Color Palette Generator

Generate harmonious color combinations using color theory principles.

Overview

A creative color palette generator that creates harmonious color combinations using established color theory principles. Produces both visual representations and detailed color data, perfect for designers, artists, and developers seeking professional color schemes.

Features

Color Harmony Types

Complementary: Opposite colors on the color wheel
Analogous: Adjacent colors for natural schemes
Triadic: Three evenly-spaced colors
Tetradic: Four colors in two complementary pairs
Split-Complementary: Base color with two adjacent to complement
Monochromatic: Variations of a single hue

Temperature Control

Warm Palettes: Reds, oranges, yellows
Cool Palettes: Blues, greens, purples
Neutral Palettes: Balanced temperature
Custom Temperature: Fine-grained control

Palette Features

Automatic Generation: Based on color theory rules
Seed Control: Reproducible palettes
Multiple Formats: RGB, HSV, HEX, CMYK
Visual Output: Beautiful palette visualizations
Detailed Analysis: Color relationships and metrics

Installation

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/gddickinson/colour-palette.git
cd colour-palette

# Install dependencies
pip install numpy matplotlib colormath Pillow

# Run the generator
python color_palette_generator.py

Usage

Basic Generation

from color_palette_generator import ColorPaletteGenerator, HarmonyType

# Create generator with optional seed
generator = ColorPaletteGenerator(seed=42)

# Generate a specific palette
palette_data = generator.generate_palette(
    temperature="neutral",
    harmony_type=HarmonyType.COMPLEMENTARY,
    num_colors=5
)

# Create visualization
from colour import Color

colors = [Color.from_rgb(r/255, g/255, b/255) 
          for r, g, b in palette_data["rgb_values"]]

generator.visualize_palette(
    colors,
    title="Custom Palette",
    filename="custom_palette.png"
)

Temperature Preferences

# Warm palette
warm_palette = generator.generate_palette(temperature="warm")

# Cool palette
cool_palette = generator.generate_palette(temperature="cool")

# Specific number of colors
palette = generator.generate_palette(num_colors=3)

Harmony Types

# Triadic harmony
triadic = generator.generate_palette(
    harmony_type=HarmonyType.TRIADIC
)

# Analogous scheme
analogous = generator.generate_palette(
    harmony_type=HarmonyType.ANALOGOUS
)

# Monochromatic variations
mono = generator.generate_palette(
    harmony_type=HarmonyType.MONOCHROMATIC
)

Harmony Types Explained

Complementary

Two colors opposite on color wheel
High contrast and energy
Best for: Emphasis, bold designs

Analogous

Three adjacent colors
Natural, pleasing combinations
Best for: Harmonious designs, nature themes

Triadic

Three evenly-spaced colors
Balanced and vibrant
Best for: Playful, energetic designs

Tetradic (Double Complementary)

Four colors in two complementary pairs
Rich color schemes
Best for: Complex designs, variety

Split-Complementary

Base color plus two adjacent to complement
Softer than complementary
Best for: Subtle contrast

Monochromatic

Single hue with variations in saturation/value
Cohesive and elegant
Best for: Minimalist, sophisticated designs

Palette Analysis

Each palette includes detailed analysis:

# Palette data structure
{
    "rgb_values": [(255, 100, 50), ...],
    "hex_values": ["#FF6432", ...],
    "hsv_values": [(15, 80, 100), ...],
    "cmyk_values": [(0, 60, 80, 0), ...],
    "harmony_type": "complementary",
    "temperature": "warm",
    "dominant_color": (255, 100, 50),
    "contrast_ratio": 4.5,
    "color_names": ["Coral", "Teal", ...]
}

Visualization Options

Standard Palette View

generator.visualize_palette(
    colors,
    title="My Palette",
    show_hex=True,
    show_rgb=True,
    filename="palette.png"
)

Advanced Visualization

# Multiple views
generator.create_visualization_suite(
    colors,
    views=['swatches', 'wheel', 'gradient', 'comparison']
)

Color Wheel Visualization

# Show relationships on color wheel
generator.visualize_on_wheel(
    colors,
    show_harmony_lines=True,
    filename="color_wheel.png"
)

Color Formats

RGB (Red, Green, Blue)

Web standard
Range: 0-255 per channel
Example: (255, 100, 50)

HEX (Hexadecimal)

Web/CSS format
6-digit hex code
Example: #FF6432

HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value)

Intuitive color model
Hue: 0-360°, Saturation/Value: 0-100%
Example: (15, 80, 100)

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)

Print standard
Range: 0-100% per channel
Example: (0, 60, 80, 0)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Options	Default
`temperature`	str	'warm', 'cool', 'neutral'	'neutral'
`harmony_type`	HarmonyType	COMPLEMENTARY, ANALOGOUS, etc.	COMPLEMENTARY
`num_colors`	int	2-12	5
`saturation`	float	0.0-1.0	0.7
`value`	float	0.0-1.0	0.9
`seed`	int	Any integer	None

Advanced Features

Custom Base Colors

# Start from specific color
palette = generator.generate_from_base(
    base_color=(120, 200, 150),
    harmony_type=HarmonyType.ANALOGOUS
)

Color Accessibility

# Check WCAG contrast ratios
contrast = generator.check_accessibility(
    foreground=(0, 0, 0),
    background=(255, 255, 255)
)
# Returns: {'ratio': 21.0, 'aa': True, 'aaa': True}

Batch Generation

# Generate multiple palettes
palettes = generator.generate_batch(
    count=10,
    harmony_type=HarmonyType.TRIADIC,
    temperature="warm"
)

Use Cases

Web Design

Website color schemes
UI/UX design
Brand identity
Responsive design systems

Graphic Design

Print materials
Branding packages
Marketing collateral
Social media graphics

Art & Illustration

Digital art palettes
Traditional painting guides
Color study references
Mood boards

Data Visualization

Chart color schemes
Accessible data colors
Dashboard theming
Infographic palettes

Export Options

# Save as image
generator.export_image(palette, "palette.png")

# Export color data
generator.export_json(palette, "palette.json")

# CSS variables
generator.export_css(palette, "colors.css")

# Adobe Swatch Exchange
generator.export_ase(palette, "palette.ase")

Integration Examples

CSS Variables

/* Generated by color palette generator */
:root {
    --color-primary: #FF6432;
    --color-secondary: #32FF64;
    --color-accent: #6432FF;
}

Python Dictionary

colors = {
    'primary': '#FF6432',
    'secondary': '#32FF64',
    'accent': '#6432FF'
}

Technical Stack

NumPy: Color calculations
Matplotlib: Visualization
colormath: Color space conversions
Pillow: Image generation
colorsys: HSV transformations

Color Theory Resources

The generator implements principles from: - Johannes Itten's color theory - Josef Albers' color interactions - Modern digital color systems - WCAG accessibility guidelines

Future Enhancements

Machine learning palette suggestions
Image-based palette extraction
Real-time web interface
Figma/Sketch plugin integration
AI-powered color naming
Cultural color associations
Seasonal palette themes

Create beautiful, harmonious color schemes based on proven color theory