Gpick

Gpick is a free, open-source Linux desktop tool for sampling screen colors and building editable palettes. It is best suited to graphic designers who work in desktop applications and need precise sampling plus palette generation. Its extensive format support and image-based tools are compelling on Linux, while users on other systems will need an alternative.

Overview

Gpick brings screen color capture and palette construction into one application. You can save palettes, derive sets of colors from images, and refine relationships between colors instead of stopping at a single sampled value. The BSD-3-Clause license and command-line arguments also make it a practical component in open workflows or scripts.

Key features

Sampling is designed for accuracy. Magnification enlarges the target area, and keyboard control of the mouse pointer helps position the picker deliberately. Oversampling averages multiple pixel values and offers five falloff types, which is useful for patterned, textured, or otherwise noisy areas where one pixel would give an unrepresentative result. Automatic color naming provides labels while a palette is being assembled.

The palette workspace covers common design tasks: extracting colors from an image, generating color schemes, mixing colors, varying lightness or saturation, and creating harmonious colors. These tools are more useful for developing a coherent set than a basic eyedropper, although they also make Gpick a more involved choice than a quick web picker.

Interoperability is a major strength. Gpick imports Inkscape/GIMP palette files, Adobe Swatch Exchange files, and customizable text files. It exports those palette types as well as Alias/WaveFront Material, CSS, HTML, and customizable text. HTML export produces pages that people without Gpick or another palette editor can preview and share, which is convenient for approvals or handoffs. Command-line arguments allow external programs and scripts to invoke it.

Floating picker mode is intentionally narrower. A pointer-following window and notification-area icon provide quick basic picking, but this mode does not include palette editing or color adjustment. Use the full palette interface when refinement matters.

Pricing

Gpick — free. It is open source with no paid plans, trial period, usage quota, or seat charge stated. That makes it a straightforward fit for individual designers, teams standardizing on Linux, and anyone who needs a distributable tool without subscription commitments. The trade-off is that the product is limited to its Linux desktop platform rather than offering a cross-device plan.

Platforms

Gpick runs on Linux. Official downloads include Debian and Ubuntu packages for amd64, along with source archives. The latest listed release is version 0.4.0-1, with packages dated 2025-11-29.

Who it's for

Choose Gpick if your work involves desktop color sampling followed by palette creation for graphic-design applications. It is particularly well matched to Linux users who need image extraction, saved palettes, color adjustments, and exchanges with Inkscape, GIMP, Adobe, web, or material workflows. It is less suitable for Windows, macOS, mobile, or browser-first work, and for someone who only needs an occasional single-color pick.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Accurate sampling controls: magnification, keyboard pointer control, and configurable oversampling help when screen pixels are difficult to isolate.
• Substantial palette editing: image extraction, schemes, mixing, harmony, and lightness or saturation variations support an end-to-end palette workflow.
• Broad interchange: Inkscape/GIMP, Adobe Swatch Exchange, CSS, HTML, MTL, and text exports reduce conversion work between design tools.
• Open and scriptable: the BSD-3-Clause license and command-line arguments suit open-source projects and automation.

Cons

• Linux only: users on other operating systems cannot use the desktop application natively.
• Floating mode is basic: quick picking there excludes palette editing and color adjustment.
• Desktop-oriented workflow: people seeking a lightweight browser or mobile picker may find its broader palette tooling unnecessary.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of palette-building options, see Color Palette Generators.

Pantone Connect Palette Generator is the better choice when you need Android, iOS, web, or extension access and Pantone’s large color library; its freemium Basic plan requires an account and limits saved and shared palettes.

Pick ColorKit for a web-based free tool with account-based palette saving instead of a Linux desktop application.

ColorPalette Pro suits web users wanting a free service with no ads or subscriptions planned.

Choose iWantHue when you need color generation across Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, web, or API environments.

Color Palette Generator AI is preferable for unlimited web or API generations, shareable links, and exports without an account.

Colora is another free, open-source BSD 3-Clause option on Windows.

ColorBox provides a free, ad-free web or extension experience.

ColorDesigner fits users who want browser or extension tools with a free tier, though that tier caps saved colors, palettes, and projects and includes ads.

Verdict

Gpick is a strong recommendation for Linux-based graphic designers who want precise desktop sampling, serious palette manipulation, and dependable format exchange at no cost. Its main reason to look elsewhere is platform reach: anyone needing Windows, macOS, mobile, or browser access should choose a cross-platform alternative.