What Color Is This

Name: What Color Is This
Rating: 4.3 (7 reviews)
Author: LanguageCraft

No really; I can't tell.

Free · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.

7 Ratings
Age Rating

4+
Years
Category

Graphics & Design
Developer

LanguageCraft
Language

EN
English
Size

12.3
MB

30,000 named colors. CIEDE2000 perceptual matching. Camera + photos + Share Sheet + color picker. Built for colorblindness, useful for everyone. Free, no ads. I'm colorblind. "What color is this?" is the question everyone asks me when they find out. So I built an app that answers it. Point your camera at anything (a dress, a paint swatch, a flower, your kid's drawing) and What Color Is This? names the color instantly. It matches against 30,000 named colors using CIEDE2000 perceptual distance, the same color-difference formula used in industrial color matching. Results correspond to how humans actually see color, not just how computers store it. Every color is identified in three layers: • A broad family (blue, red, green, teal…) • A qualified descriptor (light muted blue, vivid orange…) • The closest named color from 30,000 options (Tiffany Blue, Burnt Sienna, Jedi Night, Piano Black…) WHAT IT DOES • Camera identification with 7×7 pixel averaging for accuracy • White balance calibration to compensate for warm or cold lighting • Upload any photo and tap to sample colors anywhere in the image • Share Sheet integration: from any image in any app, send to What Color Is This? to identify a color • Color picker action extension for designers • Matching palettes: complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary • Accessible color palettes based on Bang Wong's 2011 research • Color vision simulation: see how a color appears to people with protanopia, deuteranopia, or tritanopia • Set your own vision type for personalized accessible-palette suggestions • Save colors with personal labels ("Sarah's favorite", "kitchen paint", "my hex value") • Export your color library as JSON • Random color explorer: discover the 30,000 named colors one tap at a time • Works completely offline after first launch, no internet required BUILT FOR COLORBLINDNESS, USEFUL FOR EVERYONE Designers picking palettes. Artists matching paint to a reference. Shoppers checking if "navy" really is navy. Students learning color theory. Accessibility researchers auditing UI. Anyone who's ever pointed at something and wondered what color it actually is. PRIVACY No accounts. No tracking. No data collection. No ads. Your saved colors live in local storage on your device. Camera frames are processed in memory and never uploaded. The 30,000-color database is bundled in the app. No network calls during identification. ABOUT THE NAMING The named-color database is the open-source color-names dataset by David Aerne, MIT licensed. Visible attribution lives inside the app under Settings → Open-Source Licenses, and as a credit on the in-app Info tray for every identified color. ABOUT THE COLOR SCIENCE CIEDE2000 distance: Sharma, Wu, & Dalal (2005) Color vision simulation: Brettel, Viénot, & Mollon (1997) Accessible-palette colors: Bang Wong (2011) A companion 14-plate color vision screening tool (also free, no signup) lives at whatcoloristhis.one/test/. Made by Luke Steuber. Published by Bridge City Lab LLC.

Ratings & Reviews

4.3

out of 5

7 Ratings

Very useful! 🌈
May 18
macaddiict
Love the simplicity of the app! I like that you can tap the name result and get a generic description (light “light orange”) because some of the names are artistic and confuse me. 5 stars!!
Very useful! 🌈
May 18
macaddiict

Love the simplicity of the app! I like that you can tap the name result and get a generic description (light “light orange”) because some of the names are artistic and confuse me. 5 stars!!
this is so rad
Jun 9
callmegeist
I love all the information about color blindness and the plates used and why. This is really interesting and I’m sure will come in handy!
this is so rad
Jun 9
callmegeist

I love all the information about color blindness and the plates used and why. This is really interesting and I’m sure will come in handy!
Fun with color!
Jun 10
dhsusbe
While I realize that this is a support for colorblindness, it is also very fun to use if you are not. It’s giving me a million ideas for paint and design. It is surprisingly useful to have the exact color code for everything.
Fun with color!
Jun 10
dhsusbe

While I realize that this is a support for colorblindness, it is also very fun to use if you are not. It’s giving me a million ideas for paint and design. It is surprisingly useful to have the exact color code for everything.

What Color 1.1.2 is a quiet stability update. - Improves reliability when returning to the app after copying a color name. - Same offline catalog, same CIEDE2000 matching, same privacy posture: no accounts, no tracking, no ads. If something feels off, email luke@lukesteuber.com.

Version 1.1.2 Jul 28

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Supported Features
- VoiceOver
- Voice Control
- Larger Text
- Dark Interface
- Differentiate Without Color Alone
- Sufficient Contrast
- Reduced Motion

Information

Seller: Bridge City Lab LLC
Size: 12.3 MB
Category: Graphics & Design
Compatibility: Requires iOS 16.0 or later.

iPhone
Requires iOS 16.0 or later.

iPad
Requires iPadOS 16.0 or later.

Mac
Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.

Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
Languages: English
Age Rating: 4+

4+

Learn More