---
id: coloraide
version: "8.11.1"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# coloraide — A color library for Python.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 321.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

ColorAide is a pure Python object-oriented color library that lets you create colors from CSS syntax, convert them between color spaces (RGB, HSL, LCH, and many others), and perform operations like mixing, interpolation, and gamut mapping. It emphasizes accuracy and proper round-tripping of color values, supporting both modern CSS color spaces and legacy formats. The library includes utilities for color vision deficiency simulation, correlated color temperature, color distancing, and blending, plus a plugin API to extend its capabilities.

You'd use ColorAide when you need programmatic color manipulation in Python—whether building design tools, generating color palettes, ensuring color accessibility, or working with web-based color specifications. It handles the mathematical complexity of color space conversions so you can work with colors at a higher level of abstraction.

Use it for:

- Convert colors between CSS and non-CSS color spaces for design or data visualization applications.
- Generate accessible color palettes by mixing colors in perceptually uniform spaces and checking contrast ratios.
- Simulate color vision deficiency to test design accessibility for users with color blindness.
- Interpolate between colors in perceptually meaningful spaces for smooth gradients or animations.
- Parse and manipulate CSS color syntax programmatically in web scraping or template generation tools.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

ColorAide is a pure Python library for creating, converting, and manipulating colors across many color spaces with support for modern CSS color syntax and utilities like mixing, interpolation, and gamut mapping.

Yes. ColorAide is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries a permissive MIT license, and solves a real problem—accurate, standards-compliant color manipulation in Python. It's well-suited for design tools, accessibility testing, data visualization, and any project needing robust color handling. No known vulnerabilities.

## Install

pip install coloraide
uv add coloraide
poetry add coloraide

## Installing coloraide

Before you install: Low install friction with a single lightweight runtime dependency (typing-extensions). The package is actively maintained with a recent release (4 days old) and steady repository activity.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive, allowing free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.

Quickstart:

pip install coloraide

from coloraide import Color
c = Color("red")
print(c.convert('hsl').to_string())

Requires Python 3.10 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the library's color accuracy and round-tripping claims have been validated against standard test suites or color science benchmarks.
- Performance characteristics when working with large batches of color conversions or complex gamut mapping operations.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 321.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

color conversion library, color space manipulation, CSS color parsing, color mixing and blending, color interpolation, color contrast and accessibility, color temperature, color-science, css-colors, accessibility

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