A palette is the range of colors used in a visual medium, particularly a painting by an artist or by any person who uses color. For example, a house painter or interior decorator.

In the original sense of the word, a palette is a rigid, flat surface on which an artist sets out to arrange and mix colors before painting. A palette is usually a smooth, flat surface made of wood, plastic, ceramic, or other hard, inert, nonporous material. It is often designed to be held in the hand but can vary greatly in size and shape.