Color Scheme Generator
Generate harmonious color palettes using color theory: complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, and more.
About This Tool
The Color Scheme Generator uses color theory relationships to produce harmonious palettes from a single base color. All scheme types operate by rotating the hue angle on the HSL color wheel while keeping saturation and lightness constant.
This approach mirrors the method used by professional design tools and forms the foundation of most design system color palette generators.
Scheme Types
- Complementary: Two colors opposite on the color wheel (180Β°). High contrast.
- Analogous: Three colors side by side (Β±30Β°). Harmonious and natural.
- Triadic: Three colors evenly spaced (120Β° apart). Vibrant and balanced.
- Tetradic: Four colors evenly spaced (90Β° apart). Rich, complex palette.
- Split Complementary: Base + two adjacent to complement. High contrast but softer.
- Monochromatic: Five shades of the same hue. Subtle and cohesive.
Use Cases
Brand designers generate full palettes from a single brand primary color. Web developers pick complementary accent colors for hover states. Motion designers create gradient sets using analogous colors. Illustrators use triadic palettes for vibrant, balanced artwork.
FAQ
- Why do some colors look similar? β This happens when saturation or lightness is very low or high. Try a more saturated mid-tone as the base.
- Can I use these in Tailwind or CSS? β Yes. Copy the hex codes and use them as custom colors in tailwind.config or as CSS variables.
- What is HSL? β Hue-Saturation-Lightness. Hue is the angle on the color wheel (0β360Β°), saturation is intensity, lightness is brightness.