Colour theory 101: A beginner’s guide for choosing the right colours for your brand

Colours play an important role in shaping a business’s brand identity and public perceptions. While a business can be known predominantly for one colour, having multiple colours available for branding, marketing and other similar ventures is strategic. But how do you choose colours that go well together? How will you know that your colour combination is pleasing to the eye? This is where colour theory comes in.

Keep reading to learn the basics of colour theory and how to elevate your brand identity.

What is colour theory?

Simply put, colour theory is a practical guide for colour mixing and combination. At a fundamental level, colour theory explains relationships between 12 colours across three categories, primary, secondary and tertiary. The three primary colours are red, blue and yellow. The three secondary colours, orange, green and violet, are made by combining primary colours. Finally, the six tertiary colours are created by combining a primary colour with one secondary colour next to it on the colour wheel.

The colour wheel

The colour wheel places the 12 colours discussed above into a ring or circle. While colours exist on a spectrum,  the colour wheel helps visualize relationships between colours and map out pleasing combinations.

Some basic colour combinations include complementary, analogous, triadic and split complementary. These are not the only combinations, but they are a helpful starting place if you are unsure where to begin.

Complementary colours

Complementary colours are opposites of each other on the colour wheel. For example, red is complementary to green. Complementary colours have the highest contrast and can be harsh when placed beside each other. Consider making one more neutral to lessen the impact, or use one colour as a base and the other as an accent.

Analogous colours

Analogous colours sit directly beside each other on the colour wheel. Their close proximity means they have less contrast and harmonize well. Sometimes, analogous colours might be too close together, making them hard to distinguish. If this is the case, try changing the saturation or value levels to increase their contrast.

Triadic colours

Triadic colours are equal distances apart on the colour wheel, forming a triangle. The three primary colours, red, blue and yellow, are an example of a triadic combination. Here, you may encounter a similar issue as complementary colours, and the contrast may need to be lowered. If you use equal amounts of each colour in a triad, none will stand out. To fix this issue, consider using one colour predominantly while using the other two as accents.  

Split complementary colours

To find a combination of split complementary colours, start by finding two complementary colours that are opposites on the wheel. Then, choose one of the colours and go a certain number of hues down one direction and the same number of hues in the other direction. You now have three colours, as one of the complementary colours has been split into two.

For example, take the complementary colours red and green. Looking at the colour wheel, going one space away from green in one direction gives yellow-green, and going one space the other way gives blue-green. This leaves you with a split complementary combination of red, yellow-green and blue-green. 

Combinations like these offer the same interesting contrast of complementary colours while covering a wider range of colours.

Hue

This refers to the position of a colour on the colour wheel and is sometimes called the “base colour.” The saturations and values of different hues are often changed to create contrast and interest in colour combinations.

Saturation

This refers to how vibrant a colour is. High saturation results in a rich, bright colour, while low saturation is muted. Lowering saturation all the way will result in a shade of grey.

Changing saturations can drastically affect how hues look, making saturation a crucial tool for adjusting contrast between colours and improving colour harmony. 

Value

Value, sometimes called “brightness,”  refers to how light or dark a colour is. Black has the lowest value, and white has the highest.

Similar to adjusting saturation, adjusting value is another way to change the contrast between colours without altering the hue.

Perception

The way we perceive colour is affected by other colours around it. For example, a red box on a blue background will not look the same on an orange background. Keep this in mind when choosing which colours to place beside each other. Placing colours that are too similar beside each other will make them both look washed out, while having too many contrasting colours will cause them to clash. Finding a good balance is important so the colours are perceived the way you intend.

Accessibility

When designing a website, logo or anything requiring colour, readability should be a primary focus. The colours chosen should be distinct enough from each other that anyone can understand what you are saying. Many free resources are available online, like the Coolors colour checker, which determines if the contrast ratio of two chosen colours is acceptable according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Several other aspects of colour theory are more complex, but this is a good starting point. Continue to research and experiment with different colours and combinations to see what works best for your business.