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DEVELOPER TOOLKIT CSS & COLOR

Color Palette & Harmony Generator

Start with a brand color and explore a small palette for components, charts or a prototype. Compare harmony presets, choose a meaningful CSS variable prefix and export colors in CSS or JSON form.

Local processing · No account required · Copy and export

BUILT FOR THE DETAILS
  1. 01Add your input
  2. 02Inspect & adjust
  3. 03Use your result
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PixelOkay · Developer tools

How to use Color Palette & Harmony Generator

  1. Enter a six-digit HEX base color or use the picker. Select a harmony such as analogous, complementary or monochromatic.
  2. Review the five swatches. Their labels use black or white based on contrast; the ratio helps you interpret that label only.
  3. Choose a CSS variable prefix, then copy the CSS or download the palette as CSS or JSON.

When to use this tool

Create a starting palette for a dashboard, presentation or interface. Export CSS variables for a stylesheet or JSON for design tooling, then test the actual text/background pairs.

Color harmony is a starting point for a design system

Hue offsets create related color families while lightness adjustments spread the swatches across the palette. Monochromatic palettes keep the hue and vary lightness. These generated colors are useful candidates for tokens, but a harmonious set does not guarantee that every pair works as foreground and background. Evaluate the actual pairs in the contrast checker.

Worked example

CSS variable prefix: brand
Example token syntax:
:root {
  --brand-1: #123456;
  --brand-2: #234567;
}
Actual values depend on the selected base color and harmony.

Limits and output checks

The preview generates five candidate colors, not a complete accessible theme. The black/white label contrast ratio describes each swatch's label against its own fill. Random color selection is for exploration and is not intended for security-sensitive randomness.

Reference: CSS custom properties.

Frequently asked questions

Does every generated color meet WCAG?

No. Accessibility depends on the colors used together and their role. Check foreground/background pairs separately.

Can I use the exported names in CSS?

Use a simple prefix beginning with a letter, followed by letters, digits, underscores or hyphens. The generator creates five numbered custom properties.

What is included in JSON export?

The export records the base HEX color, harmony preset and ordered array of generated HEX colors so another script can consume them.

A candidate palette needs pair-by-pair review

Choose a base color and harmony, then inspect the five candidate swatches. Export CSS properties or JSON for the next design step.

Scope of this workflow

The palette is not a complete accessible theme. Swatch-label contrast does not establish contrast for every foreground/background combination.

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