Color Palette Generator

A color palette generator helps designers, developers, and artists create harmonious color combinations based on color theory principles. By starting with a single base color, you can generate entire color schemes that work well together.

Understanding Color Harmony

Color harmony is the arrangement of colors in a way that is visually pleasing. The color wheel, first developed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666, forms the foundation of color theory. Colors that are harmonious create a sense of balance and order.

Palette Types Explained

• Complementary: Uses colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180 degrees apart). This creates maximum contrast and visual tension, making designs feel vibrant and energetic.
• Analogous: Uses colors that are adjacent on the color wheel (within 30 degrees). These palettes feel natural and harmonious, often found in nature like autumn leaves or ocean sunsets.
• Triadic: Uses three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel (120 degrees apart). Triadic schemes offer strong visual contrast while retaining harmony and richness.
• Split-Complementary: A variation of complementary that uses the two colors adjacent to the complement (150 and 210 degrees). It provides high contrast without the intense tension of a pure complementary scheme.
• Monochromatic: Uses variations of a single hue by adjusting saturation and lightness. This creates a cohesive, elegant look that is easy on the eyes and never clashes.

The HSL Color Model

This tool uses the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) color model for calculations. Hue represents the color angle on the wheel (0-360 degrees), Saturation controls the color intensity (0-100%), and Lightness determines how light or dark the color appears (0-100%). HSL is ideal for palette generation because rotating the hue creates mathematically precise color harmonies.

Design Tips

• Use the 60-30-10 rule: 60% dominant color, 30% secondary, 10% accent.
• Test your palette with both light and dark backgrounds for accessibility.
• Monochromatic palettes are safest for beginners and always look professional.
• Lock colors you like and regenerate to explore variations while keeping favorites.
• Export CSS variables to quickly integrate palettes into your web projects.
• Consider color blindness: avoid relying solely on red-green distinctions.

How to Use This Tool

Pick a base color using the color picker or type a hex code. Choose a harmony type to generate a 5-color palette. Click any swatch to copy its hex value. Lock individual colors and click Random to regenerate only the unlocked ones. When you are satisfied, export the palette as CSS custom properties (variables) ready for your stylesheet.