Color Palette Generator
Build harmonious color palettes fast.
The Color Palette Generator helps you build a matching set of colors from a single starting shade. Pick a base color with the color picker, choose a scheme, and the tool instantly shows you a row of coordinated swatches. Click any swatch to copy its hex code, then paste it straight into your design app, website, or spreadsheet.
Behind the scenes, the tool converts your base color from hex to HSL and rotates the hue to build each scheme. A hex code is the six-character value like #3B82F6 that describes red, green, and blue. HSL stands for hue, saturation, and lightness, which makes it easy to shift colors around the wheel while keeping them balanced. If you are not sure where to start, the Random base color button gives you a fresh idea in one click.
How to use the color palette generator
- Click the color picker and choose a base color, or press the Random base color button to start from a suggested shade.
- Open the scheme dropdown and pick Complementary, Analogous, Triadic, or Monochromatic.
- Look at the row of swatches the tool creates from your base color and selected scheme.
- Click any swatch to copy its hex code to your clipboard.
- Paste the hex code into your design tool, CSS, or document, and adjust the base color if you want a different mood.
Worked example
Suppose you start with a base color of #3B82F6, a medium blue. Choose the Complementary scheme, and the tool rotates the hue by 180 degrees to produce a warm orange near #F6A83B. Switch to Analogous instead, and you get neighbors on the color wheel such as a blue-green and a blue-violet that sit close to the original. Pick Triadic, and the hue rotates in two even steps for three evenly spaced colors. Click any swatch to copy its hex, then drop the values into your project.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a very dark or nearly white base color, which leaves little room for the scheme to show contrast between swatches.
- Using every color in a scheme at full strength instead of picking one main color and using the others as accents.
- Forgetting to check contrast between text and background colors, which can make copy hard to read.
- Assuming a complementary pair always looks good together at large sizes, when it often works best as a small accent.
- Copying a hex code but pasting it into a field that expects a different format, such as RGB values.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export the palette?
Yes — copy individual values or export the whole palette as an image or code snippet.
What is the difference between the four schemes?
Complementary uses your base color plus its opposite on the color wheel for strong contrast. Analogous uses colors next to your base for a calm, harmonious look. Triadic spaces three colors evenly around the wheel for a balanced but lively set. Monochromatic keeps the same hue and varies the lightness for a subtle, unified feel.
Do I need to understand hex or HSL to use this tool?
No. You can pick a base color visually and copy the results without knowing the math. The hex code is simply the value you paste elsewhere, and the tool handles the HSL conversion and hue rotation for you in the background.
Can I use these colors on a website or in an image?
Yes. Hex codes work directly in CSS, most design software, and many document editors. If you are preparing graphics for the web, you can pair your palette with our <a href="/tools/image-compressor/">Image Compressor</a> to keep file sizes small without visible quality loss.