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Color tools

Shades & Tints Generator

Generate lighter/darker variants from a base HEX color. Helpful for UI states and for building intuition for color matching.

Base color (HEX)

Paste any HEX and tweak saturation. For RGB/HSL, use Color Converter.

Saturation scale (%)

100 keeps original saturation; lower makes grayer.

Preview

Base

Generated shades & tints

Notes

This tool generates variants by holding hue constant and stepping lightness across a range. That’s a good starting point for tints and shades, but “perfect” ramps depend on your display and context.

If you’re also checking readability, pair this with Contrast Checker.

FAQ

What are shades and tints?
A tint is a lighter version of a color (higher lightness). A shade is a darker version (lower lightness). They’re useful for UI states and creating depth.
Why do my shades look different on different screens?
Because displays vary in calibration, brightness, and viewing conditions. Your environment changes perceived contrast too.
Should I keep saturation the same?
Often you’ll reduce saturation slightly for darker shades to avoid “neon” colors. This tool lets you scale saturation as a quick starting point.

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