What is the Color Palette Generator?
The Color Palette Generator is a free online tool that takes a single base color and automatically suggests a harmonious set of colors that go well together. Whether you're stuck on a color scheme, unsure what a complementary color is, or hunting for accent colors to match a brand, it instantly builds complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, and monochromatic palettes using color-wheel (HSL) theory. It replaces overseas tools like Coolors and Adobe Color right in your browser — no sign-up, no install.
Unlike a simple color converter, this tool focuses on how multiple colors look together. Each generated color can be copied as HEX, RGB, or HSL with one click, and you get shades and tints adjusted step by step in lightness and saturation. A WCAG contrast check confirms text remains readable, and you can export to CSS variables, Tailwind, SCSS, or JSON, or share as a PNG or URL — making it a practical tool for both designers and developers.
Key Features
Five Auto-Generated Schemes
Complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, and monochromatic harmonies are computed instantly by rotating the color wheel.
Instant Copy & Export
Copy any color in your preferred format with one click, and export the whole palette as CSS variables, Tailwind, SCSS, or JSON.
Lock + Random Exploration
Pin the colors you love and shuffle only the rest with the spacebar or random button until the combination feels right.
Shades & WCAG Contrast Check
Get 10 lightness/saturation steps per color and a white/black contrast ratio that flags AA and AAA accessibility compliance.
How to Use
- Pick a base color — use the color picker, the HEX input, or the eyedropper (EyeDropper API) to choose your starting color.
- Select a harmony — choose complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, or monochromatic, and a matching scheme is generated automatically.
- Lock and explore — pin the colors you like, then shuffle the rest with the random button or the spacebar.
- Copy the codes — choose a copy format (HEX/RGB/HSL) and click any swatch to copy it. You can also click the shade steps to copy them.
- Export & share — export to CSS, Tailwind, SCSS, or JSON, save as a PNG image, or share your palette via URL.
Use Cases
Web & App UI Colors
Set a dominant color, then derive buttons, accents, and backgrounds from complementary or analogous hues to build a consistent UI color system fast.
Brand & Logo Colors
Derive matching secondary colors from your brand's main hue to unify business cards, packaging, and social media tone.
Frontend Color Tokens
Export the 10-step shades as CSS variables or Tailwind colors and drop them straight into your design system as 50–900 color tokens.
Slides & Interior Palettes
Even non-designers can build stable color combinations for slides, posters, and spaces using complementary and triadic rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Color Palette Generator?
It's a free online tool that takes a single base color and automatically suggests five color schemes — complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, and monochromatic — based on color-wheel (HSL) theory. Rather than just converting a code, it helps you find multiple colors that work together.
How is this different from a color code converter?
A color code converter only changes one color's format (HEX↔RGB↔HSL). This tool rotates the hue on the color wheel to suggest entire color schemes (complementary, analogous, and more), plus CSS/Tailwind export and WCAG contrast checks. If your goal is finding matching colors, this is the right tool.
Can I export my palette as code?
Yes. Export the whole palette at once as CSS custom properties (:root variables), Tailwind config colors, SCSS variables, or JSON. Click any swatch to copy it individually as HEX, RGB, or HSL. You can also save it as a PNG image or share it via URL.
How do color lock and randomize work?
Press the lock button on a color you like to pin it. Then pressing the random button or the spacebar regenerates only the unlocked colors. This lets you settle colors one by one until the whole combination feels right.
What is the WCAG contrast check?
It calculates the contrast ratio of white and black text over your selected color and tells you whether it meets accessibility levels (AA at 4.5:1, AAA at 7:1). You can verify in advance that your color combinations remain readable on the web and in apps.
Are my colors sent to a server?
No. All color math and palette generation happen entirely in your browser, and no data is sent to any server. Recent palettes are stored only in your device's localStorage.
Privacy Notice
All color math and palette generation happen entirely within your browser. The colors you enter and the palettes you create are never sent to any server, and your recent palette history is stored only in your own device's localStorage. You can use the tool with complete peace of mind regarding your privacy.