Back in my college days as an art student, I absolutely adored designing a made up brand, with zero perimeters! It was the best creative exercise to test out color palettes, fonts, and allow myself freedom without client boundaries! Now real life as a designer doesn’t often look like that! However this free color palette generator tool I discovered YEARS AGO is still one of my favorites to helping curate a beautifully branded color palette. PLUS the fun features like color naming help me design outside the box!
Now before we dive in, you should know, I’m not sponsored or affiliated by Coolers in any way! I just love this FREE TOOL! It’s accessible to non-designers, easy to use, and only takes minutes to generate a perfectly on brand color palette! You can randomly generate using the space bar, lock in your favorite colors and create fully custom designs. Or my preferred way to start, uploading an image to get a head start.
Explore Coolers on your own HERE! or Check out a quick walkthrough on YouTube below.
Here are a few practical design tips to keep in mind!
Make sure you have a primary text font picked out Black can sometimes appear harsh unless you are going for a bold modern look. So I recommend either a dark brown if you’re going for a warmer palette, or a Navy Blue or grey for cooler color palettes.
Think about the tone and contrast of your colors. Make sure that the shades will be able to compliment and work together with some light and dark options. This will allow for your colors to be used as text or backgrounds and still legible on top of each other!
Just for fun, I created a few example demo images These are so easy to customize and export to grab the exact hex codes you need for your next project!
Coffee Shop Vibe:
Is there anything better than finding the perfect cozy coffee shop corner. The one where you can camp out with your laptop for some content writing and tune into the buzz of the work day. I’m not even a coffee drinker, but the smell of coffee grounds, and warm light through the windows are enough for me! Plus, I’ll take a chai tea to sip on anyway! Scroll down for even more, image inspired, color palettes!
European Summer:
Oh, how I daydream of being here one day! The historic vibe and colors of homes built into the coast, plus the cobblestone streets and painted shutters are an instant classic! This imagery brings about a sense of adventure with a hint of luxury. It’s the type of colors you just want to sit outside on a cafe patio with wine in hand. We’re in no rush to go back to reality any time soon!
Fresh Picked Floral Farm:
Spring is in full bloom here in Virginia, so I had to include a fresh and colorful option! Although my allergies might be screaming, my heart is certainly happy. Any chance for fresh cut flowers is a must. This palette brings an instant sense of joy and warmth. You can almost feel the soft breeze and buzz of pollinators around the farm.
Natural Wonder
This pallet gives an instant feeling of calm, from the serene blues, dusty sand and natural greens! I just love an earth tone color palette! Try out some of these shades if you’re looking for some brand colors that convey a sense of comfort, harmony, trust, and serenity.
If you’re needing a little extra spark of inspiration, be sure to check out these 20 FREE COLOR PALETTES. The perfect aesthetic vibes for your brand redesign, home decor, photoshoot wardrobe or just an afternoon daydream! OR if you’re ready to see you’re colors in action check out this blog on HOW TO use your business colors in your next brand photoshoot!
