Color Picker Tool

How do I create accessible color combinations that meet WCAG standards?

WCAG requires minimum contrast ratios:

Level AA needs 4.5:1 for normal text (<18pt) and 3:1 for large text.

Level AAA requires 7:1 and 4.5:1 respectively.

Black on white (#000000 on #FFFFFF) provides 21:1 (perfect).

Test with WebAIM Contrast Checker or Chrome DevTools.

Common mistakes:

• gray text on gray backgrounds,
• colored text on colored backgrounds.

Always verify actual rendered colors, especially with transparency.

Consider color blindness - don't rely on color alone, use icons and labels too.

This tool shows contrast ratios and WCAG compliance.

How do I extract and generate color palettes from images?

Upload images to extract dominant colors using algorithms that analyze pixel frequency and identify the most common hues (typically 5-10 colors).

Use for brand color extraction from logos, website theming from hero images, or data visualization colors.

Create full palettes by identifying the primary color, generating tints (add white) and shades (add black), then adding complementary colors.

Tools:

Adobe Color, Coolors, or this color picker.

Ensure extracted colors meet accessibility standards and test in context before using in production designs.

Use HEX (#3498db) for solid colors - most common and compact.

Use RGBA (rgba(52,152,219,0.8)) for transparency.

Use HSL (hsl(204,70%,53%)) for design systems and creating color variations - easy to adjust lightness for hover states.

CSS custom properties (--primary: #3498db) enable centralized color management and dark mode theming.

Modern formats: HWB and LCH offer perceptual uniformity but have limited browser support.

Best practice: combine CSS variables with HSL for maximum flexibility and maintainability.

This tool outputs all formats for immediate use.

How do I implement dark mode with color management?

Use CSS custom properties to define theme colors.

Don't use pure black (#000000) - use #121212 or #1A1A1A for backgrounds (reduces eye strain, better for OLED).

Desaturate accent colors by 10-20% for dark mode.

Use @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) for OS-based preference or data-theme attribute for user toggle.

Example: light mode hsl(204, 70%, 53%) becomes hsl(204, 50%, 63%) in dark mode.

Text should use #E0E0E0 not pure white.

Surface elevation shown through brightness gradients, not shadows.

Always test contrast ratios in both modes.

What is the difference between additive (RGB) and subtractive (CMYK) color mixing?

RGB (additive) is for screens - adds light (R+G+B=white).

CMYK (subtractive) is for printing - adds ink that absorbs light (C+M+Y+K=black).

RGB has wider color gamut (more vivid colors).

CMYK is smaller gamut - some RGB colors are unprintable.

For web: use RGB/HEX/HSL exclusively.

For print: convert to CMYK and request proof prints.

Bright blues and greens often show "out of gamut" warnings when converting RGB to CMYK.

This color picker works in RGB for screen use but helps understand conversion concepts.

How do I use color psychology and theory in web design?

Colors evoke psychological responses:

Blue conveys trust/professionalism (finance, healthcare, tech - Facebook, PayPal).

Red signals energy/urgency (CTAs, sales - Netflix, YouTube).

Green represents growth/health (wellness, environmental - Starbucks).

Orange shows enthusiasm/creativity (startups - Amazon).

Purple suggests luxury (cosmetics - Twitch).

Consider cultural context:

red = luck in China but danger in West.

Use complementary colors (opposites) for high contrast CTAs.

Analogous colors (adjacent) create harmonious designs.

Limit to 3-5 primary colors.

A/B test effectiveness.

Don't rely on color alone - ensure accessibility with icons and labels.

How do I optimize color performance and loading for web applications?

All color formats (HEX, RGB, HSL) have equal performance - browsers convert to internal RGB.

Use shorthand HEX (#FFF vs #FFFFFF) to save bytes.

Minify CSS for 20-30% size reduction.

Use CSS variables for theming - minimal overhead, updates all elements instantly.

Prefer CSS gradients over images (0 bytes vs 10-50KB).

Pre-calculate colors at build time rather than runtime.

For images:

• use WebP (20-30% smaller) or AVIF (40-50% smaller)
• reduce color palette (24-bit to 8-bit PNG)
• lazy load images.

Inline critical colors (<14KB) to prevent FOUC.

Debounce theme changes for better perceived performance.