How is a shade different from lowering lightness in HSL?

Mixing with black (shade) and lowering HSL lightness produce similar but not identical results. Black mixing is more straightforward and consistent across color families.

What percentage increments are used?

The default generates shades at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% black mix. You can adjust the step size in the settings.

Will the shades always look natural?

For most hues they do, but some colors can shift in perceived hue when darkened. Blues may go slightly purple; reds may go brown. Adjust manually if needed.

Can I start from an RGB value instead of HEX?

Yes. RGB input is supported. The tool converts internally and outputs both HEX and RGB for each shade.

Color Shade Generator

Enter a color and get progressively darker shades by mixing in black.

Color

Last updated: 2026-06-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu