Color Palette Generator - Extract Colors from Images
Upload any image and extract its dominant colors as HEX codes. Perfect for branding, design consistency, and identifying the color story of a photo.
How to Use the Color Palette Generator
- Upload any image - Photographs, logos, screenshots, or artwork all work well.
- Set the number of colors you want extracted (2–12).
- Click "Extract Colors" - The dominant colors will appear below.
- Click any color swatch to copy the HEX code to your clipboard.
- Use the CSS Variables output to quickly add the palette to your project.
Working with Color Palettes in GIMP
Once you have your HEX codes, you can use them in GIMP by:
- Double-clicking the Foreground/Background color in the Toolbox
- Clicking the HTML notation field and entering the HEX code
- Creating a custom palette via Windows → Dockable Dialogs → Palettes
How to Choose a Useful Palette
A strong palette is not just the most common colors in an image. For design work, look for a dark color for text, a light color for backgrounds, one or two brand colors, and one accent color for buttons or highlights. Photos often contain many near-identical browns, greens, or blues, so extracting fewer colors can produce a clearer system. For illustration work, use this palette before following the GIMP digital art workflow so flats, shadows, and highlights stay consistent from sketch to export.
| Palette size | Best use | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 3 colors | Simple logos, icons, and minimal layouts. | Make sure one color is readable on the other. |
| 4 to 6 colors | Web pages, social graphics, and GIMP text effects. | Reserve one color as the accent. |
| 8 to 12 colors | Illustration, mood boards, and detailed artwork. | Group similar shades before using them all. |
Related Tutorial
Use Curves, Levels, Hue-Saturation, and Color Balance to fix and stylize colors in any photo.