Certain embodiments involve flow-based color transfers from a source graphic to target graphic. For instance, a palette flow is computed that maps colors of a target color palette to colors of the source color palette (e.g., by minimizing an earth-mover distance with respect to the source and target color palettes). In some embodiments, such color palettes are extracted from vector graphics using path and shape data. To modify the target graphic, the target color from the target graphic is mapped, via the palette flow, to a modified target color using color information of the source color palette. A modification to the target graphic is performed (e.g., responsive to a preview function or recoloring command) by recoloring an object in the target color with the modified target color.