diff --git a/.changeset/selfish-grapes-melt.md b/.changeset/selfish-grapes-melt.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04cce2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/selfish-grapes-melt.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"hue-map": minor
+---
+
+Refactor api to return a palette object which can be formatted later
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6133e7a..b3d33ad 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,21 +18,20 @@ yarn add hue-map
 ## Usage
 
 ```js
-import createPalette from 'hue-map'
+import { createPalette } from 'hue-map'
 
 const myPalette = createPalette({
   map: 'viridis',
   steps: 3,
-  format: 'cssHex',
 })
 
-console.log(myPalette)
-// ['#440154FF', '#21908DFF', '#FDE725FF']
+console.log(myPalette.format('cssHex'))
+// --> ['#440154FF', '#21908DFF', '#FDE725FF']
 ```
 
 ## API
 
-The default export is a function that takes an options object.
+The `createPalette` export is a function that takes an options object.
 
 ### Options
 
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@ Visit the [demo page](https://giraugh.github.io/hue-map/) to see a list with exa
 You can also provide a custom colour map to the `map` option, with a type of `[number, number | RGBA][]`. This is an array of tuples, where each tuple has an index of where that colour appears in the gradient (from 0 to 1), and the colour at that point, as a HEX number or an RGBA tuple. Note that all HEX numbers need to include alpha.
 
 ```js
-import createPalette from 'hue-map'
+import { createPalette } from 'hue-map'
 
 // 3 colour points, using HEX values
 const myHexPalette = createPalette({
diff --git a/lib/index.ts b/lib/index.ts
index 9802853..6676e19 100644
--- a/lib/index.ts
+++ b/lib/index.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,28 @@
 import maps, { ColorMap, MapKey } from './maps'
 import { hexColorToRGBA, lerpRGBA, RGBA } from './util'
 
-export type Palette = string[] | RGBA[] | number[]
 export type ColorMapInput = MapKey | ColorMap
 export type PaletteFormat = 'float' | 'rgba' | 'cssHex' | 'cssRGBA' | 'number'
 type CreatePaletteOptions = {
   map?: ColorMapInput,
   steps?: number,
-  format?: PaletteFormat
+}
+
+class Palette {
+  private readonly colors: RGBA[]
+
+  constructor(colors: RGBA[]) {
+    this.colors = colors
+  }
+
+  format(_format: 'cssHex'): string[]
+  format(_format: 'cssRGBA'): string[]
+  format(_format: 'number'): number[]
+  format(_format: 'float'): number[]
+  format(_format: 'rgba'): RGBA[]
+  format(format: PaletteFormat) {
+    return this.colors.map(rgba => convertRGBA(rgba, format))
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -17,7 +32,7 @@ type CreatePaletteOptions = {
  * @param {PaletteFormat} options.format The format of the palette colors.
  * @returns {Palette} The generated palette.
  */
-export const createPalette = ({ map = 'viridis', steps = 10, format = 'cssHex' }: CreatePaletteOptions = {}): Palette => {
+export const createPalette = ({ map = 'viridis', steps = 10 }: CreatePaletteOptions): Palette => {
   // If passed a map name, index from built-in color maps
   const colorMap: ColorMap = typeof map === 'string' ? maps[map] : map
 
@@ -57,9 +72,8 @@ export const createPalette = ({ map = 'viridis', steps = 10, format = 'cssHex' }
     return Array.from({ length: numSteps }, (_, j) => lerpRGBA(fromColor, toColor, j / numSteps))
   })
 
-  // Convert to desired format
-  const colors = colorsRGBA.map(rgba => convertRGBA(rgba, format)) as Palette
-  return colors
+  // Return palette object
+  return new Palette(colorsRGBA)
 }
 
 /**