Why 5,446 and not a preset library
Most color systems match inputs against a curated 100-200-color library. That works for broad categorization ('this is a blue') but fails at the precision needed for token design: when a designer picks #2563EB, they want to know *which* blue it is, not just 'blue'. The ColorArchive system is algorithmic — 48 hue roots × 14 lightness bands × 8 chroma bands for chromatic colors, plus 5 neutral gray roots × 14 lightness bands for neutrals, total 5,446 named cells. That density means almost any color you've chosen intentionally has a named neighbor within ~18 sRGB units: Cobalt Core Vivid, Apricot Pearl Muted, Cool Gray Shadow. The names become the tokens. Once your palette maps cleanly to a small subset of these cells, you have a design system. Until it does, you have a bag of hex values.