What is a color token?

A color token is a named color value stored in a design system — for example color.primary.500 = #4f46e5. Tokens decouple the name used in code from the color itself, so a rebrand or theme change only requires updating the token.

What format should I use for design tokens?

The W3C Design Tokens Community Group format is JSON-based and widely supported: { "color": { "primary": { "$type": "color", "$value": "#4f46e5" } } }. Tailwind config, SCSS variables and CSS custom properties are also common depending on your stack.

How do I generate a Tailwind color scale?

Enter your base color and the toolkit will output a 50–950 scale. Click Copy Tailwind config to get a nested object ready to paste into the theme.extend.colors section of tailwind.config.js.

Does the toolkit upload anything?

No. Every calculation, export and preview is generated locally in your browser using pure JavaScript. No colors, palettes or tokens are sent to any server.

Developer Color Toolkit — Converters, Tokens & Exports

Base color

Scale name Used for tokens like --color-primary-500

What this toolkit does

Everything here is oriented toward shipping color to code — not to a canvas. Use it when you need a design system, a component library or a full brand palette ready to paste into CSS, Tailwind, JavaScript or a design token pipeline.

Common workflows

Pick a base color

Start with the brand primary or any color that will anchor your palette.
Generate a shade scale

The toolkit produces a 50–950 scale automatically. This is the standard range expected by Tailwind and most design systems.
Choose an export format

CSS variables for vanilla CSS projects, Tailwind config for utility-first stacks, JSON for tokens, SVG for documentation.
Copy or download

Copy to clipboard for quick pasting, or download a .css, .json or .svg file to add to your project.

Format comparison

Format	Best for	Example
CSS variables	Any web project	`--color-primary-500: #4f46e5;`
Tailwind config	Tailwind CSS projects	`colors: { primary: { 500: '#4f46e5' } }`
JSON palette	Apps, scripts, design tools	`{ "primary": { "500": "#4f46e5" } }`
W3C tokens	Cross-tool design systems	`{ "$type": "color", "$value": "#4f46e5" }`
SVG palette	Docs, presentations, README files	`<rect fill="#4f46e5" />`

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this to bootstrap a design system?

Yes. The toolkit gives you a base color, a full shade scale, and exports in every major token format. Combined with our palette generator you can build a complete brand-ready color set in a few minutes.

Do the tokens follow the W3C format?

Yes. The W3C export uses the Design Tokens Community Group format: { "$type": "color", "$value": "#hex" }. It is compatible with tooling like Style Dictionary and Tokens Studio.

Is anything uploaded?

No. All conversions, scales and exports run in your browser using pure JavaScript. Your inputs and outputs never leave your device.

Does the toolkit support OKLCH output?

Yes. Every format conversion includes OKLCH and OKLab values, so you can use modern CSS syntax directly in your styles.

Related tools

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Focused shade scale generator.

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Color Converter

Convert any color between formats.

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