Tint & Shade Generator

About Tint & Shade Generator

Our free online tint and shade generator helps you create beautiful color palettes by generating lighter tints and darker shades from any base color. Perfect for designers, developers, and anyone working with colors in web design, graphic design, or UI/UX projects.

What are Tints and Shades?

In color theory, tints and shades are variations of a base color created by mixing it with white or black:

• Tints: Created by adding white to a color, making it lighter and more pastel
• Shades: Created by adding black to a color, making it darker and more intense
• Tones: Created by adding gray (both white and black) to a color

How to Use the Tint & Shade Generator

1. Choose Your Base Color: Use the color picker or enter a hex code directly
2. Generate Palette: Click the "Generate Palette" button to create 9 tints and 9 shades
3. Copy Colors: Click any color square to copy its hex code to your clipboard
4. Export Options: Export your palette as CSS variables or Tailwind config
5. Use in Projects: Integrate the generated colors into your design system

Color Mixing Algorithm

Our generator uses precise color mixing algorithms to create harmonious variations:

Tint Formula

New Color = Base Color + (White - Base Color) × Percentage

For example, a 50% tint means the color is halfway between the base color and pure white.

Shade Formula

New Color = Base Color × (1 - Percentage)

A 50% shade means the color is reduced to half its original intensity, moving toward black.

Use Cases for Tints and Shades

Web Design & Development

• Design Systems: Create consistent color scales for buttons, backgrounds, and UI elements
• Hover States: Use lighter tints for hover effects on interactive elements
• Dark Mode: Generate appropriate shades for dark theme implementations
• Accessibility: Ensure proper contrast ratios with lighter and darker variations
• Gradients: Create smooth color transitions using tints and shades

Brand Identity

• Color Palette Expansion: Extend your brand colors into full palettes
• Marketing Materials: Create cohesive color schemes for campaigns
• Print Design: Generate color variations for different printing needs
• Brand Guidelines: Document color variations for consistent usage

UI/UX Design

• Component States: Define colors for active, disabled, and focus states
• Visual Hierarchy: Use tints and shades to create depth and emphasis
• Data Visualization: Generate color scales for charts and graphs
• Theming: Create light and dark theme variations

Export Formats

CSS Variables

Export your palette as CSS custom properties (variables) for easy integration:

:root {
  /* Base Color */
  --color-base: #3b82f6;

  /* Tints (Lighter) */
  --color-tint-10: #4f8ff7;
  --color-tint-20: #639cf8;
  ...

  /* Shades (Darker) */
  --color-shade-10: #3575dd;
  --color-shade-20: #2f68c4;
  ...
}

Tailwind CSS Config

Export as Tailwind color scale format for seamless integration with Tailwind CSS:

colors: {
  custom: {
    DEFAULT: '#3b82f6',
    90: '#4f8ff7',
    80: '#639cf8',
    ...
    500: '#3b82f6',
    510: '#3575dd',
    520: '#2f68c4',
    ...
  },
}

Color Theory Tips

Creating Harmonious Palettes

• 60-30-10 Rule: Use 60% dominant color, 30% secondary, and 10% accent
• Consistent Spacing: Use evenly spaced tints/shades for visual consistency
• Test Contrast: Always check WCAG contrast ratios for accessibility
• Consider Context: Colors appear different on various backgrounds

Common Percentage Guidelines

• 10-20%: Subtle variations for hover states and borders
• 30-40%: Noticeable differences for secondary elements
• 50-60%: Strong variations for distinct UI components
• 70-90%: Extreme variations for backgrounds and accents

Best Practices

For Designers

• Start with a well-chosen base color that represents your brand
• Generate multiple palettes to find the perfect color scale
• Test colors in context with actual UI elements
• Document your color system for team consistency
• Consider color blindness and accessibility from the start

For Developers

• Use CSS variables or design tokens for easy theme switching
• Implement semantic naming (primary, secondary, accent)
• Create utility classes for common color applications
• Test colors in both light and dark modes
• Automate color generation in your build process

Color Accessibility

When using tints and shades, always consider accessibility:

• WCAG AA: Minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text
• WCAG AAA: Enhanced contrast ratio of 7:1 for normal text
• Large Text: Requires lower contrast ratios (3:1 for AA, 4.5:1 for AAA)
• UI Components: Minimum 3:1 contrast for interactive elements
• Color Blindness: Don't rely solely on color to convey information

Integration Examples

React/Next.js

// Import CSS variables
import './colors.css';

// Use in components
<button className="bg-[var(--color-base)] hover:bg-[var(--color-shade-10)]">
  Click me
</button>

Tailwind CSS

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      colors: {
        // Paste exported Tailwind config here
      }
    }
  }
}

// Use in HTML
<div class="bg-custom-500 hover:bg-custom-600">
  Content
</div>

SCSS/Sass

// Define as Sass variables
$color-base: #3b82f6;
$color-tint-10: #4f8ff7;
$color-shade-10: #3575dd;

// Use in styles
.button {
  background-color: $color-base;
  &:hover {
    background-color: $color-shade-10;
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between tints, shades, and tones?

Tints are created by adding white (making colors lighter), shades are created by adding black (making colors darker), and tones are created by adding gray (desaturating colors). This tool focuses on tints and shades as they're most commonly used in digital design.

How many tints and shades should I generate?

This tool generates 9 variations of each (10%, 20%, ... 90%), which provides a comprehensive palette. For most projects, you'll use 5-7 variations. Material Design uses 10 shades (50, 100, 200, ... 900), while Tailwind uses 11 (50, 100, 200, ... 900, 950).

Can I use these colors commercially?

Yes! All colors generated by this tool are free to use in any project, commercial or personal. The colors are mathematical variations of your input color, so there are no copyright restrictions.

Why do my tints look washed out?

Very light tints (70-90%) naturally appear washed out because they're mostly white. If you need lighter variations that maintain vibrancy, consider using tones (mixing with gray) or adjusting the saturation in HSL color space instead.

How do I ensure accessibility with my color palette?

Always test your color combinations with a contrast checker tool. Aim for WCAG AA compliance (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text and UI components). Use darker shades for text on light backgrounds and lighter tints for text on dark backgrounds.

Related Color Tools

• Color Picker: Choose colors visually with an interactive picker
• Gradient Generator: Create smooth color transitions
• Contrast Checker: Verify WCAG accessibility compliance
• Color Converter: Convert between HEX, RGB, HSL, and other formats
• Palette Generator: Create complete color schemes automatically

Color Psychology

Understanding how tints and shades affect perception:

• Lighter Tints: Feel more approachable, softer, and calming
• Darker Shades: Convey sophistication, power, and seriousness
• Mid-Range: Provide balance and are easiest to read
• Context Matters: Same color can feel different in light vs dark themes

Privacy & Security

All color generation happens locally in your browser. No colors or data are sent to our servers, ensuring complete privacy for your design work.