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Color Palette Generator

An advanced color palette generator builds 5–12 color palettes using color-harmony theory (complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split-complementary, monochromatic), evaluates each pair for WCAG AA/AAA contrast compliance, and exports to CSS variables, SCSS, Tailwind config, JSON, or design-tool clipboard formats. Beyond the basic randomiser, this tool integrates HSL/OKLCH color spaces (OKLCH gives perceptually-uniform lightness — better than HSL for accessible palettes), supports import from existing brand colors, and generates 50/100/...900 tonal scales matching Tailwind's shade conventions.

Use cases​

Design system kickoff​

Pick a primary brand color, generate the matching tonal scale (primary-50 through primary-900), and export Tailwind config in one step. The 9-shade scale is the modern design-system default.

Brand guidelines builder​

Define primary + secondary + accent + neutral palettes with harmony rules ensuring they look good together. Export to Figma styles or design-tokens JSON.

Marketing landing page palettes​

Random-by-rule palettes (triadic, complementary) get you to "this looks designed" faster than freestyle hex picking.

Accessibility audit​

Verify text/background contrast against WCAG AA (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text). Quick fix-it tool when an existing palette fails contrast checks.

How it works​

  1. Pick a base color — Hex, RGB, HSL, or OKLCH input. Or paste an existing brand color.
  2. Choose harmony rule — Complementary (180°), analogous (±30°), triadic (120° apart), tetradic (90°), split-complementary, monochromatic.
  3. Generate tonal scale (optional) — 50/100/200/.../900 — a 9-shade scale per palette color.
  4. Check WCAG — Each text/background pair flagged AA/AAA pass/fail. Adjust lightness to fix failures.
  5. Export — CSS variables, SCSS map, Tailwind theme config, JSON design tokens, Figma-style links.

Examples​

Input: Brand: indigo #6366f1, harmony: triadic

Output: Indigo + teal + amber + neutral grays; export as Tailwind theme or CSS variables.

Input: Tonal scale of #6366f1

Output: 9 shades: indigo-50 (#eef2ff) → indigo-900 (#1e1b4b), spaced for design-system use.

Input: Existing palette + WCAG check

Output: Palette flagged: text-on-brand-blue passes AA at large sizes only — recommend lightening text by 12%.

Frequently asked questions​

HSL vs OKLCH — which should I use?

OKLCH (lightness-chroma-hue) is perceptually uniform — equal lightness values look equally bright. HSL doesn't — pure yellow at HSL 50% looks brighter than pure blue at HSL 50%. For accessible palettes (consistent perceived contrast), OKLCH wins.

How many colors in a palette?

5–7 is typical for a brand palette. 9-shade tonal scales per color give 5×9=45 total tokens for design systems. Tailwind's default is 11 shades (50, 100-900, 950).

What's WCAG AA vs AAA?

AA: 4.5:1 contrast for normal text, 3:1 for large (≥18px or ≥14px bold). AAA: 7:1 normal, 4.5:1 large. AA is the legal-compliance baseline; AAA is best practice.

Will the same input always produce the same palette?

For deterministic harmony rules (complementary, triadic, etc.) — yes. For randomised palettes — no, each click rerolls.

Can I import a Figma palette?

Paste hex codes one per line, or upload a JSON exported from Figma plugins. The tool reads any standard hex/RGB list.

Why do my palettes look different in print?

Print uses CMYK, screens use RGB. Conversion shifts perceived color — particularly for vivid blues/oranges. Always do print-proof checks before mass production.

Tips​

  • Start with a single brand primary; let harmony rules generate the rest. Resist the urge to pick every color manually.
  • Use OKLCH for tonal scales — gives consistent perceived brightness across hues.
  • Always check WCAG contrast for every text/background combination you'll actually use.
  • Limit to 5–7 brand colors + neutrals — more is harder to design with consistently.
  • Export to Tailwind config + CSS variables in parallel; use the same source-of-truth across stack.

Try it now​

The full Color Palette Generator runs in your browser at https://ztools.zaions.com/color-palette-generator-advanced — no signup, no upload, no data leaves your device.

Open the tool ↗

Last updated: 2026-05-06 · Author: Ahsan Mahmood · Edit this page on GitHub