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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.

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