Chart Theme Sync Module: One Palette for Every Figure, Free & Online

Use this free chart theme sync module in your browser. No sign-up, no download and no upload: everything runs on your own device, so your data stays private.

What this tool does

Figures from one paper should share a palette, or readers must relearn the colours on every page. This module takes one base colour and derives a full theme: a primary, a lighter secondary, a darker accent and a grey, plus matching CSS variables and a matplotlib note. Use the same theme everywhere and the paper looks like one project.

How to use it

Paste or type your base colour and theme style in the box above.
Adjust any settings, such as cutoffs, scales or styles, to match your data.
Click the run button and read the output below the tool.
Check the summary numbers before you copy anything into a document.
Copy the output, code or image into your figure, slide or report.

Worked example

Enter base #0f766e in journal style. The tool returns the teal primary with lighter and darker companions and a grey, plus CSS variables you can paste into a page. Switch to the colorblind-safe style and the palette changes to blue, orange, green and pink tones chosen to stay distinct.

Tips for better results

Test the theme on a real chart before applying it to a whole paper.

Honest limits

Derived shades are simple lightening and darkening, not a professionally designed palette. For a journal cover, refine the colours by eye.

Choosing the right settings

Start with the default values. They are chosen to show a sensible result at once, so you can see the layout before you touch your own data. Then change one setting at a time. Changing one thing at a time is the fastest way to learn what each control does, and it stops two changes from cancelling each other out. If the output looks wrong, check the input format first: a missing comma, a swapped column or a stray space causes most errors, and the tool reports what it received in its summary line.

Using the result in a figure

For a figure, keep the output simple. One message per figure, short labels, and a caption that states the method and the settings you used will serve readers better than a dense, decorated chart. If a journal or supervisor will see the result, note the tool name, the input values and any cutoff in your methods or caption, so the figure can be reproduced later. That habit also helps you: six months from now, the caption is the only record of how the figure was made.

Common questions

Do I need an account? No. The chart theme sync module runs entirely in your browser with no sign-up and no saved data.

Is my data uploaded anywhere? No. Your base colour and theme style stays on your device, which is why the tool is safe for unpublished work.

Can I use the output in a paper or presentation? Yes. The output is yours to reuse; just check it visually once, note the settings in your caption, and credit the method, not the tool, in your references.

What if the result looks wrong? Check the input format first, then change one setting at a time. Most errors come from a missing comma, a swapped column, or a value outside the expected range, and the summary line under the tool shows what it actually received.

Try the chart theme sync module above with the sample data, then with your own. It is free, it needs no account, and it works in any modern browser.

When you reuse the result, keep a short record of the inputs and settings you used. A one-line note in your project file, such as the data pasted, the cutoff chosen and the date, is enough to reproduce the figure later. If a collaborator questions a number, that note lets you rebuild the exact output in seconds instead of guessing what changed.

Embed this tool on your website — free

Copy the code below to add this working tool to your own page. A small credit link stays with it — that’s all we ask.