Extract Colors from Image
Get a color palette from any photo instantly. Drop an image and extract its dominant colors using K-means clustering — all processing runs in your browser, 100% private. Free online color extractor.
How Color Extraction Works
Kulr's color extractor uses K-means clustering — a machine learning algorithm — to identify the dominant colors in any image. The algorithm groups similar pixels together and finds the center of each cluster, giving you the most representative colors from the photo.
Unlike simple pixel sampling, K-means considers the entire image and weights colors by how frequently they appear. This means a sunset photo will correctly identify the warm oranges and deep purples as dominant, rather than picking random bright spots or dark shadows.
All processing runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript and the HTML5 Canvas API. Your images are never uploaded to any server — they stay on your device. The extracted colors can be opened directly in the palette generator for further refinement, or copied individually as hex codes.
When to Use Color Extraction
- Brand inspiration. Upload a photo that captures your brand's mood and extract a palette that matches. This is faster and more accurate than eyeballing colors from a reference image.
- Photo-matched designs. Building a landing page around a hero image? Extract its colors to create backgrounds, buttons, and text that feel cohesive with the photography.
- Nature palettes. Landscapes, flowers, and sunsets produce some of the most beautiful color combinations. Extract and refine them into usable design palettes.
- Competitor analysis. Screenshot a competitor's site or app and extract their color scheme to understand their design language — then differentiate from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What image formats are supported?
The extractor works with PNG, JPG/JPEG, WebP, and GIF images. Any format that your browser can display in an HTML canvas element is supported. For best results, use high-quality images with distinct color regions.
How many colors can I extract?
You can extract between 3 and 8 dominant colors per image. Fewer colors give you the most prominent shades (good for minimalist palettes), while more colors capture subtler hues and transitions.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. All image processing happens locally in your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API and JavaScript. Your images never leave your device. Kulr doesn't store, transmit, or analyze your images on any server.
Why do extracted colors look different from what I see?
K-means clustering finds mathematical averages of color groups, not exact pixel values. The extracted colors represent the dominant color 'theme' of each region. Also, monitor calibration, ambient lighting, and color profiles can affect how you perceive colors versus their actual hex values.
Can I edit the extracted palette?
Yes. Click 'Open in Generator' to send the extracted colors to Kulr's palette generator, where you can lock, swap, adjust, and export them in any format.