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Color Palette Generator

Generate harmonious color palettes from any base color. Pick a harmony mode and export your palette.

6 harmony modesCSS / HEX / RGB exportWCAG contrast check

① Pick a base color ② Select a harmony mode ③ Click Generate

Presets:
Mode
Analogous
—
Base Color
#3A7BD5
HSL(215, 65%, 53%)
vs White
4.2:1 AA Large
vs #FFFFFF

How to create harmonious color palettes

A color palette is a curated set of colors that work well together, based on established color theory principles. The Color Palette Generator uses HSL color space to calculate mathematically precise relationships between hues.

Color harmony modes define the geometric relationship between colors on the color wheel. Analogous colors sit adjacent to each other (30° apart), creating calm, cohesive designs. Complementary colors sit opposite (180°), producing maximum contrast and visual tension. Triadic schemes use three colors equally spaced (120°), offering vibrant balance.

Split complementary is a softer alternative: instead of the exact opposite hue, you take the two hues flanking it (±30°). Tetradic uses four colors forming a rectangle on the wheel. Monochromatic palettes explore a single hue at different saturation and lightness levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

A color palette generator is a tool that automatically creates groups of harmonious colors based on color theory rules. You provide a base color, choose a harmony mode, and the tool computes related hues using the HSL model.
The tool converts your HEX color to HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness). It then shifts the hue by fixed angles depending on the selected mode: ±30° for analogous, 180° for complementary, 120°/240° for triadic, and so on.
Analogous palettes use colors that are neighbors on the color wheel (within 30°–60°), creating a harmonious feel. Complementary palettes use colors opposite each other (180° apart), creating high contrast — useful for calls to action and focal points.
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) defines minimum contrast ratios for readable text: 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (Level AA). The generator indicates whether each color pair meets these thresholds.
The colors are mathematically generated from precise angle rotations in HSL space, so they are exact in theory. However, perception varies by display calibration and context.
Click "Export CSS" to copy all colors as CSS custom properties. Paste them into your :root block and reference them as var(--palette-1), var(--palette-2), etc. You can also copy individual HEX or RGB values for Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD.
Analogous generates 5 colors (base ±30° and ±60°). Complementary generates 4. Triadic and split complementary generate 3 primary colors plus variations. Tetradic generates 4 distinct hues. Monochromatic generates 6 shades of the same hue.
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