Complementary Colors
Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel — 180 degrees apart. Red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple. This creates the highest possible contrast and maximum visual tension. Used well, complementary pairs create vibrant, energetic designs. Used poorly, they vibrate uncomfortably against each other.
💡 Pro Tip
Don't use complementary colors at equal saturation and area. Let one dominate (70–80%) and use the other as an accent (20–30%). This creates interest without visual chaos.
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are neighbors on the color wheel — typically three to five colors within a 60–90 degree range. Because they share a common hue, analogous palettes feel naturally harmonious, pleasing, and cohesive. They're found everywhere in nature: the colors of a sunset, a forest, or ocean water.
💡 Pro Tip
For analogous palettes, vary the lightness and saturation of your colors to create visual hierarchy. Using the same lightness across all analogous colors makes the palette feel flat.
Triadic Colors
Triadic palettes use three colors equally spaced around the wheel — 120 degrees apart. This creates a vibrant, dynamic palette that maintains color balance. Primary colors (red, yellow, blue) are a triadic set, as are the secondaries (orange, green, purple).
Split-Complementary
A split-complementary palette takes a base color and instead of its direct complement, uses the two colors adjacent to the complement. This creates high contrast like a complementary pair but with less tension and more variety. It's often more practical for real design work.
💡 Pro Tip
Split-complementary is probably the most useful harmony for everyday design work. It gives you enough contrast to be interesting without the harshness of pure complementary pairs.
Monochromatic
A monochromatic palette uses variations of a single hue — different tints, shades, and tones. The result is cohesive, sophisticated, and elegant. It creates visual unity and makes it easy to establish hierarchy through lightness alone. Many premium brands use nearly monochromatic palettes.
💡 Pro Tip
Add one neutral (white, black, or gray) and one small accent from a complementary color to break up a monochromatic palette without losing its cohesive quality.