Color Tools - Generate Palettes, Convert Formats & Improve Accessibility

Work with color the way professionals do. This collection brings together practical tools for everyday design tasks; everything from converting HEX, RGB, HSL and CMYK values to generating palettes, checking WCAG contrast, and previewing color combinations instantly. Designers use these tools to explore palettes for branding, UI themes, illustrations, and marketing assets. Developers rely on them to convert formats, test accessibility, and ensure consistency across dark and light mode interfaces. You'll also find more advanced utilities such as Delta E color difference calculators, LAB to RGB converters, and color blindness simulators helping you evaluate how colors appear across different devices and accessibility conditions. Whether you're refining a product design system or choosing colors for a website, these tools make the process accurate, predictable, and fast.

Featured Color Tools

Featured

Color Blindness Simulator

Simulate images for different types of color blindness for accessibility testing

Convert between HEX, RGB, and HSL color formats instantly

Find color names for hex codes, RGB values using comprehensive database

Color Palette Generator

Generate color palettes with complementary, triadic, analogous, monochromatic schemes

Pick colors from images with advanced sampling and code extraction

Contrast Grid Checker

Bulk color contrast analysis with visual grid for WCAG compliance testing

Calculate color difference using CIEDE2000 formula for professional color analysis

Transform HEX to RGB values with instant preview and validation

Convert RGB to HSL with hue, saturation, lightness calculations

rgb

hsl

color

All Color Tools

Analogous Color Generator

Generate harmonious analogous color schemes with 30-degree hue variations

analogous

harmony

color-wheel

CIELAB Color Calculator

Convert between RGB, HEX, CIELAB, and XYZ with professional color science accuracy

cielab

lab

color-science

CMYK to RGB Converter

Convert CMYK to RGB for digital use with print accuracy

cmyk

rgb

Color Blend Calculator

Calculate color blends and mixtures with blending modes

blend

mix

calculate

Color Blindness Safe Palette Checker

Test color palettes for accessibility across all types of color blindness

color-blindness

palette

accessibility

Color Contrast Checker

Check color contrast ratios for WCAG accessibility compliance

Mix two colors with custom ratios for unique color combinations

mix

blend

colors

Color Shade Generator

Generate lighter and darker shades of any color instantly

shade

generator

lighter

Color Temperature Calculator

Convert Kelvin to RGB and analyze color temperature characteristics

color-temperature

kelvin

lighting

Complementary Color Finder

Find opposite colors on the color wheel for maximum contrast and impact

Convert HEX to HSL for advanced color manipulation and design

Transform HSL to HEX with precise color space conversions

hsl

hex

color

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Color Tools Mini Guide

What designers use color tools for

Designers rely on color tools to create branding palettes, refine UI color systems, test WCAG contrast, and ensure accessible design across digital interfaces. These tools help convert between HEX, RGB, HSL, CMYK and LAB formats with consistency, which is essential for both print and web projects.

Create consistent brand color systems across platforms

Convert between color formats for web and print projects

Test accessibility and WCAG compliance for better UX

Generate harmonious palettes for design systems

Ensure color accuracy across different devices and screens

Streamline color workflows for faster design delivery

Why accuracy matters

Accurate color conversion prevents mismatched shades across devices, screens and formats. Whether you're exporting assets for a website, mobile app or printed material, precise color values ensure design consistency and reduce the risk of visual errors.

Brand consistency across digital and print materials

Professional appearance in client presentations

Accessibility compliance for inclusive design

Reduced revision cycles due to color mismatches

Reliable results across different viewing devices

Better user experience with proper contrast ratios

How color conversions work

Color conversions translate numerical color values from one color space to another. This involves mathematical transformations based on models like RGB additive color, HSL hue and saturation adjustments, or LAB perceptual color models that simulate human vision.

RGB uses red, green, and blue light values

HSL defines hue, saturation, and lightness components

CMYK uses cyan, magenta, yellow, and black for print

LAB provides perceptual color matching for accuracy

Each conversion method preserves the visual appearance while changing the numerical representation for different use cases.

When to use palettes compared to contrast checkers

Use palette generators when building a full color system, selecting theme variations or experimenting with brand aesthetics. Use a contrast checker when validating accessibility, testing light and dark mode variations or ensuring text meets WCAG standards for readability.

Use palette generators when:

Building brand identity systems

Creating theme variations for websites

Exploring complementary or analogous color schemes

Developing consistent design language

Use contrast checkers when:

Testing accessibility compliance

Validating text readability

Checking light and dark mode variations

Ensuring WCAG AA/AAA standards are met

Color Tools - Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about working with colors in design

What are color tools used for in design?

Color tools help designers choose, compare and refine colours for branding, UI design, websites and print. They make it easy to build palettes, convert colour formats and check accessibility contrast so your colours look consistent everywhere.

Why do I need to convert between HEX, RGB, CMYK and other formats?

Different platforms use different colour models. HEX and RGB are used for screens, while CMYK is required for printing. Converting between formats ensures that your colours stay accurate whether they appear on a website, in an app or in printed materials.

What is the difference between a colour palette and a colour generator?

A colour generator creates new colours automatically, often based on rules like harmony or contrast. A colour palette is a curated set of colours chosen for branding or UI consistency. Generators help you discover options, while palettes help you keep everything aligned.

How do I check if my colour choices are accessible?

Use a contrast checker to compare text and background colours. Accessibility guidelines recommend a minimum contrast ratio (usually AA or AAA). If the ratio fails, adjust either colour until the checker confirms it's readable for everyone.

Why do colours look different on different devices?

Screens use varying brightness, calibration and colour profiles. Colour tools help you standardise your colours so they remain as consistent as possible across mobile devices, monitors and printed outputs.

When should I use a gradient generator instead of a simple palette?

Use a palette for brand colours, UI elements and structured designs. Use gradients when creating backgrounds, landing pages, illustrations or decorative elements. Generators help you keep the blend smooth and visually balanced.

How can I create a colour palette from an image?

Upload the image to a palette extractor tool and it will analyse the pixels to build a palette. This is useful for branding, mood boards and matching real-world inspiration in your designs.

What is a colour harmony and why does it matter?

Color harmony refers to combinations (like complementary or analogous) that naturally look balanced. These harmony rules help you create appealing palettes without guesswork, especially for UI and branding.

How do I convert a transparent colour or opacity value?

Use RGBA or HSLA formats to include transparency. You can take an existing HEX or RGB colour and add an "alpha" value that defines how transparent it should be.

How can I quickly choose colours that match my brand?

Start with your primary colour, then use a palette generator to create secondary, accent and neutral colours around it. Tools with harmony rules and contrast checking ensure your brand stays consistent and accessible.

Popular Workflows for Color Tools

Step-by-step guides to achieve professional color results

Create an Accessible Color Palette for UI Design

Build a complete color system that meets WCAG accessibility standards and works across all devices and user interfaces.

Perfect for: Designers, developers, product teams creating a brand or interface that meets WCAG standards.

Steps

1Pick your base color using the Color Picker or HEX Converter to establish your brand foundation.
2Generate supporting colors with the Color Palette Generator to create accents, neutrals, and background tones.
3Test readability using the Contrast Checker to confirm AA or AAA accessibility standards are met.
4Adjust tints and shades with the Color Shades Generator until all contrast ratios pass accessibility requirements.
5Export the final palette in HEX, RGB, or HSL formats for seamless development handoff and implementation.

Convert Brand Colors Into a Full Multi-Format Set

Transform a single brand color into a comprehensive color system that works across web, design tools, and print materials.

Perfect for: Developers who need color formats for CSS, design systems, and printing.

Steps

1Start with any color format (HEX, RGB, CMYK, HSL) in the Color Converter to establish your brand color.
2Generate all color variations including complementary, triadic, or monochromatic using the Color Scheme Generator.
3Check brightness and contrast using the Luminance Calculator or Contrast Checker for optimal visibility.
4Export the finalized set to HEX for web development, RGB for design tools, and CMYK for print materials.
5Save the complete palette for easy reuse in future projects and maintain brand consistency across campaigns.

Prepare Colors for Social Media Graphics

Create a cohesive color system for social media content that maintains brand consistency while ensuring readability across platforms.

Perfect for: Creators, marketers, and social media teams creating engaging visual content.

Steps

1Choose your primary brand color in the Color Picker to establish your visual foundation.
2Generate gradient options using the Gradient Generator to create eye-catching backgrounds for social posts.
3Check accessibility with the Contrast Checker to ensure text remains readable on all platforms and devices.
4Create matching tones with the Color Shades Generator for buttons, overlays, borders, and UI elements.
5Copy the final colors in HEX or RGB format for seamless use in Canva, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, or any editing tool.

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