Pastel Color Palette Generator

Soft pastel palettes

Pastels are popular because they feel calm, friendly, and modern—but designing with them can be tricky. Too pale and everything looks washed out. Too many similar tones and nothing stands out.

This generator helps you create cohesive pastel palettes you can actually use for:

• Minimal websites & apps
• Branding for lifestyle, beauty, wellness, and boutiques
• Wedding invites and event designs
• Baby brands and playful packaging
• Illustrations and UI backgrounds that need a gentle feel

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What makes a palette feel “pastel”

A palette reads as pastel when it combines:

1. Lightness (bright, airy tones)
2. Soft saturation (colorful, but not intense)
3. Harmony (colors sit together without fighting)

The goal isn’t “faded.” The goal is soft color with clear roles—backgrounds, accents, and a couple of anchors for contrast.

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How to use this page

1. Generate a palette

Click Generate to create a new pastel set.

2. Refine until it feels cohesive

If you like the direction but want it tighter, use Refine. This keeps the overall vibe and improves the balance.

3. Compare with Undo / Redo

Pastels often change subtly. Use Undo and Redo to compare iterations and keep the cleanest version.

4. Export for design and code

When you’re happy, use Export to copy:

• HEX codes (great for Figma and quick sharing)
• CSS variables (great for design tokens and theme files)

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Best uses for pastel palettes

Gentle UI themes

Pastels are perfect for light UIs—cards, sections, backgrounds, and subtle highlights.

A reliable structure:

• 1–2 soft backgrounds
• 1 supporting surface tone (cards, panels)
• 1–2 accent pastels (buttons, highlights)
• 1 strong neutral for text (this is key)

Tip: If your UI looks “foggy,” you probably need a darker neutral for text and icons.

Branding & packaging

Pastels communicate softness and approachability.

• Choose one “signature” pastel for brand recognition
• Use a second pastel for variety (secondary buttons, highlights)
• Keep neutrals consistent so the palette stays polished

Illustration & social design

Pastels work great for characters, backgrounds, and shapes.

• Use a light pastel background
• Use mid pastel shapes for depth
• Use one slightly deeper accent for focal points (eyes, icons, headlines)

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Pastel readability and accessibility tips

Treat pastels as surfaces, not text

Pastel text on white usually feels weak. Instead:

• Use pastels for backgrounds, chips, badges, and panels
• Use darker neutrals for text (charcoal, deep navy, deep gray)

Add one “anchor” color

A palette becomes usable when you add an anchor—something that can:

• hold headlines
• define borders
• support icons
• create hierarchy

If everything is equally light, your interface has no structure.

Use spacing to your advantage

Pastels shine with generous whitespace.

• Increase padding on cards
• Use subtle separators
• Avoid cramming multiple pastel blocks together

If contrast fails, adjust the role—not the whole palette

If a button blends in:

• keep the pastel background
• move the action color to the most distinct swatch
• use a stronger text color or a border

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Quick fixes for common pastel problems

“Everything looks washed out.”

• Use Refine a few times.
• Pair the palette with a darker neutral for text.

“My buttons don’t stand out.”

• Put buttons on a calmer surface (white/off-white) and reserve the strongest pastel for CTAs.

“It looks cute, but not professional.”

• Introduce a crisp neutral (warm gray, charcoal) and use pastels more selectively.

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Export example

CSS Variables

Exporting as CSS variables makes it easy to build a consistent theme:

:root {
  --pastel-1: #BFE9FF;
  --pastel-2: #FFD3E2;
  --pastel-3: #D7F7C2;
  --pastel-4: #E7D7FF;
  --pastel-5: #FFE7B8;
}

Use these for:

• design tokens
• component libraries
• quick prototypes
• multi-page consistency

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Design Tip: The Contrast Trap

The biggest mistake designers make with pastels is accessibility.

Because pastels are light, white text is unreadable on top of them.

• Don’t: White text on a pastel pink background.
• Do: Dark Charcoal or Navy text on a pastel pink background.

Conversely, if you want to use a pastel color for the text, the background must be very dark (e.g., a dark mode dashboard).

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When pastels are the right choice

Pastel palettes are ideal when you want calm, warmth, and approachability—especially for light UIs, lifestyle brands, event design, and illustrations.

Generate a set, refine it into a cohesive theme, compare versions with undo/redo, and export colors you can use immediately.