PhotoTones is a free online tool that generates color palettes from images. Upload any photo — JPG, PNG, GIF, or WebP — and PhotoTones instantly extracts the dominant colors with their hex codes, RGB values, and HSL information. All image processing happens locally in your browser, so your photos never leave your device.

How do I generate a color palette from an image?

Step 1: Click the 'Choose an image' button and select any image file from your device. Step 2: Click 'Generate Color Palette' — PhotoTones analyzes the image and extracts up to six dominant colors. Step 3: Click any color swatch to copy its hex code, or use the 'Copy All HEX' and 'Copy All RGB' buttons. You can also click 'Generate Color Palette' again to get a different set of colors from the same image.

Is PhotoTones free to use?

Yes, PhotoTones is completely free. There is no registration, no account required, and no usage limits. You can generate as many color palettes from as many images as you like, at no cost.

What image formats does PhotoTones support?

PhotoTones supports all common web image formats, including JPEG/JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, BMP, and SVG. Any image file your browser can display will work with PhotoTones.

Are my images uploaded to a server?

No. PhotoTones processes every image entirely within your web browser using JavaScript and the HTML5 Canvas API. Your images are never uploaded to any server, never stored, and never shared. This makes it safe to use with confidential or proprietary images.

Can I download my photo with the color palette?

Yes. After generating a color palette, click the 'Download photo with color swatches' button. PhotoTones will create a new JPEG image with the color swatches arranged alongside your original photo — horizontally for landscape images and vertically for portrait images.

How does PhotoTones extract colors from images?

PhotoTones uses the Vibrant.js color extraction algorithm, which analyzes pixel data to identify the most perceptually distinct and dominant colors in an image. It returns up to six color categories: Vibrant, Dark Vibrant, Light Vibrant, Muted, Dark Muted, and Light Muted — giving you a balanced and harmonious palette.

What color formats does PhotoTones provide?

PhotoTones provides hex color codes (e.g., #3B82F6), which can be copied individually by clicking a swatch, or in bulk using the 'Copy All HEX' button. RGB values are also available via the 'Copy All RGB' button. Both formats are ready to paste into CSS, Figma, Sketch, Adobe tools, or any design and development workflow.

PhotoTones

Color Palette from Image Generator

Create color palettes from any image — free and private. Extract hex, RGB, and HSL codes in your browser. Pro adds brand kits, design tokens, and Figma export from $7/month.

Choose an image

How to Get a Color Palette from an Image

PhotoTones generates a color palette from any image in under a second. Upload a photo — a logo, a landscape, a product shot, or a piece of artwork — and PhotoTones extracts up to 12 dominant colors with hex, RGB, and HSL codes. Everything runs locally in your browser using a javascript algorithm, so your images never leave your device. No account, no upload, no wait.

Works with Every Image Format

Upload JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, BMP, or SVG files. PhotoTones analyzes the pixel data and identifies up to six color categories — Vibrant, Dark Vibrant, Light Vibrant, Muted, Dark Muted, and Light Muted — giving you a balanced, harmonious palette every time. Click "Generate Color Palette" again to discover alternative color variations from the same image.

Hex, RGB, and HSL Color Codes

Each extracted color comes with its hex code displayed directly on the swatch. Click a swatch to copy the hex code to your clipboard. Use the "Copy All HEX" or "Copy All RGB" buttons to grab every color at once. Paste the values straight into CSS, Figma, Sketch, Adobe Illustrator, or any design tool.

Built for Designers and Developers

Create cohesive color schemes for websites, mobile apps, branding projects, and digital artwork. Extract colors from competitor designs, nature photography, or artistic references to build harmonious palettes. Download a composite image with color swatches attached for mood boards and style guides. With PhotoTones Pro, export a complete brand kit, design tokens, Figma JSON, and light/dark theme CSS in one click.

100% Private — Nothing Leaves Your Device

PhotoTones processes images entirely in your browser using JavaScript and the HTML5 Canvas API. No files are uploaded, stored, or transmitted to any server. This makes it safe for working with confidential brand assets, unreleased product photos, or any proprietary imagery.

Common Use Cases

Brand Identity: Extract primary and accent colors from company logos or product photography to build a consistent brand palette
Web & UI Design: Generate color schemes for website themes, component libraries, and design systems from inspiration images
Interior Design: Capture color palettes from room photos, furniture, or decor to plan cohesive interior schemes
Fashion & Styling: Pull colors from clothing and accessories to create coordinated outfit palettes
Art & Illustration: Study color harmony in paintings, illustrations, or digital art by extracting the underlying palette
Photography & Film: Identify dominant colors in photos to refine post-processing, color grading, and visual storytelling

Color Palette from Image — Examples

PhotoTones extracts dominant hex codes from any photo in under 1 second. These examples show source images and the color palettes generated from them — the same workflow you get when you upload your own image.

Color palette extracted from sunset photo — hex codes #FFB16C, #F97316, #DC2626, #9D174D, #4C1D95, #1E1B4B — Sunset landscape → warm orange, coral, and violet palette

Color palette extracted from beach photo — hex codes #FEF3C7, #F5D491, #7DD3FC, #06B6D4, #0E7490, #164E63 — Beach photo → sand, turquoise, and deep ocean blues

Color palette extracted from forest photo — hex codes #F0FDF4, #BBF7D0, #22C55E, #15803D, #78350F, #1C1917 — Forest path → moss green, emerald, and bark brown tones

Color palette extracted from minimalist photo — hex codes #FAFAF9, #E7E5E4, #A8A29E, #57534E, #1C1917, #2563EB — Minimalist scene → neutral slate and charcoal palette

Why Use PhotoTones?

100% Private

Images are processed locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded to or stored on any server

Instant Results

Extract a full color palette in under a second using advanced color analysis algorithms

Free Core, Pro Power

The core tool is always free — no account or limits. Upgrade to Pro ($7/month, cancel anytime) for brand kit ZIPs, design tokens, Figma exports, light/dark themes, extended palettes, and accessibility tools

One-Click Copy

Copy individual hex codes or all hex/RGB values at once with a single click

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PhotoTones Pro?

PhotoTones Pro is a $7/month subscription that unlocks a complete deliverables workflow for designers and developers: one-click brand kit ZIP downloads with a print-ready guide; design token exports (W3C JSON, Tokens Studio, Style Dictionary, Tailwind v4 @theme); Figma Variables and Tokens Studio JSON; light and dark theme CSS with accessible semantic colors; full-resolution composite downloads (JPEG or lossless PNG); extended palettes up to 12 colors; Adobe ASE, Tailwind, SCSS, CSS, and Procreate exports; and a WCAG contrast ratio grid with AA/AAA pass/fail badges. Sign in to subscribe; your Pro access restores automatically when you return. Cancel anytime from your Stripe billing portal.

What is an image-to-color-palette generator?

An image-to-color-palette generator is a tool that analyzes the pixels in a photo and extracts the most prominent colors. PhotoTones uses a javascript algorithm to identify up to six color categories — Vibrant, Dark Vibrant, Light Vibrant, Muted, Dark Muted, and Light Muted — and returns their hex codes and RGB values.

How do I extract colors from an image?

Click "Choose an image" and select a file from your device. Once the image appears in the preview, click "Generate Color Palette." PhotoTones analyzes the image in your browser and displays up to six color swatches with hex codes. Click any swatch to copy the code, or use the bulk copy buttons.

Is PhotoTones free?

The core tool is completely free — no registration and no usage caps. You can upload images, extract palettes, copy color codes, and download a low resolution JPEG composite (50% of original size) as many times as you like at no cost. PhotoTones Pro ($7/month, cancel anytime) adds brand kit ZIP exports, W3C and Tokens Studio design tokens, Figma import JSON, light/dark theme CSS, full resolution downloads, extended palettes up to 12 colors, lossless PNG, professional file exports, and a WCAG contrast grid.

Are my images private?

Yes. All processing runs locally in your browser. Your images are never uploaded to any server, never stored, and never shared with third parties. PhotoTones is safe to use with confidential or proprietary images.

What image formats are supported?

PhotoTones supports JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, BMP, SVG, and any other image format your browser can display.

Can I get different palettes from the same image?

Yes. Click "Generate Color Palette" multiple times after uploading an image. PhotoTones applies subtle variations to surface different color groupings from the same source image.

Can I download my photo with the color swatches?

Yes. After generating a palette, click the download button. Free users can download a low resolution JPEG composite (50% of the original image size) with swatches arranged at the bottom for landscape images or along the right side for portrait images. PhotoTones Pro users can download at full resolution in JPEG or lossless PNG format.

What color codes does PhotoTones provide?

PhotoTones displays hex color codes on each swatch. You can copy individual hex values or use the bulk buttons to copy all hex codes or all RGB values at once. These are ready to paste into CSS, Figma, Sketch, Adobe tools, or any development environment.

What is the best free color palette generator from an image?

PhotoTones is among the best free color palette generators from an image because it runs entirely in your browser — no upload, no signup, and results in under 1 second. The free plan extracts 6 colors with hex, RGB, and HSL codes from JPG, PNG, WebP, and other formats. PhotoTones Pro ($7/month) extends palettes to 12 colors and adds brand kit exports, design tokens, and Figma workflows.

How do I get hex codes from a photo?

Open PhotoTones at phototones.com, click “Choose an image” and select your photo, then click “Generate Color Palette.” PhotoTones analyzes the image locally in under 1 second and displays hex codes on each swatch. Click any swatch to copy a single hex code, or use “Copy All HEX” to copy every value at once.

Can I extract colors from an image without uploading it?

Yes. PhotoTones processes images entirely in your browser using JavaScript and the HTML5 Canvas API — your photo is never uploaded to any server. Select a file from your device and PhotoTones reads it locally, extracts up to 6 colors on the free plan (12 on Pro), and returns hex, RGB, and HSL codes without transmitting image data over the network.