As a designer I often find myself using many of the same colors over and over. That’s not to say they aren’t a wide range of colors, but they are used more often than other colors. The amount of colors available to us designers is just about limit-less, so why do many of us find ourselves in the same position of repeatedly using the same colors?

The answer is we become comfortable with what works for us. And when I find myself once again using comfortable colors, I go to my extensive vault of links to help myself out of a rut.

So please enjoy my collection of links to websites with colors, color palettes and patterns. As always this list will be continually updated.

Last Updated 1-11-08

Kuler

Brought to you be Adobe, this online color tool is basically a social color palette website. Quickly create harmonious color themes online. Explore, create and share color themes.

Colour Lovers

COLOURloversTM is a resource that monitors and influences color trends. COLOURlovers gives the people who use color – whether for ad campaigns, product design, or in architectural specification – a place to check out a world of color, compare color palettes, submit news and comments, and read color related articles and interviews.

Color Hunters

Create and find color palettes made from images

Color Palette Generator

Pretty much self explanatory

Web 2.0 Color Palette

Organised into 3 distinct colour groups – neutrals, muted tones and bold colours, you may recognize a few of the shades from some of your favourite Web2.0 sites.

Squidfingers

This is just a site with tons of free patterns to download. I wouldn’t say these are Web 2.0 style patterns, but they are pretty good, and you just might be able to find some uses for them.

GenoPal

This link points to the free online application, but there is a more full and robust version that can be purchased and installed on your computer. GenoPal always proposes colors that are eye-pleasing. GenoPal colors are based on how your eye explores color – they are naturally harmonious.

Mayang

A site with mostly textures. Not the best textures in the world, but they are free and you just might find some use for them somewhere.