What you get
| Part | What it is | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Core palette | Two to four brand colors plus one or two neutrals | Everyone |
| Values for each medium | Hex and RGB for screens, CMYK and nearest spot color for print, paint or vinyl match on request | Web person, printer, sign shop |
| Tint and shade scale | Lighter and darker steps of each color for backgrounds, borders and buttons | Web person, designer |
| Contrast table | Which color pairs are safe for body text, large text only, or decoration only | Web person, anyone making flyers |
| Usage ratio | How much of each color a typical layout should use | Designer, printer |
How the scale works
For each brand color we build a ladder of steps, from a pale tint that works as a background to a deep shade that can carry text. The steps are spaced evenly, and each one is labeled with its value. When your web person needs a light panel behind a form, or a darker hover color for a button, they take a step from the ladder instead of guessing.
The ladder above is a concept for this site. Each chip label is set in dark or white text, whichever has more contrast against that chip.
Picking a ratio
Most layouts look settled when one neutral carries most of the space, one brand color does the heavy lifting, and a bright accent appears in small doses. A common starting point is about 60 percent base, 30 percent brand and 10 percent accent. A taco truck can push the accent higher; an accounting firm usually wants less. We set a ratio that fits your business and show it as a strip, so it's easy to explain to a printer.
Readable text
A color can look great on a sign and fail as text on a website. We test each text and background pair against the WCAG contrast ratios, so body text stays readable for people with low vision and on phones in bright sun. Pairs that only pass for large text are marked that way, and pairs that fail are marked for decoration only.
Screen, print and paint
Screens mix light and printers mix ink, so the same hex value can print dull or shift hue. We pick print values that land close to the screen color and tell you which colors are hard to match, such as bright oranges and some teals. If your truck wrap, awning or wall paint needs a match, send us the supplier's swatch book name and we'll pick the closest option.
Questions
Can you keep my current main color?
Yes, and we usually do. We pin down its exact values, adjust it slightly only if it fails for text, and build the rest of the system around it.
Do I need a new logo to get a color system?
No. A color system works with your current logo. If the logo uses colors outside the new system, we'll recolor the files to match.
Ready to sort out your colors? Send your current logo, a few photos of your signs or packaging, and tell us what feels off.
Request a quote