How to create a Color Palette from a Picture
Whether you're designing a website, creating a digital illustration, or crafting an eye-catching presentation, having a cohesive color palette can make a huge difference. A great way to create an authentic and harmonious palette is by pulling colors directly from an image that inspires you. Here’s a simple method to create a color palette using a picture.
Start by selecting a picture that has a color scheme you’d like to replicate. This could be anything from a landscape photograph, a piece of artwork, or even a product photo. The colors in this image will serve as the foundation of your palette.
Copy your picture and paste it underneath the original. This duplicated image will become the base for your color palette. With this copy, you’ll be able to break down the image into simple color sections.
To prepare the image for transformation, select the copied picture, then go to Object > Rasterize. This converts the image into pixels, making it easier to manipulate.
Next, go to Object > Create Object Mosaic.
In the settings, adjust the Number of Tiles to 3 for both width and height. The number of tiles you choose will determine the number of colors in your final palette. A 3x3 grid will produce nine colors, providing a balanced palette without too much complexity.
After clicking “OK,” the image will transform into a 3x3 grid. Each square in the grid represents a dominant color in the image.
If you want to make the colors stand out more, use the Direct Selection Tool to select the grid. Dots will appear at the corners of each square—click and drag a dot inward to convert each square into a circle. This adds visual separation between colors.
With the grid still selected, navigate to the Swatches tab in your toolbar.
Click the three lines next to Swatches to open more options. Choose Add Selected Colors, and the colors from your grid will be added to your swatches.
This lets you access each color freely and incorporate them into your design as needed.
Have fun designing!
