Color palette generator
Five classical color-wheel schemes from one base color. Tap any swatch to copy and make it the new input.
Complementary
2 colorsBase + the color directly opposite on the wheel (180°). High contrast.
Analogous
3 colorsBase + its neighbours at ±30°. Harmonious, low-tension.
Triadic
3 colorsThree colors evenly spaced 120° apart. Vibrant, balanced.
Split-complementary
3 colorsBase + the two colors flanking its complement (150° and 210°). Less tension than complementary.
Tetradic (square)
4 colorsFour colors evenly spaced 90° apart. Bold, requires careful balance.
About the schemes
These are the five classical color-wheel relationships taught in color theory. Each starts from your base color and rotates the hue to derive the rest, keeping saturation and lightness constant. The schemes are computed in HSL because the classical "120°" and "180°" relationships are defined in cylindrical-RGB hue, which is what every color-theory book and design tool means by "the wheel."
For tonal scales (lighter and darker variants of one color), OKLab interpolation gives more perceptually-uniform results — see the shades & tints tool.