Add custom color palettes to GIMP and Inkscape

This article explains how the .gpl format works, how to create a .gpl palette file and import it into GIMP and Inkscape.

Note: The .gpl format is also supported by Aseprite, Drawpile, Krita and MyPaint.

GIMP’s Palettes Format

GIMP palettes are stored using a special file format, in plain text files with the .gpl extension. Note that it supports only ASCII characters.

Every palette must have the following structure:

GIMP Palette
Name: <name>
Columns: <number>
# <comment>
  0    0    0  Black
255  255  255  White
# ...

• GIMP Palette - it must be the first line of the file.
• Name: <name> - sets the name of the color palette.
• Columns: <number> - is just an indication for displaying the palette inside GIMP.
• # <comment> - comments must start with a #. All comments are ignored by GIMP.
• 0 0 0 Black - RGB values for the color followed by the color name.

Here is an simple example:

GIMP Palette
Name: Example
Columns: 5
# A simple example
  0    0    0  Black
255  255  255  White
255    0    0  Red
  0  255    0  Green
  0    0  255  Blue

Note: The RGB values don’t need to line up.

Importing the palettes

After you have a color palette in GIMP’s .gpl format, you can easily import the color palette to start working with it.

You can also generate .gpl files using palettes generators like Paletton or download one from here.

GIMP

Copy the .gpl file in the folder /palettes, which you create in the folder indicated at Edit ‣ Preferences ‣ Folders ‣ Palettes.

Restart GIMP to see the new palette in the list.

Inkscape

Copy the .gpl file in the folder indicated at Edit ‣ Preferences ‣ System: User palettes.

Restart Inkscape to see the new palette in the list.