How to Create a Custom Color Palette in GIMP

Creating a custom color palette in GIMP allows you to maintain consistent branding and streamline your digital artwork workflow. This guide provides a direct, step-by-step walkthrough on how to open the Palettes dockable dialog, generate a new custom palette, add and manage individual color swatches, and ensure your palette is saved for future projects.

Step 1: Open the Palettes Dialog

  1. Launch GIMP.
  2. In the top menu bar, navigate to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Palettes.
  3. A tab labeled Palettes will appear in your workspace docks, displaying all currently installed palettes.

Step 2: Create a New Palette

  1. Locate the toolbar at the bottom of the Palettes dialog.
  2. Click the Create a new palette button (represented by a blank page icon). Alternatively, right-click anywhere inside the list of palettes and choose New Palette.
  3. The Palette Editor dialog will automatically open in a new tab.

Step 3: Name Your Palette

  1. In the Palette Editor tab, find the text field at the top.
  2. Replace the default name (such as "Untitled") with your preferred name for the palette.
  3. Press Enter to apply the change.

Step 4: Add Colors to the Palette

You can populate your palette using the current foreground color, background color, or colors sampled directly from an active image:

  • Add Foreground Color: Set your desired color as the active foreground color in the main toolbox, then click the Create a new entry from the foreground color icon (the small color swatch with a plus sign) at the bottom of the Palette Editor.
  • Add Background Color: Hold Ctrl and click the new entry icon to add the active background color instead.
  • Pick Colors from an Image: Select the Color Picker Tool (Eyedropper) from the toolbox, sample a pixel on your canvas, and click the add entry icon in the Palette Editor.
  • Edit or Reorder Swatches: Double-click any color swatch in the editor to modify its hex code or name. Use the arrow buttons at the bottom to adjust swatch positions.

Step 5: Save and Locate the Palette File

GIMP automatically saves any changes made in the Palette Editor to your user profile in real-time.

  • The palette is saved as a standard GIMP Palette (.gpl) file inside your personal GIMP directory (found under palettes within your GIMP user folder).
  • To export the palette for use in other software or to share it, return to the main Palettes dialog, right-click your palette from the list, and select Export as... to choose formats such as CSS stylesheet, Python palette, or text.