Free Color Palette Extractor – Get Colors from Any Image

By RapidTool Team · Last updated: September 2026

Our free color palette extractor analyzes any image and identifies its dominant colors using a median-cut quantization algorithm. Upload a photo, brand image, screenshot, or artwork to instantly get the HEX, RGB, and HSL color codes for its most prominent colors. Export your palette as CSS variables, SCSS, JSON, Tailwind config, or a simple hex list — perfect for designers, developers, and anyone working with brand colors.

Common Uses

🎨 Brand Color ExtractionGet exact hex codes from a brand logo or product image

💻 Web DesignBuild CSS color palettes from mood board or reference images

📱 App DevelopmentExtract theme colors from design mockups for use in code

🖨️ Print DesignMatch print colors to digital sources accurately

📊 Data VisualizationCreate color schemes that complement existing imagery

🌿 Nature InspirationExtract earthy tones from landscape or nature photography

Color Format Reference

HEX: #FF6B35 — 6-digit hexadecimal code used in CSS and HTML. Most common format for web design. RGB: rgb(255, 107, 53) — Red, Green, Blue values 0–255. Used in CSS and image editing software. HSL: hsl(18°, 100%, 60%) — Hue, Saturation, Lightness. More intuitive for making color variations (adjust lightness to make lighter/darker shades).

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the color extraction algorithm work?

The median-cut algorithm divides the color space of an image recursively, finding the dimension (red, green, or blue) with the widest range of values and splitting it at the median. This creates clusters of similar colors, and the average of each cluster becomes one palette color. This produces balanced palettes that represent all color regions of the image rather than just the most frequent pixel color.

What is the eyedropper tool and how do I use it?

The eyedropper lets you pick any specific color from your image by hovering over it. As you move your cursor across the image, the color under your cursor is shown in real-time with HEX, RGB, and HSL values. Click anywhere on the image to capture that specific color. This is useful when you know exactly which color you want — like a brand color from a specific area of a logo.

How do I use the extracted colors in my CSS?

Use the CSS export option to get CSS custom properties (variables) that you can paste directly into your stylesheet. Declare them in the :root selector and use them throughout your CSS with var(--color-1), var(--color-2), etc. The SCSS export generates $color-1, $color-2 variables for Sass/SCSS projects. The Tailwind export generates a colors object for your tailwind.config.js file.

Why are extracted colors sometimes different from what I see?

The median-cut algorithm extracts statistically dominant colors, not necessarily the most visually prominent ones. A large beige background may dominate over a small bright accent color. Try the "Vibrant Colors" algorithm for images where you want the saturated standout colors rather than muted background tones. You can also use the eyedropper to manually pick specific colors you want from any part of the image.

Can I extract colors from a logo with a white or transparent background?

Yes. Upload the logo image and the extractor will analyze all pixels including the background. If you want to exclude white or transparent areas, use a version of the logo placed on a colored background. The more colors and contrast in the image, the more interesting the extracted palette. For logos, 4–6 colors usually gives the cleanest result.

Is my image uploaded to a server?

No. Your image is never sent to any server. All color extraction processing happens entirely in your browser using HTML5 Canvas — the image is drawn to a hidden canvas and pixel data is read directly from memory. Your images remain completely private on your device.