Color picker

Free Color Picker Tool

The Color Picker lets you select colors from a wheel or image and instantly get HEX, RGB, and HSL values. It speeds up design with one-click copy, contrast previews, and palette generation. Use this free Color Picker when designing interfaces, matching brand colors, or validating WCAG accessibility on Monkey Type.

What is Color Picker?

The Color Picker is a web-based utility that helps you choose, inspect, and convert colors with precision. It provides live previews and outputs in developer-friendly formats like HEX, RGB, and HSL, so you can move from idea to implementation without switching tools or guessing values.

On Monkey Type, the Color Picker is optimized for speed and accuracy. You can fine-tune hue, saturation, and lightness, compare contrast against backgrounds, and copy CSS-ready values in a click. It’s designed for designers, developers, and marketers who need consistent, accessible colors for web and mobile projects.

If you need to translate between formats, pair the Color Picker with the Color Converter. For accessibility checks, the Contrast Checker ensures your color choices meet WCAG guidelines.

Why Use Color Picker?

• Eliminate guesswork: Stop eyeballing shades. Precisely select a color and get exact HEX/RGB/HSL outputs you can paste into CSS, design tools, or code editors.
• Design faster: Preview tints and shades, adjust sliders, and copy values instantly. No more switching between apps or hunting for conversion charts. Use alongside the Gradient Generator to build on-brand backgrounds.
• Ensure accessibility: Check contrast and readability early so your UI is inclusive. Quickly test foreground/background combinations and avoid rework later. The Contrast Checker provides detailed ratios.
• Maintain brand consistency: Lock down brand colors and reuse them across pages, components, and campaigns. Export or copy swatches to keep every stakeholder aligned.
• Support any workflow: Whether you start from a photo, a HEX code, or a design token, the Color Picker adapts. It’s perfect for quick QA, prototyping, and production handoff on Monkey Type.

How to Use Color Picker on Monkey Type

1. Open the Color Picker tool on Monkey Type. Result: The main color wheel, sliders, and preview panels load.
2. Choose an input method: drag on the color wheel, enter a HEX/RGB/HSL value, or use the image/eyedropper option to sample a color. Result: The selected color immediately updates the preview and values.
3. Fine-tune with sliders for hue, saturation, and lightness. Result: You see real-time changes with exact code-ready values.
4. Check readability by setting a background or foreground color and viewing the contrast ratio. Result: You’ll know if the combination passes WCAG. For deeper checks, open the Contrast Checker.
5. Copy your preferred format (HEX, RGB, or HSL) using one-click copy. Result: The value is copied to your clipboard for immediate use in CSS or design tools.
6. Optional: Create a small palette of complementary or analogous colors, then copy or export them. Result: You leave with a reusable, consistent set of swatches. You can also expand palettes with the Palette Generator.

Key Features

• Interactive color wheel with precision sliders for hue, saturation, and lightness
• Instant code outputs: HEX, RGB, HSL with one-click copy
• Live previews for text and backgrounds
• Built-in accessibility guidance and contrast ratio display (use with the Contrast Checker)
• Image/eyedropper sampling to extract colors from logos, screenshots, or photos
• Palette creation: complementary, analogous, and triadic suggestions (extend with the Palette Generator)
• Format conversions that pair seamlessly with the Color Converter
• Fast, browser-based experience on Monkey Type—no signup required

Best Practices & Tips

• Design for contrast first: Choose colors that meet WCAG AA or AAA, especially for body text and critical UI elements. Verify combinations in the Contrast Checker.
• Work in HSL for nuance: Adjust lightness and saturation to create accessible hover states, disabled states, and focus styles without drifting off-brand.
• Build scalable palettes: Start with a base brand color, then generate tints and shades in even increments (e.g., L+10/L-10). Expand sets with the Palette Generator.
• Convert formats intentionally: Use HEX for CSS simplicity, RGB for programmatic manipulation, and HSL for intuitive adjustments. When needed, swap formats via the Color Converter.
• Avoid over-saturation: Highly saturated colors may vibrate on screens and reduce readability. Balance saturation with adequate lightness and contrast.
• Test on real backgrounds: Don’t judge colors on white alone. Preview them against the surfaces they’ll live on—cards, modals, navigation bars, and images.

Common Use Cases

• UI theming: Define primary, secondary, and accent colors for design systems and component libraries.
• Branding: Match colors from a logo or brand guide using the image sampling feature, then lock in HEX codes for consistent use.
• Content accessibility: Validate text/background pairs for blogs, dashboards, and landing pages to meet WCAG. For final checks, use the Contrast Checker.
• Marketing assets: Quickly align web banners and social graphics with brand palettes; compress images afterward with the Image Compressor.
• Front-end development: Copy code-ready values for CSS variables, Tailwind configs, or inline styles, and generate gradients via the Gradient Generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a HEX code from a photo?

Use the image/eyedropper option in the Color Picker to sample a pixel from your image. The tool instantly shows the HEX, RGB, and HSL values. You can then copy the HEX in one click or convert it further in the Color Converter.

What’s the difference between HEX, RGB, and HSL?

HEX is a hexadecimal representation commonly used in CSS, RGB defines colors by red/green/blue channels, and HSL defines hue, saturation, and lightness. HSL is intuitive for adjustments; RGB is useful for programmatic changes; HEX is concise for stylesheets.

How can I check color accessibility and contrast?

Within the Color Picker, set foreground and background colors to view the contrast ratio. For deeper validation, open the Contrast Checker to see AA/AAA pass/fail states and recommended adjustments.

Is the Color Picker free to use?

Yes. The Color Picker on Monkey Type is free, browser-based, and requires no account. You can explore, copy, and export color values without limits.

Can I create and export a color palette?

Yes. Build a palette from your selected base color using complementary or analogous suggestions, then copy or export swatches. To generate extended systems or explore variations, try the Palette Generator.