Color Palette Generator
Pick a starting color and get a balanced seven-color palette. Made for seamless patterns, and just as useful for branding, listings and anything else that needs colors that work together.
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Your palette
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Copy, share or download
Grab the hex codes, a link to this exact palette, or a swatch card for your design files.
How Pattern Playground uses these colors
The seven roles come from Pattern Playground , our free pattern design app. Every motif there has its parts mapped to these roles, so when you apply a palette the whole pattern recolors itself. Here's the job each color does.
If you're building a collection for your Etsy shop, keep the same primary, detail and background colors across the designs. The motifs can change and the set will still look like it belongs together.
Primary
The main color. It lands on the biggest shapes in your motifs.
Secondary
The second most used color. Leaves and supporting motifs usually pick it up.
Tertiary
A third color for the smaller shapes that sit around the first two.
Accent
A brighter color that appears in small doses, like a flower center or a berry.
Detail
A dark color for outlines, dots and small marks.
Neutral
A soft, muted color that quiets down the busy parts of a repeat.
Background
The tile color behind everything. Pattern Playground sets it separately from the motif colors.
Common questions
Once you've turned a palette into a pattern, run it through the free Pattern Proofer to check the seams, or browse all the free tools .
What is color harmony?
It just means choosing colors that have a set relationship on the color wheel. Analogous colors are neighbors, complementary colors are opposites, and so on. The generator does that math for you, then sorts the results into light and dark roles that work in a pattern.
Why does the palette have seven color roles?
Because that is how themes work in Pattern Playground. Three main colors carry the design, accent and detail add contrast, neutral calms things down, and background is the tile behind it all.
Can I use these colors for Etsy and print-on-demand products?
Yes, anywhere you like. Patterns, mockups, listing photos, packaging. One tip: screens and printers show color differently, so order a sample before you commit to a big run.
What happens when I lock a color?
A locked color stays put while everything else changes. Lock the ones you like, then keep shuffling until the rest fall into place.
How do I share a palette?
Copy the link. The web address updates as you work, so it always points at the exact palette on your screen. Anyone who opens it sees the same seven colors, ready to keep editing.
Is the Color Palette Generator free?
Yes. You can generate, copy and download palettes without an account. Saving a palette into Pattern Playground is part of The Studio.
The free tools are the start.
The courses are the system.