Color Palette Generator — Create Color Schemes Free

Pick a base color and instantly generate five types of harmonious color schemes — complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary, and monochromatic. Click any swatch to copy.

Base Color (HEX)

rgb(59, 130, 246)hsl(217, 91%, 60%)

Complementary

Opposite on the color wheel (180°) — high contrast and visual impact

Analogous

Adjacent colors on the wheel (±30°/60°) — harmonious and natural

Triadic

Three colors evenly spaced (120° apart) — vibrant and balanced

Split-Complementary

Complement ±30° — strong contrast with less tension

Monochromatic

Same hue, varying lightness and saturation — cohesive and elegant

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How to color palette generator

1.Choose a base color using the native color picker or type a HEX value (e.g. #3b82f6)
2.View five palette types generated automatically: complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary, and monochromatic
3.Click any color swatch to copy its HEX code to your clipboard
4.Read the HEX, RGB, and HSL values shown below each swatch for use in your project

About This Tool

A color palette generator is a must-have tool for designers, developers, and anyone building digital products. Choosing colors that work well together is one of the most impactful decisions in any design process, and understanding color theory makes that choice much easier. This tool applies the principles of the color wheel to produce five distinct palette types from a single base color.

Complementary palettes offer maximum contrast by pairing opposite hues. Analogous palettes create smooth, natural progressions from neighboring hues. Triadic schemes balance vibrancy across three evenly spaced colors. Split-complementary palettes provide strong contrast with reduced tension. And monochromatic schemes keep everything in one hue family, varying only lightness and saturation for a polished, cohesive look.

All calculations use HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) math, converting your input to HSL, rotating the hue on the color wheel, and converting back. Everything runs in your browser — no server, no sign-up, no limits. Works on any device with a modern browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

A complementary palette pairs colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart). These combinations create high contrast and strong visual impact, making them popular for call-to-action elements and logos.

Analogous palettes use colors that are neighbors on the color wheel, offset by 30° increments. Because the hues are close together, the result looks harmonious and natural — ideal for backgrounds, gradients, and cohesive UI themes.

A triadic palette uses three colors spaced evenly at 120° intervals, producing a vibrant balanced look. A split-complementary palette takes the complement of your base color and shifts it ±30°, which retains strong contrast but with less visual tension than a pure complementary pair.

Monochromatic palettes vary the lightness and saturation of a single hue. They are excellent for creating clean, elegant designs where you want a cohesive feel without introducing competing hues — common in dashboards, cards, and minimalist interfaces.

No. All color calculations run entirely in your browser using HSL math. No data is sent to any server, and there are no usage limits or account requirements.

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