5 Free Tools to Create an Original Color Palette

Documentation
July 15, 2022
3 min
Purple move orange yellow color palette with yellow digidop power icon
Key points

Are you in the midst of creating or redesigning your graphic identity and looking for an original color palette? We’re sharing 5 effective tools to create or expand your color palette for free.

1. ColorSpace

SIMPLE

ColorSpace tool interface with examples of gradients

Let’s start with the simplest one, ColorSpace. This is the ideal tool if you want to quickly and easily find a consistent color palette for your new brand guidelines.

ColorSpace allows you to create a color palette based on a primary color. Just enter the HEX code of your primary color, and the tool will automatically generate dozens of different color palette options for you. You can choose from soft colors, complementary colors, gradients, and more.

Create as many color palettes as you like!

Learn more about ColorSpace

2. Adobe Color

ADVANCED

Adobe Color platform interface with an example of complementary blues

More complex to navigate, Adobe Color however allows you to delve much deeper into the redesign of your colors. The tool offers numerous features enabling you to design your color palette while adhering to color harmony rules. You will have the option to find colors that are:

  • Similar
  • Monochromatic
  • Triadic
  • Complementary
  • Split complementary
  • Split complementary - Double
  • Square
  • Compound
  • Shades
  • Custom
  • In color mode

If you already have visuals or inspirations you wish to reutilize, Adobe Color also allows you to extract themes or gradients from files.

When discussing colors, accessibility is essential. Adobe Color offers a new color analysis and accessibility checker for the colors you have chosen.

  • Contrast checker with WCAG 2.1 AA or AAA score upgrades.
  • Tool for adapting to color blindness

Additionally, for designers working between WEB and PRINT, Adobe Color also provides the exact HEX and RGB color matches.

Try Adobe Color

3. Coolor

ADVANCED

Coolor platform interface with examples of popular color palettes

Create a color palette starting from a HEX code, a theme, or a style. Coolor is a very comprehensive platform for managing, creating, and evolving your graphic charter.

Need inspiration? From a simple search bar, find complementary colors to yours or draw directly from existing themes. Coolor also features a random color palette generator.

Explore each of your colors fully! The Color Picker tool provides detailed information using just a HEX code:

  • Conversions in multiple formats (RGB, LAB, CMYK, HSB, HSL, XYZ, etc.)
  • Variations, shades, tones, temperatures, etc.
  • Similar and complementary colors, to create your palette
  • Contrast and accessibility checker

Learn more about Coolors

4. HTML Color Codes

ADVANCED

HTML Color Codes platform interface with an example of using the color red

Very similar to Adobe Color, HTML Color Codes allows you to explore different variants of a HEX, RGB, or HSL color.

  • Analogous
  • Triadic
  • Complementary
  • Neutral
  • Shades
  • Tints
  • Tones

As a bonus, HTML Color Codes also provides the HTML names for a dozen colors to reuse on your website.

Try HTML Color Codes

5. Designspiration

SIMPLE

Designspiration platform interface with an example of complementary colors on visuals

Unlike the previous tools, Designspiration doesn't create a pre-made color palette, gradients, or conduct accessibility tests. However, Designspiration serves as a boundless source of inspiration for creating moodboards, discovering ideas for color combinations, crafting a visual universe, or understanding how to reutilize each color from your graphic charter.

Using an advanced search bar, you can select multiple colors, choose a style, and Designspiration will suggest an endless array of visuals, photos, web mockups, illustrations, etc., that correspond.

An ideal tool for inspiring you, discovering trends, and understanding how to harmoniously implement your colors.  

Try Designspiration

Thomas Labonne
Thomas Labonne
Co-founder

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