Being able to select the right colors is key in designing an effective and intriguing design, whether for the web or for print. If you’re able to achieve a good balance within your design, then it’ll communicate a stronger message much more easily to the users or readers because certain colors “activate” certain types of emotions.
Color Combination Tools
Below we’ve compiled a list containing 14 Color Combination Tools for Designers. You can use this list to chose the tool that better fits your needs or that you’re most comfortable using.
Have we missed any? Let us know below!
Paletton
Paletton has been around for some time and was recently re-written and designed. It currently has great color space conversions, a preview pane, enhanced scheme creation, and a permanent URL of the schemes you create. It’s almost as if it were a hosting site for color schemes.
Contrast-A: Find Accessible Color Combinations
This application allows you to experiment with various color combinations, review your colors accessibility, and create color palettes.
Infohound Color Schemer
Infohound Color Schemer helps you find and test color schemes for whatever the reason may be. Features included allow you to configure the saturation and brightness, set the value for hue, and have your colors automatically matched for you.
Hex Color Scheme Generator
The Hex Color Scheme Generator is a great tool to use if you want to create a beautiful and logical color scheme. It acts as an “advisor” for colors. You simply tell it which colors you’d like to use, and the app will generate the best results that match.
Color Combinations and Color Schemes
This website gives you the option to generate limitless color combinations and schemes. If you already know at least one of the colors you plan on using, this site will take care of the rest. This is good for testing out colors in your code when you’re not sure what they are. I personally use this app on a regular basis.
Color Palette Software
This is an advanced color palette tool that lets you create beautiful color schemes and custom themes. To begin working with colors you’ll have a scratch pad at your disposal. Before you begin using this app, make sure you try the scratch pad, it’s a feature that allows you to store all of the colors you’re working with for later use. You’ll also have a photo tool to extract colors, and an advanced color picker as well as a color theory wheel to give you the right type of inspiration.
ColorExplorer
ColorExplorer takes working with digital colors to the next level. You can get right down to work with a colorful toolbox that lets you quickly and easily create, manage, and explore several color palettes.
Kolur
Kolur is a simple yet, effective color application that lets you browse color palettes. The color combinations and schemes displayed within their gallery go further than the standard 3 color “rule”, it’s unique and leaves you open with several possibilities per combination.
Color Hunter
Color Hunter allows you to upload your images and view the different colors that it contains. You can also browse through their current color schemes.
ColorZilla
ColorZilla was designed for Firefox, it gives you an advanced eyedropper, a helpful color picker, a useful palette viewer and other tools all within the reach of your browser.
ColourMod
ColourMod was originally released as a web-based DHTML Dynamic Colour Picker. With the advancement and popularity of the Mac interface, ColourMod can now be found in your Dock once you’ve downloaded it. You’ll be able to examine colors on your desktop, websites, graphics, applications, and more!
Color Wheel Color Calculator
The Sessions educational Color Calculator is an interactive color wheel that allows any designer to select RGB, or CMYK colors for the creation of useful colors schemes. Sessions also claims to have the fastest color tool on the web. Test it out and let us know what you liked and disliked about this app and any of the others as well!
Khroma
Khroma is the ultimate AI color tool for designers. It is also powered by AI and could give designers endless combinations and tools to work with. You may want to check out @khromacolors on Instagram to check out works of other creatives using Khroma.
Coolors
Coolors prides itself on being a super fast color schemes generator and it’s no lie! It is super easy to use across your laptop, mobile phone, or tablets. Don’t know where to even begin in making your own palette? Explore Coolors’ trending palettes! There’s absolutely no reason for you to start from scratch.
Your Turn To Talk
Is there any other color combination and color scheme tools you know that were not included in this post? Please take a minutes to share those tools with the rest of us!
More tools for designers and devs
First published in 2010; updated January 2022
The post 14 Color Combination Tools for Designers
