*** From the Archives ***

This article is from June 13, 2012, and is no longer current.

Create Colors Palettes Anywhere with Real Colors App

Need some color inspiration? Have an Android phone or tablet? Then Makan Studios’ Real Colors app might be just the ticket. The app allows Android users (version 2.1 and up) to create and edit color palettes based on their photos.

Real Colors comes in two versions, Lite (free) and Pro ($4.99, on sale through June 17 for $3.49). The Pro version allows you to generate color schemes using rules like monocromatic, triad, shades, analogous, complementary, split complementary or tetrad. And you can also use the Pro version to generate wallpapers for your mobile device from your generated color schemes.

Use of the app is simple to use. You start by tapping a photo you have on your device. Within 5 to 30 seconds the app generates a five color palette from the colors in the photo.

From there, you can edit the palette, giving it a name, and adjusting the colors themselves with HSB or RGB sliders.

You can also see the colors’ Hex values. When you’re done, you can save the new palette to a library, and export it to Box.com, Evernote, email, or Facebook.

The current version of Real Colors does not have direct export to Photoshop or Illustrator, but the developers expect to offer that functionality in a future version. They are also actively seeking feedback and feature suggestions, so if the app intrigues you, but you wish it did something more, let them know.

Editor in Chief of CreativePro. Instructor at LinkedIn Learning with courses on InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, GIMP, Inkscape, and Affinity Publisher.
>