Digital download only
Hue
Professional screen colour picker for designers, engineers, architects and specifiers.
Pick any colour from your screen and instantly identify it across twelve colour systems — including RAL, BS and NCS professional trade standards that other colour pickers simply do not carry. One lightweight executable, no dependencies, no install headaches.
Linux · Windows · macOS · Single executable · No dependencies
Features
Live screen capture
Pick any colour from anywhere on your screen in real time. Pixel-accurate magnifier shows exactly what you are picking before you confirm.
12 colour formats
HEX, RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, HTML/CSS Named, RAL Classic, RAL Design, BS4800, BS381C, BS5252 and NCS — all at once, every pick.
950 colours across 7 palettes
Browse and search the full visual Colour Chart Browser. Search any RAL, BS, NCS or CSS colour by code or name.
Harmony tools
Complementary, Split Complementary, Triadic, Tetradic and Analogous relationships generated instantly from any picked colour.
Export everywhere
Export to GPL for GIMP, Inkscape and Krita, CSS variables, SCSS variables, SVG, PNG and HTML in one click.
Session persistence
Name your colours, save collections, restore them across launches. Your work stays where you left it.
Dark, light and system themes
Works the way you work. Always on top mode and adjustable window opacity for tight workflows.
Reassignable hotkeys
Capture and undo from the keyboard. Set the keys that make sense for your setup.
No dependencies
Single executable. No Python, no runtime, no installer. Download it and run it.
What Hue knows
| System | Colours | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| HTML/CSS Named | 148 | Web and digital design |
| RAL Classic | 217 | European industrial standard — paints, coatings, plastics |
| RAL Design | 69 | Interior and product design |
| BS4800 | 93 | UK building and construction paints |
| BS5252 | 237 | UK colour coordination framework |
| NCS | 95 | Scandinavian and international interior and architecture |
| BS381C | 91 | UK industrial and military identification colours |
Installation
tar -xzf hue-1.1.0-linux.tar.gz sudo bash install.sh
Launch from any terminal with hue, or find Hue in your application menu under Graphics.
Ubuntu 24.04 or later · glibc 2.39+ · 64-bit
Download the Windows installer from the library and run it.
Windows installer coming soon — check the Software Library for availability.
Windows 10 or 11 · 64-bit only
Download the macOS release from the library.
macOS release coming soon — check the Software Library for availability.
macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later
Verify your download
Every Hue release is GPG-signed by Bad Kitty Software. Before running Hue, verify your download matches the signature using the Bad Kitty Software public key. If it does not match, delete the file and contact us.