diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/colorLib/builder.py b/Lib/fontTools/colorLib/builder.py
index 7141120e7..59a650aed 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/colorLib/builder.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/colorLib/builder.py
@@ -1,46 +1,45 @@
-from fontTools.ttLib import newTable
+from typing import Dict, List, Tuple
+from fontTools.ttLib.tables.C_O_L_R_ import LayerRecord, table_C_O_L_R_
+from fontTools.ttLib.tables.C_P_A_L_ import Color, table_C_P_A_L_
 from .errors import ColorLibError
 
 
-def buildCOLR(colorLayers):
+def buildCOLR(colorLayers: Dict[str, List[Tuple[str, int]]]) -> table_C_O_L_R_:
     """Build COLR table from color layers mapping.
 
     Args:
-        colorLayers: Dict[str, List[Tuple[str, int]]]: map of base glyph names (str)
-            to lists of layer glyph names (str) and palette indices (int) tuples.
+        colorLayers: : map of base glyph names to lists of (layer glyph names,
+            palette indices) tuples.
 
     Return:
         A new COLRv0 table.
     """
-    from fontTools.ttLib.tables.C_O_L_R_ import LayerRecord
-
     colorLayerLists = {}
     for baseGlyphName, layers in colorLayers.items():
         colorLayerLists[baseGlyphName] = [
             LayerRecord(layerGlyphName, colorID) for layerGlyphName, colorID in layers
         ]
 
-    colr = newTable("COLR")
+    colr = table_C_O_L_R_()
     colr.version = 0
     colr.ColorLayers = colorLayerLists
     return colr
 
 
-def buildCPAL(palettes):
+def buildCPAL(
+    palettes: List[List[Tuple[float, float, float, float]]]
+) -> table_C_P_A_L_:
     """Build CPAL table from list of color palettes.
 
     Args:
-        palettes: List[List[Tuple[float, float, float, float]]]: list of lists
-            colors encoded as tuples of (R, G, B, A) floats.
+        palettes: : list of lists of colors encoded as tuples of (R, G, B, A) floats.
 
     Return:
         A new CPALv0 table.
     """
-    from fontTools.ttLib.tables.C_P_A_L_ import Color
-
     if len({len(p) for p in palettes}) != 1:
         raise ColorLibError("color palettes have different lengths")
-    cpal = newTable("CPAL")
+    cpal = table_C_P_A_L_()
     # TODO(anthotype): Support version 1 with palette types, labels and entry labels.
     cpal.version = 0
     cpal.numPaletteEntries = len(palettes[0])