SnapToolsColour Palette Generator
Runs in your browserGenerate a colour palette from one base colour using colour theory. Choose complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split-complementary or monochromatic.
Base colour and its opposite on the wheel — high contrast, good for accents.
#2563ebBase#ebac24Complement
About this tool
Colour theory schemes are just fixed rotations around the hue wheel, applied to your base colour's own saturation and lightness so the result actually matches the colour you started with, rather than a generic pre-set palette. Complementary and triadic schemes give the most visual tension and are good for a single accent; analogous and monochromatic schemes are calmer and safer for larger surfaces.
How to use
- Pick or type a base colour.
- Choose a scheme — complementary, analogous, triadic, tetradic, split-complementary, or monochromatic.
- Copy any swatch's HEX value for use in your design.
When to use this tool
- Starting a brand or product colour palette from one anchor colour.
- Finding an accent colour that pairs well with an existing brand colour.
- Generating a monochromatic scale for charts or data visualisation.
- Exploring colour-theory options before committing to a design system.
Tips
- Complementary and triadic schemes give the most contrast — use sparingly, for accents rather than large fills.
- Monochromatic is the safest starting point for UI surfaces since every colour is guaranteed to feel related.
- Run any two swatches you plan to pair through the Contrast Checker before using one as text on the other.
FAQ
- How is this different from picking colours by eye?
- These schemes come from colour theory — fixed angles on the hue wheel — so the relationships are consistent and reproducible rather than a guess.
- Is my colour sent anywhere?
- No. The palette is generated in your browser from HSL hue rotations.