Color Palette Wheel: Free Color Harmony Generator
Color Palette Wheel
Pick a base color on the wheel, choose a harmony, then copy or download your palette.
Drag on the wheel or use arrow keys
Your palette
Export
What Is a Color Palette Wheel?
A color palette wheel is a circular map of hues. Pick one color on it, and the tool shows which other colors pair well with it. Designers use this idea, called color harmony, to build palettes that look balanced instead of random.
This free color palette generator lets you choose a base color, apply a harmony rule, and get ready-to-use HEX codes in seconds. It works well for websites, logos, presentations, social graphics, and interior or product mood boards.
How to Use the Color Palette Wheel
- Choose a base color. Click or drag on the wheel, use the arrow keys, or type a HEX code such as
#0E5A68and press Apply. - Fine-tune it. Adjust the hue, saturation, and lightness sliders until the base color feels right.
- Select a harmony. Pick complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary, tetradic, or monochromatic. The palette updates immediately.
- Copy or export. Click any swatch to copy its HEX code, or export the full palette as a HEX list, CSS variables, or JSON.
Keyboard tip: focus the wheel, then use Left and Right to change the hue and Up and Down to change the saturation. Hold Shift to move in larger steps.
Color Harmonies Explained
Each harmony is a rule for choosing colors by their position on the wheel. The table below shows how this tool calculates them, so you can pick the right one for your project.
| Harmony | Hue offsets | Colors | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complementary | 0°, 180° | 2 | Strong contrast, buttons, and calls to action |
| Analogous | −30°, 0°, +30° | 3 | Calm, cohesive layouts and backgrounds |
| Triadic | 0°, 120°, 240° | 3 | Vibrant, playful designs and illustrations |
| Split-complementary | 0°, 150°, 210° | 3 | Contrast with less tension than complementary |
| Tetradic | 0°, 60°, 180°, 240° | 4 | Rich, varied palettes for complex interfaces |
| Monochromatic | Same hue, lightness ±15 and ±30 | 5 | Minimal, tonal looks and UI shades |
Key Features
Six harmony modes
Switch between harmony rules instantly and compare how the same base color behaves in each one.
Flexible color input
Drag on the wheel, move the sliders, type a 3- or 6-digit HEX code, or press Random for a fresh starting point.
Developer-friendly export
Copy or download your palette as plain HEX codes, CSS custom properties, or JSON with HEX, RGB, and HSL values.
Readable swatches
Each swatch shows its HEX and RGB values with text that adjusts for contrast, and a click copies the code.
Practical Ways to Use Your Palette
Website and app design
Use the base color for branding, a complementary or split-complementary color for buttons, and monochromatic shades for backgrounds, borders, and hover states.
Branding and logos
Start with a brand color and test harmonies to find supporting colors. Analogous palettes tend to feel cohesive, while triadic palettes feel more energetic.
Presentations, social posts, and art
Export a handful of HEX codes and paste them into your design software. Keeping to three or four colors makes slides and graphics look consistent.
Example: CSS variables export
With a blue base and the complementary harmony, the CSS export looks like this (values are illustrative):
:root {
--color-1: #1F66AD;
--color-2: #AD661F;
}
Paste the block into your stylesheet and reference the colors with var(--color-1).
Limitations and Privacy
This tool is designed for fast palette ideas, not full brand-system work. A few things to keep in mind:
- It uses a standard HSL color wheel, not the traditional red-yellow-blue artist's wheel, so some pairings look different from paint-based color theory.
- Base colors can be entered as HEX only. Lightness is limited to 5–95% to keep results usable.
- It does not check accessibility contrast ratios, extract colors from images, or save palettes between visits. Export your palette if you want to keep it.
- On-screen colors can look different when printed or viewed on another display.
Privacy: everything runs in your browser. The colors you pick are not uploaded or stored on a server.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the best color harmony?
Match the harmony to your goal. Analogous and monochromatic palettes feel calm and unified, while complementary and triadic palettes create more contrast and energy. If you are unsure, start with split-complementary for a balanced result.
Can I enter my own brand color?
Yes. Type a 3- or 6-digit HEX code into the base color field and press Apply. The wheel and sliders move to match, and the palette updates.
Why does my base color change slightly after I apply it?
The tool works in HSL with whole-number values, so a HEX code can be rounded by a small amount when converted. Very dark or very light colors are also limited to a lightness of 5–95%, and the tool tells you when that happens.
How many colors does each palette include?
It depends on the harmony. Complementary gives two colors, analogous, triadic, and split-complementary give three, tetradic gives four, and monochromatic gives five shades.
What export format should I choose?
Use the HEX list for design software, CSS variables for websites, and JSON for apps or scripts that need HEX, RGB, and HSL values together.
Is the color palette generator free to use?
Yes. There is no sign-up, and your colors stay in your browser. You can use the exported palettes in personal and commercial projects.
Does it check whether colors are accessible?
No. It does not calculate contrast ratios. Before using a palette for text and backgrounds, test the color pairs with a dedicated contrast checker to meet accessibility guidelines.