Color Palette Generator
Color Palette Generator is a free online tool that creates harmonious color palettes for your design projects instantly. Generate palettes by entering a base color, using predefined harmony rules (complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, monochromatic), extracting colors from an image, or exploring random curated palettes. Each palette includes multiple shade variations, hex codes, RGB/HSL values, and preview swatches. Perfect for UI designers, web developers, brand designers, and anyone needing consistent, aesthetically pleasing color schemes for their projects.
What Is
Color Palette Generator produces sets of colors that work well together following established color theory principles. Colors are more than just aesthetic choices—they affect user emotions, readability, brand perception, and accessibility. Harmony rules explained: - Monochromatic: Variations of a single hue with different lightness/saturation. Creates a cohesive, elegant look. - Analogous: Colors adjacent on the color wheel (within 30 degrees). Natural and harmonious. - Complementary: Colors opposite on the wheel (180 degrees apart). High contrast and visual impact. - Split-Complementary: Base color plus two colors adjacent to its complement. Less tension than full complementary. - Triadic: Three colors equally spaced on the wheel (120 degrees). Vibrant and balanced. - Tetradic (Double Split): Four colors, two complementary pairs. Rich and complex. - Square: Four colors equally spaced (90 degrees apart). Image color extraction: Upload an image and the tool analyzes the pixel data to identify dominant colors using color quantization (median cut algorithm). This allows you to create palettes inspired by photographs, artwork, or brand imagery. Palette output includes: - 5 coordinated color shades (from light to dark) - HEX, RGB, HSL, and CSS values for each color - Accessibility preview showing contrast ratios between palette colors - Visualization of how colors look applied to UI components (buttons, cards, text) Export formats: - CSS variables (--color-primary: #...;) or SCSS variables ($color-primary: #...;) - Tailwind CSS config format - Adobe ASE, Sketch, Figma-compatible JSON - Image (PNG) with palette swatches - Copy individual hex codes or entire palette as a list
How to Use
- Choose a generation method: enter a base color (hex, RGB, or use the picker), select a harmony rule, upload an image for extraction, or click 'Random' for a curated random palette.
- If using a base color method: enter your color in the input field. The tool generates a full palette based on the selected harmony rule. Try different harmony rules to see which best fits your project's mood.
- If extracting from an image: upload a JPG, PNG, or WebP image. The tool analyzes dominant colors and creates a palette. Adjust the extraction sensitivity to get more or fewer distinct colors.
- Review the generated palette with labeled shades (e.g., 50, 100, 200...900 like design systems use). Each shade shows its hex code, RGB, and HSL values.
- Test accessibility by checking the contrast matrix showing which palette colors work well together for text/background combinations. Adjust individual colors using the inline color picker if needed.
- Lock colors you like and regenerate the rest of the palette to find complementary shades that complement your locked choices. Fine-tune individual colors using HSL sliders.
- Export the palette in your chosen format (CSS variables, SCSS, Tailwind config, or image). Copy individual color values or the entire palette list with one click.
Examples
Input: Base: #3B82F6 (Blue), Scheme: Complementary
Process: HSL hue + 180° → Generate 5-color palette
Result: #3B82F6, #82A7F6, #F6A53B, #6E3BF6, #BFC9D9
Input: Base: #10B981 (Green), Scheme: Analogous
Process: HSL hue ± 30° → Analogous colors
Result: #10B981, #10B9A8, #10B95E, #34D399, #047857
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best color harmony for a professional website?
For professional websites, monochromatic or analogous harmonies work best. Start with your brand's primary color, then generate lighter tints for backgrounds and darker shades for text. Use complementary colors sparingly for call-to-action buttons or accents. Avoid triadic/tetradic schemes for conservative industries (finance, healthcare, legal) as they feel playful. Tech startups and creative agencies can push toward more vibrant harmonies.
Can I extract a color palette from my logo?
Yes. Upload your logo image (PNG with transparent background works best) and the tool identifies the dominant colors. Use the sensitivity slider to control how many distinct colors are extracted. For a simple logo with 2-3 colors, lower sensitivity works best. For complex illustrations with gradients, increase sensitivity to capture more color variety.
How do I create a dark mode palette from my light mode colors?
Start with your existing light mode palette as the base. For dark mode, reverse the mapping: your light background becomes the dark background (but slightly lighter), and your light text becomes dark text. A common approach is to take your primary brand color and generate a version with 20-30% higher lightness for dark mode backgrounds. The tool's shade generation helps create systematic light/dark mappings.
Are the generated palettes color-blind friendly?
The tool includes a color-blind simulation preview that shows how your palette appears under protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia. Color combinations that rely solely on hue difference may become indistinguishable under CVD. Use the contrast matrix to ensure sufficient lightness differences between critical color pairs. Blue/orange is a safe color-blind-friendly combination.
Can I save and revisit my palettes later?
You can export palettes as JSON files and re-upload them later. The tool also generates a unique URL for each palette you create, which you can bookmark and share with team members. For teams, exporting in CSS variable format allows consistent palette usage across your entire codebase.