Gpick
What it is
Gpick is a Linux color picker and palette editor for sampling colors from the desktop and building palettes for graphic design applications. Magnification and keyboard control help you position the pointer while sampling, and automatic color naming can label colors. For noisy or patterned sources, oversampling averages multiple pixel values and provides five falloff types. Palette tools include creating palettes from images, generating color schemes, mixing colors, varying lightness or saturation, and creating harmonious colors. Gpick imports Inkscape/GIMP palettes, Adobe Swatch Exchange files, and customizable text files. It exports those palette formats as well as MTL, CSS, HTML, and customizable text files. Exported HTML pages provide a way to preview and share palettes with people who do not use palette-editing software. A floating picker mode follows the pointer in a window and adds a notification-area icon for basic color picking; it does not include palette editing or color adjustment. Command-line arguments allow use from other programs or scripts. Gpick is free and open source under the BSD-3-Clause license. The downloads page lists Debian and Ubuntu packages for amd64, along with source archives.
For and against
For
- Samples desktop colors with magnification and keyboard pointer control.
- Creates palettes from images and generates color schemes.
- Oversampling averages pixels with five falloff types.
- Imports and exports several palette and text formats.
- Exports HTML pages for palette preview and sharing.
- Free, open source, and BSD-3-Clause licensed.
Against
- Available platforms are limited to Linux.
- Floating mode omits palette editing and color adjustment.
Who it suits
Gpick suits Linux users who want to sample desktop colors or create palettes for graphic design applications. Its image extraction, palette tools, and export formats also suit people who want to share palettes or use them in other programs and scripts.
Getting started
- Visit the Gpick website.
- Choose a Debian or Ubuntu amd64 package, or a source archive, from the downloads page.
- Install or build Gpick for Linux.
- Use the picker to sample desktop colors or create and edit a palette.
The verdict
Pick Gpick if you use Linux and want desktop color sampling alongside image-based palette creation and editing tools. Its free, open-source model and varied export options suit sharing palettes or passing them to other software. The floating mode is only for basic picking, so use the full palette editor when you need to adjust or organize colors.
Questions
How much does Gpick cost?
Gpick is free, with a listed plan price of Free. No paid plans or usage limits are stated.
Is Gpick open source?
Yes. The project repository identifies its license as BSD-3-Clause.
Which platforms does Gpick support?
Gpick is listed for Linux. The downloads page lists Debian and Ubuntu packages for amd64, as well as source archives.
Can Gpick create palettes from images?
Yes. It can create palettes from images and includes color scheme, mixing, lightness, saturation, and harmony tools.
Which formats can Gpick import and export?
It imports Inkscape/GIMP palettes, Adobe Swatch Exchange files, and customizable text files. It exports those formats plus MTL, CSS, HTML, and customizable text files.
Can I use Gpick from another program?
Yes. Command-line arguments allow Gpick to be used from other programs or scripts.
Facts on the record
- Color names
- It can assign color names automatically.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Color sampling
- It supports magnification and keyboard control of the mouse pointer.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Command line
- Command-line arguments allow Gpick to be used from other programs or scripts.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Export formats
- It exports Inkscape/GIMP palettes, Adobe Swatch Exchange, Alias/WaveFront Material, CSS, HTML, and customizable text files.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Floating mode
- Floating picker mode uses a pointer-following window and notification-area icon, and is intended for basic color picking without palette editing or color adjustment.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Floating picker
- Its floating picker mode provides a pointer-following window and notification area icon for basic color picking.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Import formats
- It imports Inkscape/GIMP palette files, Adobe Swatch Exchange files, and customizable text files.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The repository says Gpick can sample desktop colors and create palettes for graphic design applications.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Latest listed release
- The downloads page lists version 0.4.0-1 packages dated 2025-11-29.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The project repository identifies its license as BSD-3-Clause.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Linux downloads
- The official downloads page lists Debian and Ubuntu packages for amd64, plus source archives.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Noisy image sampling
- Oversampling averages multiple pixel values and offers five falloff types to help pick colors from noisy or patterned sources.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Oversampling
- Its oversampling feature averages multiple pixel values and offers five falloff types.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Palette creation
- It can create a palette from an image and includes color scheme tools, color mixing, lightness and saturation variations, and harmonious colors.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Palette formats
- It imports and exports Inkscape/Gimp palettes and Adobe Swatch Exchange files; it also exports MTL, CSS, HTML, and customizable text files.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Palette sharing
- Exported HTML pages can be used to preview and share palettes with people who do not use Gpick or other palette editing software.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Palette tools
- It can create palettes from images, generate color schemes, mix colors, vary lightness or saturation, and create harmonious colors.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Product
- Gpick is an advanced color picker and palette editing tool.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Sharing
- Gpick can export HTML pages for previewing and sharing palettes with people who do not use Gpick or other palette editing software.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026
- Source license
- The maker's linked source repository identifies the project as BSD 3-Clause licensed.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Support and feedback
- The maker's contribution page directs users to GitHub issues to report bugs or request features.gpick.org · read 11 Oct 2026