Import & export
The short version: Drop
.ase, .clr, or .json on the palettes window to import. Use Export on any palette to send it out as one of eight formats.
Importing a palette
Three ways:
- Drag and drop a file onto the palettes window. ColorCopy detects the format and adds the palette to your library.
- From the menu bar: New Palette from File…. Picks a file from disk.
- From the palettes window: Add palette → Import…. Same file picker.
The palette name comes from the filename (sans extension). You can rename it after.
Supported import formats
- .ase — Adobe Swatch Exchange. The de-facto standard for sharing palettes between Adobe apps and a lot of third-party design tools. ColorCopy reads ASE color groups as scales and the colors inside as swatches.
- .clr — Apple Color List. The native macOS format used by the system color panel. Each color in the list becomes a swatch under a single scale.
- .json — ColorCopy’s own export format. Lossless round-trip: name, scales, swatch values, and labels are all preserved.
If you drop a file ColorCopy can’t parse, you’ll get a clear error explaining why. No silent failures.
Exporting a palette
Right-click any palette in the palettes window and choose Export…. Pick a format, pick a destination, done.
Supported export formats
Eight options, in three flavors.
Designer-friendly
- Adobe Swatch Exchange (.ase) — opens cleanly in Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, Figma (via plugin), and most other design tools. Round-trips with the import side.
- Apple Color List (.clr) — drops into the macOS system color panel as a custom palette. Native & portable across Apple apps.
Developer-friendly
- JSON — ColorCopy’s own structured format. Use it for backup, sharing, or wiring up your own tooling.
- CSS — emits CSS custom properties scoped to
:root. Drop into a stylesheet and use the variables immediately. - HTML — a self-contained HTML file with each swatch rendered as a styled tile. Email it to a teammate; they don’t need ColorCopy to view it.
- Plain text — one color per line, useful for piping into scripts or quick reference.
Visual
- PNG — rendered swatch sheet as an image. Great for design handoffs.
- PDF — same swatch sheet, vector. Print-ready reference.
Round-tripping
Export-then-import is lossless for JSON. For .ase and .clr, scale and swatch names are preserved as best as the destination format allows; raw color values are always preserved exactly.
Sharing palettes with people who don’t have ColorCopy
For designers: send .ase (or PDF if they want a reference sheet).
For developers: send CSS if they’ll paste it directly, or JSON if they’ll process it.
For everyone else: HTML or PNG. They open in any browser or image viewer.
Related
- Palettes — the palette manager itself.
- Palettes from images — a different way to create palettes before exporting.