Toonpaletten

Toonpaletten is a Dutch term that refers to a defined set of colors and tones used in cartooning and cel shading. The palette provides a limited color range intended to create consistent shading and mood across characters and environments. Historically, toon palettes emerged from traditional cel animation, where a small number of opaque pigments and later paints were reused across frames to streamline production and maintain visual coherence.

In practice, a toonpalette typically includes a base color, a mid-tone, a highlight, and one or more shadow colors. Some palettes are monochromatic or composed of a few hues chosen to convey material and lighting (for example skin tones with warm highlights and cooler shadows). The palette design balances readability, stylistic intent, and production efficiency; using the same palette across scenes helps keep the look cohesive.

In digital workflows, toon palettes are stored as swatches or presets and applied during flat coloring, followed by cel shading or NPR techniques to add discrete shading bands rather than smooth gradients. Artists may customize palettes per character, environment, or lighting scenario, while maintaining an overarching brand or series aesthetic.

See also: color palette, cel shading, non-photorealistic rendering, digital illustration.