Main colour
The colour that shapes your brand most strongly. It appears again and again in the logo, on the web and in printed materials.
Branding
Colour palette & colour concept: colours that belong to your brand
Colour palette and colour concept for businesses: suitable colours, values for print and web, clear rules and good legibility. By Der-H Medien, nationwide.
Branding
Colour palette: what exactly is it?
A colour palette is the defined selection of colours a business uses, together with rules on how to apply them. It usually consists of a main colour, one or two accent colours and neutral tones for backgrounds and text.
Colours have an effect before any content is read: they convey calm or energy, seriousness or warmth. More important than any single colour is that it is used consistently. That is exactly what turns colours into a brand.
Background
Colour palette: why it matters.
Colour is the first thing the eye notices. A consistently applied colour palette makes your business recognisable on a vehicle, a flyer and a web page.
Good legibility is part of this too: sufficient contrast helps all visitors, especially on a phone and in poor light.
Overview
Colour palette: building blocks and variants.
Accent colours
They set highlights, for example on buttons or figures. Used sparingly, they have a strong effect.
Neutral tones
White, grey, black or warm variants for backgrounds and text, for calm and legibility.
Colour values
Defined specifications for print (CMYK, spot colours) and screen (HEX, RGB), so that the shade is right everywhere.
Usage rules
Which colour goes where, in what proportion, and which combinations are easy to read.
Our work
Colour palette: what we do for you.
A selection that fits your positioning
Main colour, accent colours and neutral tones, matched to your sector, target audience and competitors.
Values for print and screen
Colour specifications for print (CMYK), web (HEX, RGB) and, where necessary, spot colours.
Rules for use
Where each colour is used and in what proportion.
Contrast and accessibility
We check that text and background are easy to read.
Quality
Colour palette: how to recognise good work.
- The colours set you visibly apart from your competitors
- Text is easy to read on every background (sufficient contrast)
- There are values for print and screen
- The selection is small and stays manageable
- The palette also works in a single colour, for example on a stamp or in black-and-white photocopies
- It suits your target audience and attitude
Costs
Colour palette: what it costs.
A colour palette is usually developed as part of the logo and brand development. On its own, the effort is manageable, but it grows when many applications have to be checked.
The calculation behind this: How we calculate our prices.
What determines the price
- Scope of the analysis (sector, competitors)
- Number of applications that are tested
- Checking contrast for accessibility
- Documentation in design guidelines
What you can prepare
- Existing colours and materials
- Colours you like or want to avoid
- Sector conventions you are bound by
Pitfalls
Colour palette: common mistakes.
- too many colours with no clear order
- weak contrast for text
- screen colours that look different when printed
- colours so close to a competitor's that they can be mistaken for them
Frequently asked questions
Questions about colour palettes.
Which colour suits my sector?
There are conventions, but what matters is that you stand out from your competitors and that the colour suits your attitude. We clarify that in the analysis.
Why do colours look different in print than on screen?
Screens mix light (RGB), whereas print mixes colour pigments (CMYK). We define values for both worlds and check the result.
Can I keep my existing colours?
Yes, if they work well. We check whether they fit your positioning and are easy to read, and fit them into a system.
What do CMYK and RGB mean?
RGB is the way colour is mixed on screen, CMYK the way it is mixed in print. So that a shade looks similar in both, we define values for each.
How many colours does a brand need?
One main colour, one or two accent colours and neutral tones are usually enough. More tends to look unsettled.
Guides
Further reading.
What does an advertising agency actually do?What an advertising agency does, which services it covers, when working with one pays off and what to look for when choosing an agency.Read more →Having a Logo Developed: Process, Variants and FilesHow logo development works: briefing, drafts, refinement, variants and files. With pointers on what to look out for.Read more →Corporate design: what does it include?Corporate design explained: logo, colours, typeface, imagery, layout rules and applications. With a checklist for businesses.Read more →Corporate Identity and Corporate Design: The DifferenceCorporate identity, corporate design, corporate behaviour and corporate communication explained: the difference and how the building blocks work together.Read more →Developing a claim and slogan: making it stickDeveloping a claim and slogan: what a claim does, features of good ones, a four-step approach and the mistakes you should avoid.Read more →Finding a Brand Name: Criteria and ChecksFinding a brand name: criteria for a good name, how the naming process works, and checking availability, domain and trade mark rights.Read more →
More topics in Branding
Want to settle the colour palette for your business?
Describe in two sentences what you want to achieve with your colour palette. We will get back to you with a concrete proposal.