Image to Color Palette Extractor
Upload an image and instantly extract its dominant colors. Lock colors you like, adjust the palette size, and export as CSS variables or JSON. All processing happens in your browser — no uploads to any server.
Drop an image here or click to upload
PNG, JPG, WEBP — processed locally in your browser
Upload an image to extract its color palette
Export Palette
How to Extract Colors from an Image
Extracting a color palette from an image is one of the fastest ways to build a cohesive color scheme. Whether you are designing a website inspired by a photograph, creating brand colors from a product image, or matching a design to an existing visual, the process is the same:
- Upload an image — drag and drop a PNG, JPG, or WEBP file, or click the upload area to browse. You can also click "Try demo image" to see how it works without your own file.
- Adjust palette size — use the slider to choose how many colors to extract (3-10). Fewer colors give a bolder, simpler palette; more colors capture finer detail.
- Lock colors you like — click the lock icon on any swatch to keep it while re-extracting the rest. This lets you iteratively refine your palette.
- Copy or export — click any swatch to copy its hex code, or use the export panel to copy all colors as CSS variables or JSON.
How Color Extraction Works
This tool uses median-cut quantization, a well-established algorithm for reducing the number of colors in an image. The algorithm works by repeatedly splitting the color space along the dimension of greatest variance, halving the number of colors at each step until the target palette size is reached. The result is a set of colors that represents the most visually significant colors in the image.
All processing happens entirely in your browser. Your image is never uploaded to a server — the extraction runs on the canvas element using JavaScript, so your images remain private.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I extract colors from an image?
Upload an image by dragging and dropping or clicking the upload area. The tool automatically extracts the dominant colors and displays them as a palette. Adjust the palette size slider to control how many colors are extracted, and click any swatch to copy its hex code.
What is the best palette size?
For most design purposes, 5-6 colors is ideal. This gives you enough variety for a primary, secondary, accent, and neutral colors without overwhelming the palette. For simpler schemes, try 3-4 colors. For detailed analysis of complex images, use 8-10.
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. All image processing happens entirely in your browser using the HTML canvas element. Your image never leaves your device, so it remains completely private. There is no server-side upload or storage.
Can I export the palette for use in my project?
Yes. The export panel provides two formats: CSS custom properties (variables) that you can paste directly into your stylesheet, and JSON for use in JavaScript or design tools. Click the Copy button next to either format to copy it to your clipboard.
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