Palette — Color Palette Generation & Management Tool
Generate harmonious color palettes using color theory (complementary, analogous, triadic), create random palettes, preview colors in terminal, export to CSS/JSON/SVG, and manage a library of saved palettes. Essential for designers, frontend developers, and anyone working with color systems.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.8+
bashshell- Terminal with ANSI color support (for previews)
Data Storage
All palette data is stored in ~/.palette/data.jsonl as newline-delimited JSON. Each record contains palette name, colors (hex values), color theory type, and metadata.
Configuration is stored in ~/.palette/config.json.
Commands
create
Create a new named palette from a list of hex color values.
PALETTE_NAME="ocean-breeze" PALETTE_COLORS="#0077B6,#00B4D8,#90E0EF,#CAF0F8,#023E8A" bash scripts/script.sh create
random
Generate a random palette with a specified number of colors (default: 5). Optionally constrain by hue range or saturation.
PALETTE_COUNT=5 PALETTE_HUE_MIN=180 PALETTE_HUE_MAX=270 bash scripts/script.sh random
complementary
Generate a complementary color palette from a base color. Returns the base color and its complement with optional shades.
PALETTE_BASE="#FF6B35" PALETTE_SHADES=3 bash scripts/script.sh complementary
analogous
Generate an analogous color palette from a base color. Returns colors adjacent on the color wheel (±30°).
PALETTE_BASE="#2EC4B6" PALETTE_COUNT=5 bash scripts/script.sh analogous
triadic
Generate a triadic color palette from a base color. Returns three colors equally spaced (120°) on the color wheel.
PALETTE_BASE="#E71D36" PALETTE_SHADES=2 bash scripts/script.sh triadic
export
Export a palette to various formats: CSS custom properties, JSON, SVG swatches, Tailwind config, or SCSS variables.
PALETTE_ID=<id> PALETTE_FORMAT=css PALETTE_OUTPUT=./colors.css bash scripts/script.sh export
preview
Display a palette in the terminal using ANSI color blocks. Shows hex values, RGB, and HSL alongside color swatches.
PALETTE_ID=<id> bash scripts/script.sh preview
list
List all saved palettes with their names, color counts, and creation dates.
bash scripts/script.sh list
save
Save/bookmark the most recently generated palette with a name and optional tags for organization.
PALETTE_NAME="sunset-vibes" PALETTE_TAGS="warm,sunset,gradient" bash scripts/script.sh save
config
View or update configuration (default color count, preferred format, terminal color mode).
PALETTE_KEY=default_count PALETTE_VALUE=7 bash scripts/script.sh config
help
Show usage information and available commands.
bash scripts/script.sh help
version
Display the current version of the palette skill.
bash scripts/script.sh version
Examples
# Generate a triadic palette from a brand color
PALETTE_BASE="#6C63FF" bash scripts/script.sh triadic
# Save it with a name
PALETTE_NAME="brand-triadic" bash scripts/script.sh save
# Preview in terminal
PALETTE_ID=<id> bash scripts/script.sh preview
# Export as CSS custom properties
PALETTE_ID=<id> PALETTE_FORMAT=css PALETTE_OUTPUT=./brand-colors.css bash scripts/script.sh export
Color Theory Quick Reference
- Complementary: Opposite on the color wheel (high contrast)
- Analogous: Adjacent colors (harmonious, low contrast)
- Triadic: Three equidistant colors (vibrant, balanced)
- Random: Algorithmically generated with optional constraints
Notes
- Colors are stored and processed as hex values internally, converted to RGB/HSL as needed.
- Terminal preview requires a terminal that supports 24-bit (truecolor) ANSI codes.
- Export formats include CSS, JSON, SVG, SCSS, and Tailwind — easily extensible.
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