Extract Colors - Vizcom Docs

Build a palette from any image with Extract Colors

Sample the colors out of any render, sketch, or reference and turn them into an editable palette you can refine, harmonize, save, and apply back to your design.

When to use Extract Colors

Extract Colors is the fastest way to capture a color story that already exists in an image and reuse it with intent. Instead of eyeballing hex values, you let Vizcom read the palette for you, then adjust it to taste. Use Extract Colors when:

• Capturing a CMF direction from a reference image or moodboard
• Building a reusable brand or project palette
• Recoloring a concept to match an extracted color story
• Pulling exact colors for a spec or handoff

It lives in the Extract block in Workbench, alongside Extract Material and Extract Parts.

How to use Extract Colors

The Extract block reads from an image you connect to it, so start by attaching a source.

Using Extract Colors in Workbench

1. From the toolbar, add an Extract block (Extract button).
2. Connect a drawing or image to the block. Without a source you’ll see “Attach image to extract colors.”
3. Open the Color tab. Vizcom extracts the palette automatically.
4. Choose how the palette is sampled with Sample by: Hierarchy, Subject, Full image, or Custom.
5. Set the # of colors (1–10) to control how many swatches are returned.
6. Refine individual swatches — click any swatch to open the picker, use the eyedropper to sample from screen, or copy a value.
7. Turn on Harmonize colors to keep the rest of the palette balanced when you change one color.
8. Click Update colors to generate a recolored version of your image using the edited palette.

Switching the Sample by mode is instant — Vizcom pre-fetches the other sampling modes in the background, so you can compare a hierarchy-based palette against a full-image read without waiting.

Best practices when using Extract Colors

• Match the sampling mode to your intent
  • Subject isolates the main object’s colors; Full image includes background and lighting.
  • Hierarchy returns a structured palette ordered by prominence.
  • Custom lets you build a palette from scratch on top of the extracted base.
• Refine before you apply
  • Use the eyedropper and picker to nudge colors toward brand or production targets.
  • Keep Harmonize colors on while exploring, then fine-tune individual swatches.
• Save what you’ll reuse
  • Add the palette to your Asset Library (it saves as “Extracted Palette” by default) so you can reapply it across projects.

Tips

A palette is capped at 10 colors. If you only need a few key colors, lower the # of colors so the extraction focuses on the most prominent tones rather than spreading across subtle variations.

Next steps

• Use Color Variation to explore multiple shuffled colorways from your extracted palette.
• Use Modify to refine materials and finishes after locking in a color direction.
• Save your palette to the Asset Library to keep CMF consistent across concepts.