Privatool

Color Palette Generator — Create Beautiful Color Schemes Free

Generate harmonious color palettes using color theory — complementary, analogous, triadic, and more. Extract dominant colors from any image. Lock your favorite colors and randomize the rest. Export as CSS variables, Tailwind config, or PNG. Includes WCAG accessibility contrast checker.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a color palette generator?

A color palette generator creates sets of coordinated colors that work well together. It uses color theory principles (complementary, analogous, triadic relationships) to generate harmonious color combinations automatically. You can start from a base color, extract colors from an image, or generate random palettes.

What color harmonies are available?

Six harmony types: Complementary (2 opposite colors on the color wheel), Analogous (5 colors adjacent on the wheel), Triadic (3 colors 120° apart), Split-complementary (3 colors), Tetradic/Square (4 colors 90° apart), and Monochromatic (5 tints/shades of the same hue).

How do I extract colors from an image?

Switch to the "From Image" tab and upload any JPG, PNG, or WebP image. The tool uses the HTML Canvas API to sample pixels from your image and identify the 5 dominant colors. The algorithm clusters similar colors to avoid returning near-duplicates.

What does the WCAG contrast checker show?

The WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) contrast checker shows the contrast ratio between each palette color and white (#ffffff). A ratio of 4.5:1 or higher passes AA for normal text. A ratio of 3:1 passes AA for large text (18pt+). Passing AA ensures your text is readable for people with low vision.

What export formats are supported?

You can export as: plain HEX codes (one per line), CSS custom properties (:root { --color-1: #hex; }), Tailwind CSS config object (colors: { color1: "#hex" }), JSON array (["#hex1","#hex2",...]), or a PNG image strip of all colors.

How do I lock colors when generating random palettes?

Click the lock icon on any color swatch to lock it. Locked colors remain unchanged when you regenerate the palette. This lets you keep colors you like while randomizing the rest. Press Space to regenerate unlocked colors.

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