A color palette generator creates harmonious sets of colors based on color theory relationships like complementary, analogous, and triadic schemes. Designers use color palettes to establish visual consistency across websites, apps, and brand materials. This free tool lets you pick any base color and instantly generates five types of palettes with hex codes, CSS and Tailwind exports, and accessibility contrast checks between colors.
Base Color
Palette Type
Generated Palette
Contrast Between Adjacent Colors
How to Use the Color Palette Generator
Choosing the right colors for a website, app, or brand identity is one of the most important design decisions you will make. A well-crafted color palette creates visual harmony, guides users' attention, and communicates emotion. This free color palette generator uses established color theory to produce harmonious schemes from any starting color, saving you hours of manual experimentation with the color wheel.
Step 1: Pick a Base Color
Start by selecting your base color using the color picker or by typing a hex code directly, such as #E11D48. This is the color your entire palette will be derived from. If you do not have a starting color in mind, click the Random button to generate one and explore unexpected combinations. The base color typically represents your primary brand color or the dominant hue you want in your design.
Step 2: Choose a Palette Type
Select one of five harmony types. Complementary pairs your base with its opposite on the color wheel for maximum contrast. Analogous uses neighboring hues for a smooth, cohesive look. Triadic spaces three colors evenly around the wheel for vibrant balance. Split-Complementary softens the complementary approach by using the two colors adjacent to the complement. Monochromatic generates variations in lightness and saturation of a single hue for a subtle, elegant palette.
Step 3: Review and Copy Colors
The generator displays five to seven color swatches with their hex codes. Click any swatch to instantly copy its hex code to your clipboard. Each swatch is large enough to evaluate the color in context. Use the accessibility section below the palette to check WCAG contrast ratios between adjacent colors, which is essential when choosing text and background pairs from your palette.
Step 4: Export for Your Project
Click CSS to copy the palette as CSS custom properties that you can paste directly into your stylesheet's :root selector. Click Tailwind to get a ready-to-use color object for your Tailwind CSS configuration file. Both export formats use semantic naming so you can immediately start applying colors with utility classes or variable references.
Step 5: Save Your Favorites
When you find a palette you like, click Save to bookmark it in your browser's localStorage. Saved palettes persist across sessions and can be loaded instantly to resume where you left off. This is especially useful when comparing multiple options during the design exploration phase. Your saved palettes never leave your device, keeping your creative process completely private.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this color palette generator free?
Yes, the Color Palette Generator is completely free to use with no limits. Everything runs in your browser so there is nothing to install and no account required. Generate as many palettes as you need.
Is my data safe when using this tool?
Absolutely. All color calculations happen locally in your browser. No color data is sent to any server. Saved palettes are stored in your browser's localStorage and never leave your device.
What types of color palettes can I generate?
You can generate five types of harmonious palettes: Complementary (opposite on the color wheel), Analogous (neighboring hues), Triadic (three equally spaced hues), Split-Complementary (a softer alternative to complementary), and Monochromatic (variations in lightness and saturation of a single hue).
How do I export my palette as CSS custom properties?
Click the CSS Export button to copy your palette as CSS custom properties (variables) ready to paste into your stylesheet. The output uses the :root selector with --color-1 through --color-7 variable names that you can rename to match your project.
Can I export palettes for Tailwind CSS?
Yes. Click the Tailwind Export button to copy a ready-to-use Tailwind CSS config object. Paste it into your tailwind.config.js under theme.extend.colors to use the palette shades with Tailwind utility classes like bg-palette-500.
What does the accessibility check between palette colors show?
The accessibility check calculates the WCAG contrast ratio between each pair of adjacent colors in your palette. A ratio of 4.5:1 or higher passes AA for normal text. This helps you pick foreground-background pairs from your palette that remain readable.
How do I save palettes for later?
Click the bookmark icon on any palette to save it to your browser's localStorage. Saved palettes appear in the Saved Palettes section at the bottom. You can load or delete them anytime. They persist across sessions but are specific to your browser.
What is a complementary color scheme?
A complementary color scheme uses two colors that sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel, such as blue and orange or red and green. These pairs create strong visual contrast and draw attention, making them ideal for call-to-action buttons and accent highlights.