How it works
Select the color families you want to use and press the button. Each swatch is picked at random from one of those selected families. For example, if you leave Green unselected, the generator will not draw from its Green range.
There are no hex or RGB codes on the swatches, which is deliberate. This is for choosing a color — settling what to paint a wall, which pen to draw with, what team color to take — not for copying values into a stylesheet. If you need codes, the palette generator, shades and tints generator and color mixer all give them.
What counts as each color
Each color family uses a defined range of hue, saturation, and lightness so the generated swatches stay within the selected family. Brown, pink, black, and white need slightly different rules because they are not simply points on the color wheel.
| Color | Defined as |
|---|---|
| Red | Saturated red hues |
| Orange | Saturated orange hues |
| Yellow | Saturated yellow hues |
| Green | Green hues across a broad range |
| Blue | Blue hues |
| Purple | Purple hues |
| Pink | Light red and magenta hues |
| Brown | Dark, less-saturated orange tones |
| Black | Very dark, near-neutral tones |
| White | Very light, near-neutral tones |
Why brown and pink are the awkward ones
Most families are defined mainly by hue, but brown, pink, black, and white need additional rules. Brown is essentially a dark, less-saturated orange, while pink uses lighter red and magenta tones. Black and white are treated as near-neutral colors at the dark and light ends of the range.
Is it really random?
Each swatch is generated independently. The generator randomly chooses one of your selected color families and then randomly chooses a color within that family's range. Your browser's cryptographic random number generator is used when available, so the same selection can produce different results each time. Repeated colors are possible because each pick is independent.
Frequently asked questions
Why aren't the hex codes shown?
Because this tool is for picking a color, not for specifying one. Codes turn a quick decision into a reading task. If you want codes, the palette generator, shades and tints generator and color mixer all provide them.
Can I get only one color?
Yes — one is the default. Press the button again for another. You can ask for up to five at once if you would rather compare a few side by side.
Can the same color come up twice?
Yes. Each pick is independent, so repeats within a set are possible — more likely when you have selected only one or two families, since the range being drawn from is narrower.