Color Palette Generator
Generate a 5-shade palette from any HEX color.
- Reading time:
- 2 min
- Last updated:
- Price:
- Free, no signup
Type or paste text to see the result.
What the Color Palette Generator does
Start with one color and get a complete, harmonious palette: complementary, analogous, triadic or monochromatic schemes generated from color theory, with every shade's HEX value ready to copy. 'I have this teal, what goes with it?' becomes a five-color answer in one click.
Lock the colors you like and regenerate the rest, so the palette evolves toward what you want instead of starting over each time.
Why the Color Palette Generator is useful
Picking colors that work together is a skill that takes years — or a color wheel and thirty seconds. Harmonies like complementary and triadic exist because the math behind them reliably produces combinations that feel balanced.
Random color picking is how projects end up with seven unrelated shades of blue. A generated palette gives you a system instead of a collection.
Also known as: color palette generator, palette maker, color scheme, free color palette generator, online color palette generator, color palette generator online free, color palette generator tool.
How to use the Color Palette Generator
- 1
Choose a base color
Pick your brand color or any starting point.
- 2
Select a harmony
Complementary, analogous, triadic, monochromatic and more.
- 3
Copy the palette
Export the HEX values for your stylesheet or design tool.
Key features
- Multiple harmony rules from color theory
- Lock colors and regenerate the rest
- HEX values for every swatch
- Random palette generation for inspiration
Benefits
- Get harmonious colors without design training
- Build a full palette from one brand color
- Explore options fast with regeneration
Real-life use cases
Branding a side project
A founder starts from her logo's green, generates a complementary palette, and has her site's five colors in ten minutes.
Designing a presentation
A consultant generates an analogous palette so his slides look designed rather than default.
Escaping a color rut
A designer hits randomize until an unexpected combination sparks the direction for a rebrand.
Tips for the best results
- Assign roles to the palette: one dominant color, one or two supporting, one accent, one neutral.
- Check your palette's contrast for text use — harmony doesn't guarantee readability.
- The 60-30-10 rule works: 60% dominant, 30% secondary, 10% accent.
Conclusion
Start with one color, leave with a palette that holds together.
Frequently asked questions
What is a color harmony?
- A set of colors related by their positions on the color wheel — complementary (opposite), analogous (neighbors), triadic (evenly spaced) — which reliably look good together.
Can I lock colors I like?
- Yes, lock any swatch and regenerate; locked colors stay while the others change.
How many colors should a palette have?
- Four to six is the practical range: a dominant, supporting colors, an accent and a neutral.
Can I export the palette?
- Copy the HEX values directly into your CSS or design tool.
Will the colors be accessible?
- Harmony doesn't guarantee contrast — run text/background pairs through a contrast checker before finalizing.
Can I start from a random color?
- Yes, the randomize option generates a palette from scratch for inspiration.
Related tools you may need
- Dominant Colour Palette Extractor — Extract the dominant colours from any image as hex swatches.
- CMYK to RGB Converter — Convert print CMYK colors to screen RGB.
- Color Picker — Convert any CSS color into HEX, RGB and HSL representations.
- HSL to RGB Converter — Convert HSL color values to RGB.
- Colour Contrast Grid Generator — Preview WCAG contrast ratios for every colour pairing.
- HEX to RGB — Convert HEX color codes to RGB with alpha support.
- HSL to HEX Converter — Convert HSL color values to HEX.
- RGB to HEX — Convert rgb() color values to HEX codes.
Keep exploring
Browse the full tools directory, filter by category, or read guides on the Text Tools Hub blog.