Instant Color Pick
Click anywhere on the image to instantly display HEX, RGB, and HSL color codes in milliseconds. No waiting.
Upload an image, click to pick colors, instantly get HEX / RGB / HSL color codes
Simple, fast, privacy-friendly online color picker from image
Click anywhere on the image to instantly display HEX, RGB, and HSL color codes in milliseconds. No waiting.
All image processing is done locally in your browser. Your images are never uploaded to any server.
Built-in 2x magnifier with crosshair helps you pick the exact pixel color from any image with pixel-perfect accuracy.
Click any color format to copy it to your clipboard. Paste directly into your design software or code editor.
Drag & drop, click to select a file, or simply press Ctrl+V to paste an image from your clipboard.
No registration, no payment required. Open your browser anytime, anywhere, and start picking colors instantly.
Drag & drop an image onto the upload area, or click the "Choose Image" button. You can also paste from clipboard with Ctrl+V.
Move your mouse over the image and the magnifier helps you pinpoint the exact pixel. Click to pick the color.
The sidebar displays HEX, RGB, and HSL color codes. Click any format to copy it to your clipboard instantly.
All picked colors are automatically saved in the color history panel, making it easy to review and compare colors.
Understanding HEX, RGB, and HSL color formats for web design and development
HEX color codes are the most common way to represent colors in web design. A HEX code is a six-digit hexadecimal number prefixed with a hash symbol (#), such as #FF6B6B. The code is divided into three pairs of two digits each, representing the Red, Green, and Blue channels respectively.
Each pair can range from 00 (minimum intensity) to FF (maximum intensity) in base-16 (hexadecimal) notation. This means there are 256 possible values for each channel, resulting in over 16 million possible colors (256 × 256 × 256 = 16,777,216 colors).
For example, #FF6B6B breaks down as: Red = FF (255), Green = 6B (107), Blue = 6B (107), creating a coral pink color. When all three channels are at their minimum (#000000), you get black. When all are at maximum (#FFFFFF), you get white.
HEX codes are supported in all modern web browsers and are the standard format in CSS frameworks, design tools like Figma and Sketch, and most color pickers. They are compact, easy to copy, and universally recognized in the web development community.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive color model used in digital displays. In CSS, RGB colors are specified using the rgb() function with three parameters, each representing the intensity of the corresponding channel as an integer from 0 to 255.
For example, rgb(255, 107, 107) represents the same coral pink as #FF6B6B. The RGB format is more intuitive for programmers who work with numeric values and is commonly used in JavaScript canvas operations, image processing libraries, and game development.
CSS also supports rgba() which adds an Alpha channel (opacity) as a fourth parameter ranging from 0.0 (fully transparent) to 1.0 (fully opaque). For instance, rgba(255, 107, 107, 0.5) creates a semi-transparent coral pink. This makes RGB particularly useful when you need to create overlay effects, shadows, or layered designs.
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is a cylindrical-coordinate color model designed to be more intuitive for humans. In CSS, HSL is specified using the hsl() function with three parameters:
For example, hsl(0, 100%, 71%) represents the same coral pink: Hue 0° (red), Saturation 100% (fully saturated), Lightness 71% (bright but not fully light). HSL is particularly powerful for creating color schemes because you can keep the same hue while adjusting saturation and lightness to create harmonious variations.
Modern CSS also supports hsla() with an Alpha channel, making it even more versatile for web design tasks.
Professional techniques for building beautiful color schemes from any image
One of the most effective ways to create a professional color palette is to start with a reference image that contains colors you love. Using Get Color Code, you can upload any photograph, illustration, or design and extract its key colors. Start by picking 3-5 dominant colors from different areas of your image. Look for the main background color, accent colors, and highlight tones. These naturally cohesive colors will form the foundation of your palette because they already exist harmoniously in the source image.
Professional designers often use this technique when creating brand identities, website themes, or illustration palettes. The key is to pick colors from well-composed photographs or artwork that already have balanced color relationships.
Complementary colors are pairs of colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. When placed next to each other, they create maximum contrast and visual impact. For example, blue (#0000FF) and orange (#FFA500) are complements, as are red (#FF0000) and green (#00FF00). When building a palette, consider using a complementary pair as your primary and accent colors to create a vibrant, eye-catching design.
To find a complementary color using our tool, pick a color from your image, then look for a color roughly 180 degrees away on the HSL hue scale. This technique is widely used in logo design, call-to-action buttons, and highlighting important visual elements.
Analogous color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, such as blue, blue-green, and green. These schemes are naturally harmonious and pleasing to the eye, making them excellent choices for backgrounds, illustrations, and overall website themes. Unlike complementary schemes that create contrast, analogous schemes create a sense of visual unity and calm.
When picking analogous colors from an image, look for gradual color transitions in gradients, skies, landscapes, or any image with smooth color variations. Use Get Color Code to capture the subtle differences between adjacent hues and recreate them in your designs.
Each color format has its strengths. HEX is best for quick copy-paste in CSS files, HTML attributes, and design tools. It is the most compact format and the most commonly shared among designers. RGB is ideal for programmatic color manipulation in JavaScript, canvas operations, and when you need to work with color channels individually. HSL excels when you need to create color variations—for example, generating a lighter hover state by increasing lightness, or creating a gradient by shifting hue.
Many professional designers and developers use all three formats depending on the context. Get Color Code displays all three simultaneously so you can copy the format that best suits your current workflow without any conversion steps.
Color accessibility is crucial for ensuring your designs are usable by everyone, including people with visual impairments. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. When picking colors from an image, be mindful of contrast between text and background colors.
Using HSL values can help with accessibility: keeping saturation moderate (50-70%) and carefully managing lightness differences between foreground and background colors will naturally improve contrast. Remember that some users have color vision deficiencies (color blindness), so never rely solely on color to convey important information. Always use additional indicators like icons, text labels, or patterns alongside color coding.
Quick reference for converting between HEX, RGB, and HSL color formats
Understanding how to convert between color formats is an essential skill for web designers and developers. Below is a practical guide to converting colors manually and understanding the relationships between each format.
To convert a HEX code like #FF6B6B to RGB: split the six digits into three pairs (FF, 6B, 6B). Convert each pair from hexadecimal (base-16) to decimal (base-10): FF = 255, 6B = 107, 6B = 107. The result is rgb(255, 107, 107). Each pair is calculated as: (first digit × 16) + (second digit). For example, FF = (15 × 16) + 15 = 255, and 6B = (6 × 16) + 11 = 107.
To convert RGB values like rgb(255, 107, 107) to HEX: divide each value by 16 to get the first digit and take the remainder for the second digit. For 255: 255 ÷ 16 = 15 (F), remainder 15 (F) = FF. For 107: 107 ÷ 16 = 6 (6), remainder 11 (B) = 6B. Combine all pairs with a # prefix: #FF6B6B.
#FF0000
rgb(255,0,0)
hsl(0,100%,50%)
#00FF00
rgb(0,255,0)
hsl(120,100%,50%)
#0000FF
rgb(0,0,255)
hsl(240,100%,50%)
#000000
rgb(0,0,0)
hsl(0,0%,0%)
#FFFFFF
rgb(255,255,255)
hsl(0,0%,100%)
#808080
rgb(128,128,128)
hsl(0,0%,50%)
#FFD700
rgb(255,215,0)
hsl(51,100%,50%)
#FF69B4
rgb(255,105,180)
hsl(330,100%,71%)