Extract colors from an image

Using Python to extract colors from an image for the inspiration of designers and artists

Continue reading...

Featured Project
portfolio

A simple yet effective lead management tool with AI assistance

May 03, 2025

I built a smart tool for myself, business owners and marketers that automates lead management, making scheduling calls and tracking leads quick and easy.

Project
portfolio

Building a Crypto Price Feed for the Web

May 03, 2025

I built a smart tool that helps anyone interested in cryptocurrency track the latest prices and data without the hassle of checking daily.

From the Firehose

About

I built a fun tool that helps anyone grab colors from images easily, making it perfect for those who love vibrant design!

Sometimes you see a photo and love the colors in it. I wanted to make it super easy for anyone to find out what those colors are. So, I built a tool that pulls out the most used colors in a picture — and shows them to you!

You Can Use a Link or Upload Your Own Picture

You can use this tool two ways:

  • Paste a link to an image
  • Or upload one from your computer

Once you do, my tool reads the picture and shows you:

  • The main color (called the "dominant" color)
  • Other common colors that appear a lot
  • Both in hex codes (like #FF5733) and RGB values (like 255, 87, 51)

Behind the Scenes (Cool Code Stuff)

Here’s a peek at how I made it work:

if 'image' not in response.headers.get('Content-Type', ''):
    flash("URL did not return an image.")
    return redirect(url_for('extract_colors'))

This checks if the link you gave is actually an image. If it’s not, I stop the process and show a friendly error message.

dominant_color_hex = '#{:02x}{:02x}{:02x}'.format(*dominant_color)
common_colors_hex = ['#{:02x}{:02x}{:02x}'.format(*color) for color in common_colors]

After the image is read, I turn the color data into hex codes — the same kind you see in web design, like #FF5733. I also keep the original RGB values, like (255, 87, 51), so you get both!

image_file.save(temp_path)
image_url = url_for('static', filename=f"uploads/{image_file.filename}")

When you upload a photo, I save it temporarily so it can be used right away on the page. You even see the image on the website with the colors below it!

🎨 Why This Is Fun and Useful

Designers, artists, and even people making presentations often need to match or reuse colors. With this tool, you just give it a picture and get the exact colors instantly — both as easy-to-use hex codes and human-readable RGB values.

This is part of how I make smart tools using Python and AI. I love building things that feel like magic — but are actually powered by code under the hood.

Try it out on the color tool page and see what colors you discover!


If you haven't seen enough, here's another one for you. I dove into the world of recruitment and found a way to make it faster and fairer! Using cool technology called AI, I created a system that can quickly look through lots of resumes to find the best candidates. This means I save time and help companies make better choices without bias.

Learn More

About

I built a fun tool that helps anyone grab colors from images easily, making it perfect for those who love vibrant design!