Colour Palette Generator API

Design

Generate harmonious colour palettes with customizable options.

Authentication

All API requests require a valid API key passed in the Authorization header as a Bearer token.

Rate Limit

100 requests per minute

Endpoints

1 endpoint available

Overview

The Colour Palette Generator API creates harmonious, perceptually distinct colour palettes using the iwanthue algorithm. Generate palettes optimized for human perception, ensuring colours are visually distinguishable from each other.

How It Works

The API uses advanced colour science to generate palettes:

Perceptual Distinction - Colours are chosen to be maximally distinguishable to human vision
Colour Space Optimization - Uses CIE Lab colour space for accurate perception modeling
Clustering Algorithms - Two algorithms available for different distribution patterns

Clustering Algorithms

force-vector - Spreads colours using force-directed positioning (more organic distribution)
k-means - Uses k-means clustering for more structured colour groupings

Use Cases

UI/UX design colour schemes
Data visualization with distinct categories
Brand identity development
Web design and theming
Infographic creation
Chart and graph colouring

Endpoints

POST

/v1/tools/colour-palette-generator

Generate a harmonious colour palette

Request Body

Content-Type: application/json

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
colourCount	number	Optional	Number of colours to generate (2-20)Default: `5`
clustering	string Enum: force-vector, k-means	Optional	Clustering algorithm to useDefault: `force-vector`
seed	string	Optional	Seed value for reproducible results
quality	number	Optional	Generation quality (1-100). Higher values produce better results but take longerDefault: `50`

Response Example

{
  "success": true,
  "palette": [
    "#e63946",
    "#f4a261",
    "#2a9d8f",
    "#264653",
    "#e9c46a"
  ],
  "settings": {
    "colourCount": 5,
    "clustering": "force-vector",
    "quality": 50
  }
}

Error Codes

400

Invalid request body or colourCount out of range

401

Missing or invalid API key

429

Rate limit exceeded

500

Internal server error

Code Examples

# Generate a 5-colour palette with default settings
curl -X POST https://api.opentools.ca/v1/tools/colour-palette-generator \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{}'

# Generate a 10-colour high-quality palette with a seed
curl -X POST https://api.opentools.ca/v1/tools/colour-palette-generator \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"colourCount": 10, "quality": 100, "seed": "my-brand", "clustering": "k-means"}'

Ready to get started?

Create an API key to start using the Colour Palette Generator API.