What a color palette is

Here's how a palette differs from a colour scheme, the main types, and how to make one.

Palette vs colour scheme

People use the two words almost interchangeably. When there's a difference:

• A colour scheme is the relationship between the colours, such as "complementary" or "analogous". It's the rule.
• A colour palette is the actual set of colours that follows it, with exact values, such as #2f6fde and its complement #986c00.

So "a complementary scheme" describes the idea, and "our brand palette" is the specific blue and ochre you use.

The main types of palette

These are defined by where the colours sit on the colour wheel. All but the last can be made in the tool on this page by switching the harmony.

Monochromatic

One hue in different lightness and strength: its tints (mixed with white), shades (mixed with black) and tones (mixed with grey). Calm and easy to get right. Good for minimal brands and interfaces.

Analogous

A base colour and its neighbours, usually 30° either side on the wheel, like blue with blue-green and blue-violet. Harmonious, with a consistent warm or cool feel.

Complementary

Two colours opposite each other on the wheel (180° apart), such as blue and orange. The strongest contrast. Use one as the main colour and the other as an accent, not 50/50.

Split-complementary

A base colour and the two colours on either side of its complement (150° and 210° away). Nearly as much contrast as complementary, but easier to balance.

Triadic

Three colours evenly spaced, 120° apart. Lively and balanced, popular in illustration and playful brands. One colour usually leads and the other two support it.

Tetradic and achromatic

Tetradic uses four colours in two complementary pairs; it's hard to balance, so let one colour dominate. Achromatic palettes use only neutrals: black, white, greys and beiges.

What "a person's colour palette" means

In fashion and make-up, your colour palette is the set of colours that suits your natural colouring. Seasonal colour analysis sorts people into four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter), each with its own palette. See our guide on finding your colour palette for clothes.

How to make a palette from one colour

1. Choose a base. Your brand colour, a colour from your logo, or one you simply like. Type its hex code into the tool.
2. Pick a harmony. Complementary for contrast, analogous for calm, triadic for variety.
3. Add light and dark steps. The tool's 50–950 scale gives you a light background (50–100) and a dark text colour (900–950) in the same hue.
4. Check contrast. Make sure your text colour passes WCAG AA (4.5:1) on your background. The tool labels every swatch.
5. Copy it. Export as hex codes, CSS variables, Tailwind or JSON.

A working palette for a website might be: a light background, a dark text colour, one brand colour for buttons and links, and one accent. That's four colours, and it covers almost everything.

How many colours should a palette have?

There's no fixed number, but fewer is easier. Three to five is typical for a brand or website, plus a light and a dark neutral. A common habit is one dominant colour, one supporting colour and one accent, used in roughly decreasing amounts. More colours make it harder to keep things consistent.