How the Color Palette Generator Works
Kulr's palette generator uses color harmony theory to create visually balanced palettes. Choose from complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary, tetradic, or monochromatic modes — each based on mathematical relationships on the color wheel. You can also filter by mood (warm, cool, pastel, neon, earthy) to match a specific aesthetic.
Lock any color you like, then regenerate the rest. This lets you build a palette around a brand color or a specific shade you've chosen. Every palette can be exported instantly to CSS custom properties, Tailwind config, SCSS variables, JSON, or plain hex codes — ready for production use.
All processing happens in your browser. No images are uploaded, no data is stored on any server. Your color exploration is completely private and works offline after the initial page load.
Tips for Better Palettes
- Start with one anchor color. Lock your brand color or hero shade, then generate harmonies around it. This ensures consistency across your design system.
- Use the 60-30-10 rule. In any design, use your dominant color for 60% of the space, a secondary color for 30%, and an accent for the remaining 10%.
- Test with real content. Open the palette in our UI Visualizer to see how colors look in dashboards, landing pages, and mobile layouts.
- Check accessibility. Use the Contrast Checker to verify that your text and background combinations meet WCAG AA standards (4.5:1 minimum ratio).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is color harmony?
Color harmony refers to aesthetically pleasing arrangements of colors based on their positions on the color wheel. Complementary colors sit opposite each other (high contrast), analogous colors sit next to each other (smooth transitions), and triadic colors are evenly spaced at 120° intervals (balanced vibrancy). Kulr uses these mathematical relationships to generate palettes that feel visually cohesive.
How many colors should a palette have?
Most design systems use 3 to 5 core colors: a primary, secondary, and accent, with optional neutrals. For web design, the 60-30-10 rule works well — 60% dominant color, 30% secondary, 10% accent. You can adjust the color count in the generator to match your needs.
Can I use these palettes commercially?
Yes. All palettes generated by Kulr are free to use in personal and commercial projects with no attribution required. Colors themselves cannot be copyrighted — only specific arrangements in certain contexts (like Pantone's numbering system) may have restrictions.
What export formats are supported?
Kulr exports to CSS custom properties (var(--color-x)), Tailwind CSS config objects, SCSS variables, JSON arrays, and plain hex codes. Each format is copy-ready for direct use in your codebase.
Is my data private?
Completely. The generator runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No colors, palettes, or usage data are sent to any server. Saved palettes are stored in your browser's localStorage and never leave your device.