Color Palette Generator
Generate harmonious color palettes based on color theory. Supports 4 harmony types: complementary, analogous, triadic, and monochromatic. Save palettes and download as PNG images.
Color Palette Generator
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What is Color Palette Generator?
The Color Palette Generator is a tool that automatically creates harmonious color combinations based on Color Theory. Select a base color, and it instantly generates 5 matching colors according to the chosen harmony type.
Quickly find professional color combinations for various fields including web design, brand identity development, UI/UX design, and interior color selection. Create visually beautiful palettes without specialized color knowledge.
Recommended For
- Web/App Designers – Finding harmonious combinations when deciding the overall color theme for sites or apps
- Brand Strategists – Selecting brand colors for logos, business cards, and marketing materials
- Illustrators/Artists – Creators looking for color palettes for their artwork
- Frontend Developers – Those who need color values for CSS variables or design tokens
- Interior/Fashion Professionals – Planning color combinations for spaces or outfits
- Social Media Managers – Content creators wanting to maintain consistent feed aesthetics
Key Features
- 4 Harmony Types – Supports color theory-based harmony types including complementary, analogous, triadic, and monochromatic.
- Real-time Palette Generation – New palettes are instantly generated when you change the base color or harmony type.
- Color Locking – Lock colors you like and regenerate only the rest.
- Random Palette – Generate completely new palettes with one button when you need inspiration.
- Palette Saving – Save up to 20 palettes in your browser and recall them anytime.
- HEX Code Copy – Copy individual colors or all palette HEX codes to clipboard.
- Image Download – Save generated palettes as PNG images for sharing or reference.
How to Use
- Select Base Color – Click the color picker to choose your desired color, or enter a HEX code directly. The palette will be generated around this color.
- Choose Harmony Type – Select your desired harmony type from the dropdown. Each type generates palettes based on different color relationships.
- Review and Adjust Palette – Review the 5 generated colors. Lock specific colors with the lock button and regenerate the rest with the random button.
- Use the Colors – Copy HEX codes using each color’s copy button, or copy all colors at once with the copy all button.
- Save and Export – Save favorite palettes with the save button, and download as PNG with the image button.
Harmony Types Explained
Complementary
A combination of colors positioned directly opposite (180 degrees) on the color wheel. Creates strong contrast and draws attention, often used for CTA buttons, emphasis elements, and sports brands. Red-green and blue-orange are typical complementary pairs.
Analogous
A combination of colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel. Gives a soft, harmonious feel commonly found in nature. Suitable for nature-themed designs, calm websites, and background gradients. Example: blue-teal-green.
Triadic
A combination of three colors positioned at 120-degree intervals on the color wheel. Provides variety while maintaining balance, effective for children’s brands, game UIs, and vibrant marketing materials. Red-yellow-blue is the basic triad.
Monochromatic
A combination varying only the lightness and saturation of a single color. Gives the safest and most sophisticated feel, widely used in minimal designs, corporate branding, and premium UIs. Creates unified yet deep designs.
Color Theory Basics
What is the Color Wheel?
The color wheel, first developed by Isaac Newton in 1666, is the fundamental tool used to understand relationships between colors and find harmonious combinations. It consists of 12 colors arranged in a circle (primary, secondary, and tertiary colors), with various harmony types defined by their positional relationships.
HSL Color Model
This tool internally uses the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) color model to calculate harmonious colors:
- Hue – The type of color expressed as an angle from 0-360 degrees (Red=0°, Green=120°, Blue=240°)
- Saturation – The intensity of the color (0%=gray, 100%=pure color)
- Lightness – The brightness of the color (0%=black, 100%=white)
Principles of Good Color Palettes
- 60-30-10 Rule – Using primary color at 60%, secondary at 30%, and accent at 10% creates balanced designs.
- Consider Contrast – Ensure sufficient brightness contrast between text and background for readability.
- Contextual Fit – Colors convey emotions and messages. Choose colors that fit your brand or purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use the generated colors in CSS?
Click the copy button on each color card to copy the HEX code (e.g., #D4AF37) to your clipboard. Use this value directly in CSS as color: #D4AF37; or background-color: #D4AF37;. Defining as CSS variables makes management easier: --primary-color: #D4AF37;
Where are saved palettes stored?
Palettes are stored in your browser’s localStorage. You can access saved palettes when returning with the same browser. However, clearing browser cache or using different devices/browsers won’t show saved palettes, so download important palettes as images.
I want to keep specific colors and change only the rest.
Click the lock icon button on each color card to lock that color. Locked colors won’t change when pressing the random button. You can lock multiple colors simultaneously, and click again to unlock.
How do I check color contrast for web accessibility?
This tool focuses on palette generation. To check contrast ratio between text and background (WCAG standards), please use a separate contrast checker tool. Generally, normal text requires 4.5:1 and large text requires 3:1 minimum contrast ratio.
I don’t know which harmony type to choose.
Recommendations by purpose: Monochromatic is the safest and most sophisticated, recommended for beginners. Analogous is great for natural, comfortable feels. Complementary suits CTAs or emphasis elements needing strong contrast. Choose Triadic for vibrant, diverse impressions.
I already have brand colors but want to find matching colors.
Enter your existing brand color’s HEX code directly in the input field. Palettes will be generated based on that color according to each harmony type. Usually, selecting Analogous or Monochromatic gives an expanded palette while maintaining your brand feel, while Complementary helps find contrasting accent colors.