Color Palette Generator
Build a design-system-ready palette from one base color
Pick a brand color, get tints and shades, an analogous palette, or a complementary scheme — copy-paste hex codes, ready for your design tokens.
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What is a Color Palette Generator?
Picking the "right" 9 shades of your brand color from scratch is harder than it sounds. Tailwind's palette is curated by hand. Most design systems also start from a base hue and use HSL math to derive scale steps. This tool exposes the math so you can apply it to any brand color.
Three modes: tints (your color in lightness 95→15, ready for a 50/100/200/.../900 scale), analogous (your hue ±30°, useful for accents that feel related), and complementary (your hue +180°, for high-impact contrast). Each mode gives copy-paste hex codes.
The output is design-system-ready. Use the tints as your `--color-primary-50` through `--color-primary-900` scale. Use analogous for hover/active states or chart secondary colors. Use complementary for buttons that need to pop.
Why use this Color Palette Generator
Built for Indians, by Indians. Every number, every formula, every slab — tuned to FY 2026-27 reality.
9-step tint scale
Drop into your design tokens as a 50/100/200/.../900 scale, Tailwind-style.
Three palette modes
Tints, analogous (±30° hue), and complementary (+180°). Click to switch.
Click to copy hex
Tap any swatch — the hex code is copied to your clipboard.
Browser-only math
HSL conversion runs locally. No third-party color API.
Using the Color Palette Generator in 4 steps
No onboarding, no signup. Answer three fields and the numbers update live.
Pick a base color
Use the color picker or paste a hex (#3B82F6, #FF5733). This is your starting hue.
Choose a mode
Tints for a scale, analogous for accents, complementary for contrast.
Click swatches to copy
Each color has its hex code below. One click copies to clipboard.
Paste into your design tokens
Drop hex codes into your CSS variables, Tailwind config, or Figma styles.
Tips to get the most out of it
For UI design tokens, the tint mode is the workhorse — anchor your base at lightness ~50%, derive 50/100/200/.../900 from there.
Skip the lightest (95) and darkest (15) tints for body text. Use them only for backgrounds and borders. Mid-range (300-700) covers most text and UI element use.
Analogous palettes feel calmer; complementary palettes feel louder. Pick based on brand voice — fintech often goes analogous, consumer apps often go complementary.
Run all picked colors through a contrast checker (WCAG 4.5:1 minimum for text). Math-derived palettes don't guarantee accessibility — verify before shipping.
Real-world scenarios
How Indians actually use this generator — concrete inputs, concrete outcomes.
New SaaS design system
Designer needs a 9-step blue scale for their token sheet. Picks #3B82F6, generates tints, exports the 9 hex codes into a Figma color style sheet — done in 30 seconds vs. 30 minutes manual.
Marketing landing page
Designer wants a CTA button that pops against a brand purple. Generates the complementary (yellow-green) and uses it for the primary CTA. Click-through rises 18%.
Chart color picking
Data viz designer needs 5 distinct chart colors that "feel related". Generates analogous palette from brand color, picks 5 evenly spaced hues. Charts look cohesive across the dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have a question? Our team replies within a business day.
HSL separates hue, saturation, and lightness — adjusting one without disturbing the others. RGB mixes them, so deriving consistent tints is harder.
Not guaranteed. Always check text/background pairings against contrast minimums — 4.5:1 for body text, 3:1 for large text.
Not in this version. Click to copy individual hex codes; paste into your design system file manually.
If your base color has low saturation, all the tints inherit low saturation and look grey. Start from a more saturated base for vivid tints.
Not yet — pure HSL for now. OKLCH is more perceptually uniform but adoption is still early; HSL covers 95% of design-system needs.
Want expert help beyond the generator? Talk to our team.
Our finance team helps Indian businesses and individuals plan investments, file taxes, and build wealth — without the jargon.
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