The short answer
Why use Palette Extractor?
Picking colors one by one with an eyedropper misses how much of the image each color covers. A counted list shows the main colors in order of how often they appear.
The tool samples every fourth pixel of the full-size image and rounds each red, green, and blue value to the nearest step of 32. Shades that round to the same code are counted together, and the eight largest groups become the palette, most common first. The status line lists their hex codes, and the download is a 1600 × 400 PNG with one labeled swatch per color.
Pixels that are more than half transparent are skipped, so a logo on a transparent background gives only its visible colors. The rounding merges close shades, so a subtle gradient shows up as one or two codes, and a flat graphic with few colors gives fewer than eight swatches. Each label is printed in black or white, whichever reads better on its swatch.
Dominant Colors runs the same count but reports how much of the image each color covers as a percentage, and its download is the image itself. Histogram Viewer graphs how much of each brightness level is in every channel. To check the color of a single spot, zoom into the preview instead, since this list only shows groups.
Where Palette Extractor fits
Design palettes
Build a website color scheme from a favorite photo.
Brand matching
Pull the main colors out of a client's existing artwork.
Craft projects
Pick yarn or paint colors that match a reference picture.
Start to finish
How to use Palette Extractor
- 01Tap Choose image and pick the photo you want colors from.
- 02Tap Apply changes; the tool samples every fourth pixel and groups similar shades.
- 03Copy the hex codes from the status line, or tap Download result to save the swatch PNG.
What to expect from Palette Extractor
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | Choose a file; the results are read-only |
| Output | Dimensions, metadata, colors, or an extracted preview, depending on the tool |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image |
Palette Extractor tips
- Codes are rounded to steps of 32, so treat them as close matches.
- Transparent areas are skipped, so a cut-out logo gives only its visible colors.
- Crop to the area you care about before counting.
- A flat graphic with few colors gives fewer than eight swatches.
Palette Extractor FAQ
Something missing? Ask us.
Where do I find the color codes?
Does a transparent logo list black first?
Why are the hex codes rounded?
Does Palette Extractor upload my file?
Is Palette Extractor free to use?
Why did Palette Extractor fail or look wrong?
Related tools
More in Color Tools.