Extract Color Palette from Image

Drop any image; this tool extracts the N most dominant colors using k-means clustering on the image's RGB pixels. Get hex / RGB values ready to use as a CSS palette. Browser-only — image stays local.

How to use the Extract Color Palette from Image

Upload an image. Pick how many colors you want. The tool downscales the image, samples pixels, runs k-means clustering on the colors, and returns the cluster centroids as the dominant palette. Click any swatch to copy its hex value.

Pulling a palette out of an image

A photograph or a piece of artwork already contains a palette — the trick is extracting the few colors that define it from the thousands of pixel values present. Naively counting exact pixel colors fails, because near-identical shades each count separately. Clustering solves this: group similar pixels together and take the center of each group as a representative color.

Drop an image and this downscales it, then runs k-means clustering on the pixels to return the dominant colors as a hex/RGB palette, all in the browser so the image never leaves your machine. To turn any extracted color into a full UI scale, use the monochromatic palette; to check the picks pair accessibly, the contrast grid. The sibling palette extractor offers an alternative take on the same job.

Common use cases

  • Brand from a logo — pull the defining colors out of an existing logo or mark.
  • Mood-board palettes — derive a scheme from a reference photo.
  • Theming from art — match a UI to the colors of a hero image.
  • Photo-driven design — build a palette that harmonises with product shots.
  • Color inspiration — sample real-world scenes for unexpected combinations.

Frequently asked questions

How does the extraction work?

The image is downscaled and its pixels are grouped with k-means clustering; each cluster center becomes one color in the palette.

Does my image get uploaded?

No. Everything runs in your browser, so the image stays on your machine.

How many colors can I extract?

Between two and twenty; more colors capture finer detail, fewer give a tighter core palette.

What can I do with the palette next?

Expand a color with the monochromatic palette or check pairs in the contrast grid.
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