About colorcode.tools
colorcode.tools is a free reference for designers and developers who need accurate color values fast. Hex codes, RGB, HSL, CMYK, side-by-side comparisons, palette ideas, WCAG contrast checks, and trend coverage — all in one place, no signup, no ads, no friction.
What we publish
- Color reference pages — every named CSS color and 10,000+ specific hex codes with full conversions, palettes, shades and tints.
- Side-by-side comparisons — 794 popular color pairs ("Mauve vs Lavender", "Teal vs Turquoise") with hex, RGB, HSL, CMYK, WCAG contrast, and use-case guidance.
- Pantone matching — every color is matched to its nearest Pantone code via Euclidean RGB distance over the 2,000-entry Pantone library.
- Brand palettes — official hex codes for 40+ brands (expanding to 500+).
- Trend coverage — Pinterest's 2026 Color Palette, Cool Blue, Jade, Plum Noir, Wasabi, Persimmon — each with growth stats and design guidance.
- Working tools — palette generator, gradient maker, contrast checker, color blindness simulator, image-to-palette extractor, color mixer, and more.
Editorial process & data sources
Our color values are computed deterministically from hex codes using standardised conversions (sRGB → HSL/CMYK/HSV, WCAG 2.1 contrast formula). Where a color has a canonical reference (CSS named colors, Pantone, brand palettes), we use that source's published hex.
Editorial copy on comparison and trend pages is written by the colorcode.tools editorial team. We cite our sources where we use third-party data — for example, Pinterest's annual color palette growth statistics come from Pinterest's own newsroom, and our Pantone matches reference the Pantone Matching System.
- CSS Color Module Level 4 (W3C) — for the 148 named CSS colors
- Pantone Color Institute — for Pantone Matching System reference codes
- Pinterest Newsroom & Pinterest Predicts — for trend data and growth stats
- WCAG 2.1 (W3C) — for relative luminance and contrast ratio formulas
- Brand-published color guides — for verified brand color palettes
Methodology & quality control
Every color page is generated from a single canonical hex code. Every comparison page is built from two canonical hex codes plus deterministic per-pair editorial framing (hue family, warmth, lightness analysis). Numeric values (RGB, HSL, CMYK, HSV, WCAG contrast, relative luminance) are computed at build time using formulas in src/lib/colors.js and reflected exactly in the page's structured data (Schema.org Dataset).
Pages are statically built and served from Vercel's edge network — no JavaScript-rendered prices or dates that drift over time. Last-modified timestamps reflect the actual build date. Every page reports its publish and last-update dates in both visible HTML and Schema.org metadata.
The site is built with Next.js, hosted on Vercel, and open to corrections via our editorial inbox.
The team
colorcode.tools is built and maintained by a small editorial team of designers and developers. We don't sell ads, run paid placements, or accept compensation for editorial coverage. We make money the boring way — affiliate links to design tools we already use, when readers click through. That keeps the site free, the data clean, and the recommendations honest.
Found something wrong? We rely on reader feedback to keep our color data accurate. Email editorial@colorcode.tools with the page URL and the issue, and we'll fix it.
Corrections & updates
We update color data, palette pairings, and trend pages regularly. Material corrections are noted in the page footer with a revised "Updated" date. For trend pages, we revisit growth statistics when Pinterest, WGSN, Pantone, or Coloro publish new annual reports. Send corrections to editorial@colorcode.tools.