Color Palette Generator
Generate a harmonious color palette — complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, or monochromatic — from a base color.
Result
- Base color#1a73e8
- Color 1#1a73e8 (hue 214°, 51% L)
- Color 2#e88f1a (hue 34°, 51% L)
Step-by-step
- Convert base #1a73e8 to HSL: hue 214°, sat 82%, light 51%.
- Apply the complementary rule to the hue.
- Convert each result back to hex: #1a73e8, #e88f1a.
How to use this calculator
- Enter a base color in hex.
- Choose a harmony scheme.
- Read the generated hex colors for the palette.
- Verify contrast for any text use and tweak to taste.
About this calculator
Color harmonies are sets of colors that work well together because of their geometric relationship on the color wheel. This generator takes a base color and produces a palette using the classic schemes: complementary (the opposite hue, for high contrast), analogous (neighbors within ±30°, for calm, cohesive looks), triadic (three hues 120° apart, vibrant yet balanced), tetradic (two complementary pairs, rich but harder to balance), and monochromatic (one hue at varying lightness, for subtle, elegant scales). It works by converting your base color to HSL, rotating the hue (or varying the lightness for monochromatic), and converting each result back to hex you can paste straight into your design. Treat the output as a well-founded starting point — geometric harmony is a strong basis, but you should still check text contrast and fine-tune saturation and lightness for the feel you want.
How it works — the formula
Convert base → HSL
Complementary: H+180 · Analogous: H±30 · Triadic: H±120 · Tetradic: H+90/180/270
Monochromatic: vary L, keep H, S
Convert each → HEXEach scheme is a fixed set of hue rotations (or lightness steps) applied on the HSL wheel, then mapped back to hex.
Worked examples
- Inputs:
- color=#1a73e8, scheme=complementary
- Output:
- base hue ~214° + opposite ~34°
- Inputs:
- color=#1a73e8, scheme=triadic
- Output:
- hues ~214°, 334°, 94°
- Inputs:
- color=#e8431a, scheme=analogous
- Output:
- three neighboring warm hues
Limitations
- Keeps base saturation/lightness except for monochromatic.
- Geometric harmony ≠ guaranteed aesthetic or accessible result.
- Outputs sRGB hex; wide-gamut spaces not used.
A design starting point; verify contrast and refine manually.