Color Palette Generator

Enter a base color and instantly generate five AI-powered palettes — complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary, and monochromatic. Each color includes hex, RGB, and HSL values, plus WCAG AA/AAA contrast ratings for accessibility.

Export options: Copy your palette as CSS custom properties, a Tailwind config snippet, or a plain hex list for use in any design workflow.

All processing happens in your browser — no color data is sent to any server.

Color theory is the foundation of effective visual design. Understanding how colors relate to each other on the color wheel helps you create palettes that are visually harmonious and communicate the right mood. The five classic color harmony models each produce a different aesthetic effect.

Complementary palettes use colors opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). They create high contrast and visual energy, making them ideal for calls-to-action, alerts, and designs that need to grab attention. However, they can feel tense if overused — use one color as the dominant and the other as an accent.

Analogous palettes use colors adjacent on the color wheel (typically 30° apart). They create serene, comfortable designs because the colors share underlying hues. Nature uses analogous schemes extensively — think of autumn leaves transitioning from red to orange to yellow. These palettes work well for backgrounds and content-heavy interfaces where you want harmony over drama.

Triadic palettes use three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel (120° apart). They offer strong visual contrast while maintaining balance. Triadic schemes are vibrant and work well for playful, energetic designs. The key is to let one color dominate and use the other two as accents.

Split-complementary palettes use a base color plus the two colors adjacent to its complement. This provides the contrast of a complementary scheme but with less tension, making it easier to work with. It is one of the most versatile and beginner-friendly harmony models.

Monochromatic palettes use variations of a single hue by adjusting saturation and lightness. They create cohesive, sophisticated designs and are excellent for minimalist interfaces, corporate branding, and situations where you want a strong single-color identity.

Each generated color includes WCAG AA and AAA contrast ratings against white and black backgrounds. This accessibility information is crucial for ensuring text readability — a 4.5:1 ratio for normal text (AA) and 7:1 for enhanced readability (AAA). Use the contrast ratings to select text-background pairs from your palette that meet accessibility standards.

When building a design system, start with a primary color that reflects your brand identity, then generate complementary and analogous palettes for supporting colors. Use monochromatic variations for backgrounds, borders, and subtle UI elements. This approach creates a cohesive visual language while maintaining enough variety for clear visual hierarchy.