Color Palette Generator
Generate beautiful color palettes using random generation, color harmony rules, or extract dominant colors from your images. Check accessibility with WCAG contrast checker and color blindness simulation. Press Space for random palettes.
How It Works
Choose Mode
Select Random, Color Harmony, or From Image to extract colors from photos.
Upload or Configure
Drop an image to extract colors, pick a harmony type, or press Space for random palettes.
Adjust
Fine-tune extraction settings, saturation, lightness, and temperature.
Check Accessibility
Verify WCAG contrast compliance and test with color blindness simulation.
Export
Export to CSS, SCSS, Tailwind, JSON, or share with a URL.
Features
WCAG Accessibility Checker
Check contrast ratios between all color pairs. See AA and AAA compliance levels with suggestions for accessible alternatives.
Color Blindness Simulation
See how your palette appears to people with Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia, and Achromatopsia.
Extract from Images
Upload any image to extract its dominant colors using advanced color quantization. Perfect for creating palettes from photos.
Color Harmony Rules
Generate palettes using complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary, square, and monochromatic harmonies.
Multiple Export Formats
Export to CSS variables, SCSS, Tailwind CSS config, JSON, PNG image, or share with a URL.
Save Favorites
Save palettes to your favorites, rename, and manage them. Import and export your collection.
Interactive Color Wheel
Click on the color wheel to select your base color and see harmony relationships visually.
100% Private
All processing happens in your browser. Nothing is stored on servers.
Color Accessibility Tips
- WCAG 2.1 Guidelines: Normal text needs 4.5:1 contrast (AA) or 7:1 (AAA). Large text (18pt+) needs 3:1 (AA) or 4.5:1 (AAA).
- Don't Rely on Color Alone: Use patterns, icons, or labels alongside colors to convey information.
- Test for Color Blindness: About 8% of men and 0.5% of women have some form of color vision deficiency.
- 60-30-10 Rule: Use your dominant color 60% of the time, secondary color 30%, and accent color 10% for balanced designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this color palette generator is completely free to use. There are no limits on how many palettes you can create, no watermarks, and no signup required. All features including color harmony generation, image extraction, accessibility checking, and export options are available at no cost.
We support six color harmony types: Complementary (opposite colors), Analogous (adjacent colors), Triadic (three evenly spaced colors), Split-Complementary (base + two adjacent to complement), Square (four evenly spaced colors), and Monochromatic (variations of a single hue). Each creates aesthetically pleasing combinations based on color theory.
Our image color extraction uses the median cut algorithm, a proven color quantization technique. Upload any image (JPEG, PNG, WebP), and the tool analyzes pixel colors to identify dominant hues. You can adjust extraction settings including color count (2-10), quality level, and filters for light/dark colors.
You can export palettes as CSS custom properties (with HEX, RGB, and HSL variants), SCSS variables with a color map, Tailwind CSS configuration, JSON data, PNG image with swatches, or a shareable URL. Each format is optimized for its intended use in web development workflows.
The accessibility checker evaluates contrast ratios between all color pairs in your palette according to WCAG 2.1 guidelines. It shows AAA (7:1), AA (4.5:1), and AA-Large (3:1) compliance levels. For failing pairs, it suggests adjusted colors that meet accessibility requirements.
The color blindness simulator shows how your palette appears to people with different types of color vision deficiency: Protanopia (red-blind), Deuteranopia (green-blind), Tritanopia (blue-blind), and Achromatopsia (total color blindness). This helps ensure your palette is distinguishable for all users.
Yes, all processing happens entirely in your browser. Images you upload for color extraction are never sent to our servers. Your palettes and favorites are stored locally in your browser's localStorage. No color data, images, or personal information is ever transmitted or stored externally.
Yes, use the Favorites feature to save palettes with custom names. You can browse saved palettes, search by name, rename, delete, and even import/export your entire collection as JSON for backup. Up to 50 palettes can be saved locally in your browser.
What is a Color Palette?
A color palette is a curated selection of colors that work harmoniously together. Designers use color palettes to ensure visual consistency across websites, apps, branding materials, and any creative project.
A well-chosen palette typically includes 4-6 colors: a dominant color, secondary colors, and accent colors. These colors establish mood, guide user attention, and create visual hierarchy in your designs. Ensuring accessibility through proper contrast ratios makes your designs usable by everyone, including people with visual impairments.