What it does
Shademix combines image, camera and screen sampling with colour conversion, harmonies and reference comparisons. Its current offer makes the former Pro tools and exports free, without an account, across the web and its companion apps.
Open Pick and drop an image, paste a screenshot or use the camera. The magnifier helps select an area; its reading averages a 5 by 5 pixel window. The main panel provides numerical codes and nearby reference colours with a delta-E colour-difference value.
Save a palette, then choose it in Library to export. The current free offer lists CSS and JSON, PDF, Adobe ASE, Photoshop ACO, GIMP GPL, Tailwind and SVG vector swatch sheets, alongside other app formats. Some interface labels still say Pro, but Shademix explicitly records its move from paid features to free access in its pricing history.
Saved palettes use local device storage, so export an All Palettes backup before clearing browser data. The PE-prefixed Pantone equivalents are visual approximations, and the NCS library is a subset of the standard atlas. These references are for exploration; exact Pantone production matching needs an official Pantone reference.
Strengths
- Lookup accepts numeric colour values as well as reference-system codes.
- Palette tools include contrast comparisons and colour-vision simulation.
Watch out for
- Clearing browser data can erase locally saved palettes.
- PE-labelled references are approximate and are not licensed Pantone matches.
Best for
- Designers collecting photo colours and comparing candidate paint or print references.
Sources
- RAL & NCS Color Picker from Image - Free Eyedropper | Shademix (Oct 28, 2026)
- How to pick colors from a photo, screen, or camera - Shademix Pick tutorial (Oct 28, 2026)
- Shademix is fully free - every tool, every system, no signup (Oct 28, 2026)
- Privacy Policy - Shademix · No Tracking, No Accounts, No Analytics (Oct 28, 2026)