=232ms
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=87ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=235ms
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=86ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=234ms
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=86ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=235ms

THREE DIGIT TEST:
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=68ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=276ms
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=68ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=258ms
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=67ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=256ms
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=67ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=258ms
    this.FromHtml:               Elapsed=67ms
    ColorTranslator.FromHtml:    Elapsed=261ms

ColorFromHTML.cs

/// <summary>
/// Translates an HTML-format color value to a GDI+
/// <see cref="System.Drawing.Color"/> structure.
/// </summary>
/// 
/// <param name="htmlVal">
/// A 3 or 6 digit hexadecimal value to translate. Do not include the
/// leading "#" sign.
/// </param>
/// 
/// <returns>
/// Returns the translated structure.
/// </returns>
private Color FromHtml(string htmlVal)
{
    var value = Convert.ToInt32(htmlVal, 16);
    var color = Color.Empty;

    switch (htmlVal.Length)
    {
        case 6:
            const int mask = 0xFF;

            color = Color.FromArgb
            (
                (value >> 16) & mask,
                (value >> 8) & mask,
                (value) & mask
            );
            break;
        case 3:
            var argb = (255 << 24) |
                       (value & 0xF00) << 8 | 
                       (value & 0x0F0) << 4 | 
                       (value & 0x00F);
            argb |= argb << 4;

            color = Color.FromArgb(argb);
            break;
    }

    return color;
}