Reviews of Palettes

By: Rick Maddy

List of user reviews and ratings for Palettes

Total ratings

4.50 (Rating count: 2)

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Review summary

Recap: Users laud Palettes for its Pro upgrade and strong color organization, especially its photo-based color codes and cross-tool sharing, along with responsive support. Recurrent drawbacks center on base-version limits, instability (crashes and bugs), insufficient onboarding, and color/preview accuracy problems. Overall, it's a powerful, versatile tool when it works, but reliability and guidance need improvement.

Pros

Pro version provides powerful color organization and is widely considered invaluable for design work.
Strong palette management with easy storage, and cross-app sharing across tools/platforms.
Photo-based color extraction works well and provides RGB/HEX codes (CMYK in some cases).
Responsive developer support and quick fixes (e.g., IAP issues).
Versatile tool that designers and artists find useful and intuitive when functioning.

Cons

Base version limits: only 3 palettes and 5 colors, encouraging upgrade.
Frequent bugs and crashes, especially during photo capture and color picking, reducing reliability.
Poor onboarding with little or no instructions, making the app hard to learn.
Color accuracy and preview issues (black background distorts colors; discrepancies in outputs).
Some UI/UX issues (dragging colors not working; suspicious startup password prompt).

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 2.40

All time rating average: 4.50

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36% (18)

Date	Author	Comment
2020-06-03	ΘB*****	I tested it on a photo with a large pink flower in the foreground and light greens and grays in the background. The 5-color palette generated had black, light green, and 3 identical medium grays. Worthless. I think it used to work the last time I tried it. I was thinking of upgrading, but won’t now.
I tested it on a photo with a large pink flower in the foreground and light greens and grays in the background. The 5-color palette generated had black, light green, and 3 identical medium grays. Worthless. I think it used to work the last time I tried it. I was thinking of upgrading, but won’t now.
2019-03-15	So*****	Upgraded through the app so can’t leave a review under Palettes Pro. This IS an amazing color organizer. Everything you could want plus more. Have tried many other similar apps but have now deleted them! Palettes Pro is going to be an invaluable tool for my surface pattern projects. Thank you! I so hope the developer continues to support this wonderful app😃
Upgraded through the app so can’t leave a review under Palettes Pro. This IS an amazing color organizer. Everything you could want plus more. Have tried many other similar apps but have now deleted them! Palettes Pro is going to be an invaluable tool for my surface pattern projects. Thank you! I so hope the developer continues to support this wonderful app😃
2019-01-16	Sa*****	Please provide an option within the settings that allows users to select a white background.
Please provide an option within the settings that allows users to select a white background.
2018-10-24	Ty*****	Cannot get app to do anything. No instructions help screen is a joke
Cannot get app to do anything. No instructions help screen is a joke
2018-03-04	Ch*****	If there’s anything this app can’t do, I’ve not found it. Colors in, colors out, with any combos you demand...and I demand a lot. For example, easily took a palette from Pro rebate, yanked it in here, took it out to another app, and to Photoshop (different file formats, but did them both in the same step). I’ve seen zillions of color palette applications since the birth of Mac and Windows. This is the best. If you don’t like it, YOU have a problem. As a nice extra, I had a usage issue and emailed the developer. He got back to me in an hour or so. On a Sunday. This review supersedes my previous review and rating, appended below. For quality, the Pro version deserves five big stars. But see my title. I bought Pro on my iPad Air. Just opened on my iPad Pro. If there’s a way to do Restore Purchase it’s well hidden. If there is a way, or Developer adds a way, this goes up to a rave Five Stars.
If there’s anything this app can’t do, I’ve not found it. Colors in, colors out, with any combos you demand...and I demand a lot. For example, easily took a palette from Pro rebate, yanked it in here, took it out to another app, and to Photoshop (different file formats, but did them both in the same step). I’ve seen zillions of color palette applications since the birth of Mac and Windows. This is the best. If you don’t like it, YOU have a problem. As a nice extra, I had a usage issue and emailed the developer. He got back to me in an hour or so. On a Sunday. This review supersedes my previous review and rating, appended below. For quality, the Pro version deserves five big stars. But see my title. I bought Pro on my iPad Air. Just opened on my iPad Pro. If there’s a way to do Restore Purchase it’s well hidden. If there is a way, or Developer adds a way, this goes up to a rave Five Stars.
2018-02-22	Bl*****	Although this has some nice features, there's a very serious fundamental flaw: The black background skews colors. Here's why: Against black, all other colors look lighter than they would out in the real world. So you think you've got colors that are light enough, but when you get them out there against normal backgrounds, turns out they're darker than you thought. It's a fundamental flaw. The option to put a needle-thin white line around the color lineup doesn't make a difference. Also, picking RGB colors is arduous. I can think of two other ways to do this that would be far easier.
Although this has some nice features, there's a very serious fundamental flaw: The black background skews colors. Here's why: Against black, all other colors look lighter than they would out in the real world. So you think you've got colors that are light enough, but when you get them out there against normal backgrounds, turns out they're darker than you thought. It's a fundamental flaw. The option to put a needle-thin white line around the color lineup doesn't make a difference. Also, picking RGB colors is arduous. I can think of two other ways to do this that would be far easier.
2018-01-19	Re*****	This app is the BOMB! Definitely updating to the Pro version! 👍🏽❤️😎
This app is the BOMB! Definitely updating to the Pro version! 👍🏽❤️😎
2017-09-03	mc*****	In order to make a color, you need PRIMARY colors, right? SINCE WHEN WAS GREEN A PRIMARY COLOR?!
In order to make a color, you need PRIMARY colors, right? SINCE WHEN WAS GREEN A PRIMARY COLOR?!
2017-05-27	Sh*****	Got duped into this one Custom colors show up as black tiles Should have known when there were no reviews My bad
Got duped into this one Custom colors show up as black tiles Should have known when there were no reviews My bad
2016-05-17	LL*****	Not only does it only allow 3 palettes, it only allows 5 colors in the palette. 2 of the palettes are pre-programmed, and therefore renders this app nearly useless.
Not only does it only allow 3 palettes, it only allows 5 colors in the palette. 2 of the palettes are pre-programmed, and therefore renders this app nearly useless.