What Input Does Tint & Shade Generator Require for Hex Colors?

Tint & Shade Generator needs at least one valid hex color before it will generate anything. You type hex values into the color field, and if you want more than one base color, you separate them with spaces. The tool also asks you to choose how many steps to generate (5, 10, or 20), and it gives you a toggle for hashtags plus several export formats.

The core input rule

The page states it directly: "Please enter at least one valid hex color." That single requirement drives everything else. If the field is empty or the value isn't a valid hex color, the generator has nothing to work from and won't produce a palette.

A valid hex color here means the standard hex notation, such as #3498db or 3498db. The tool also offers a "Pick a color" control, so you don't have to type the code by hand if you'd rather choose visually.

Entering multiple colors

To generate tints and shades for more than one base color at once, enter the hex values separated by spaces. The input hint reads "Enter hex colors (separated by spaces)," so a single space is the delimiter between colors.

For example, if you want palettes for a blue and a red, you'd enter something like:

#3498db #e74c3c

Each color then gets its own set of tints and shades in the output.

Choosing the number of steps

The generator lets you pick how many steps to produce per color: 5, 10, or 20. This controls how granular the ramp is between the lightest tint and the darkest shade. Fewer steps give you a compact palette; more steps give you finer gradations.

Hashtag and export options

Two more controls shape the output:

• Show hashtags — toggles whether each generated value is prefixed with #. Turn it on if you're copying values straight into CSS or HTML; turn it off if your target format expects bare hex.
• Export palettes — the page offers export in Hex, #Hex, RGB, CSS, and JSON. Pick the format that matches where the palette is going.

There's also a Share link option that produces a shareable link, so you can send the exact palette configuration to someone else.

Quick reference

The short version: one valid hex color is the minimum, spaces separate multiple colors, and the step count, hashtag toggle, and export format are the choices you make around that input.