Color Palette Generator
Generate random color palettes for your design projects. Click any swatch to copy its hex code.
What This Tool Does
Generates color palettes — complementary, triadic, analogous, and monochromatic — from a seed color in your browser, with HEX and RGB values ready to copy.
Who This Is For
- UI/UX designers creating color systems for new products or design tokens
- Frontend developers building a consistent theme without a dedicated design tool
- Brand designers generating palette options from a client's primary brand color
- Anyone who wants a harmonious color set starting from a single hex value
Example: Input: A seed color of #3B82F6 (blue) → Output: A full palette: primary, complementary, triadic, and monochromatic variants — each with HEX and RGB values and a visual swatch
Click any swatch to copy its color code.
💡 Once you have your palette, use the RGB / HEX / HSL Converter to get each color in the exact CSS format your project requires. For creating CSS gradient transitions between palette colors, Gradient Generator builds the CSS code directly.
Color Palette Harmony Types Explained
Each harmony type produces relationships between colors based on their positions on the color wheel:
| Harmony Type | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Monochromatic | Same hue, varied lightness/saturation | Minimal, sophisticated designs |
| Analogous | Adjacent hues (within 30°–60°) | Natural, harmonious, low contrast |
| Complementary | Opposite hues (180° apart) | High contrast, bold, energetic |
| Split-complementary | One color + two adjacent to its complement | High contrast but less jarring than pure complementary |
| Triadic | 3 colors evenly spaced (120° apart) | Vibrant, balanced, versatile |
| Tetradic / Square | 4 colors evenly spaced (90° apart) | Rich, complex — hard to balance |
Building a Design System Color Palette
- Start with a primary brand color and generate 9–11 shades (50 to 950) for flexible use across components.
- Add a neutral palette (gray scale) for text, borders, and backgrounds. Cool grays pair with blue/purple primaries; warm grays pair with red/orange primaries.
- Add semantic colors — success (green), warning (amber), error (red), and info (blue). These should be perceptually distinct, not just the first green and red you find.
- Check accessibility — ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors. WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text.
- Test in both modes — if your product supports dark mode, generate a separate set of semantic color tokens for dark backgrounds.
Color System Workflow
Palette generation is the foundation of a design system:
- Pick the base color visually before generating the palette
- Create gradients using palette colors as stops
- Convert palette colors to HEX, RGB, or HSL for CSS variables
- Minify the CSS after adding the palette to your stylesheet
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different color harmony types?▼
Complementary: two colors opposite on the color wheel (high contrast). Analogous: three colors adjacent on the wheel (harmonious, natural). Triadic: three colors equally spaced (vibrant, balanced). Split-complementary: a color plus the two colors adjacent to its complement (high contrast but less stark than complementary).
How many colors does the generator produce?▼
5–7 colors depending on the harmony type selected. For a full design system, the palette generator provides the base colors — you can create tints and shades from each by adjusting HSL lightness values in the RGB Converter.
How do I use a brand HEX code as the starting color?▼
Type the HEX code directly into the base color field. The palette generates from your exact brand color, ensuring all harmonious colors relate correctly to your primary brand color.
Can I export the palette for use in Figma or Sketch?▼
Copy the HEX or RGB values individually and add them manually to your design tool's color library. For Figma, you can add each color as a local style. The values are in standard CSS format compatible with all design tools.
Why do different harmony types produce different 'feeling' palettes?▼
Color harmony is based on how the eye perceives relationships between hues. Complementary colors create tension and contrast. Analogous colors feel calm and cohesive. Triadic palettes feel energetic. The right choice depends on the emotional tone you want the design to convey.
What's the difference between a tint, shade, and tone?▼
A tint is a color mixed with white (lighter). A shade is a color mixed with black (darker). A tone is a color mixed with grey (more muted). The palette generator produces pure hue variants — use the RGB Converter to create tints, shades, and tones from each palette color.
Can I generate harmonious palettes?▼
The current generator uses random colors. For harmonious color theory-based palettes, check out tools like Coolors or Adobe Color.
How It Works
1
Enter a base colorType a HEX code or pick a color. The generator creates a harmonious palette from this starting point.
2
Choose a color harmonySelect complementary, analogous, triadic, or split-complementary. Each produces a different visual relationship.
3
Export the paletteCopy individual HEX or RGB values, or download the full palette for use in design tools.
When to Use This Tool
- →Generating a color palette for a new brand, website, or app design
- →Finding colors that work well together from a primary brand color
- →Creating a set of background, text, and accent colors that follow color theory
- →Exploring different color combinations before presenting options to a client
🔒 Privacy & Security
Palette generation uses color theory algorithms running in your browser. No data is uploaded. The tool works offline after page load.
You Might Also Need
Related Tools
- Sharing access to a design system? Generate a strong password with the Password Generator. → generate secure passwords for design system access
- Share your color palette URL as a QR code — useful for presentations and print materials. → share your palette via QR code
- Purchasing design tool licenses internationally? Use the Currency Converter for accurate pricing. → convert pricing for international design licenses
- Handing off design assets across time zones? Use the Timezone Converter to set clear delivery times. → schedule cross-timezone design handoffs
- Exporting your palette for print specifications? Convert between px, mm, and inches. → convert palette dimensions for print
- Printing color palette sheets? Convert between gsm and lb paper weights. → convert paper weights for print projects
- Specialized print environments specify temperature ranges — convert them with the Temperature Converter. → check print environment specifications
- Working with print production specifications? Convert ink volumes with the Volume Converter. → measure ink volumes for print production
- Need dummy content to show your palette in context? Generate realistic placeholder data. → generate placeholder data for palette presentations
- Showing your palette in a form or card UI? Populate it with realistic fake addresses. → generate sample addresses for mockups