Choosing Brand Colours: A Practical Palette and Contrast Guide

Choosing a Brand Colour Palette

Colour should help people recognise a brand and use its communications. Start with context, not a list of universal colour meanings: the same red can suggest ceremony, urgency, appetite, or danger depending on proportion, material, neighbouring colours, and market conventions.

Give every colour a job

Define one primary recognition colour, a limited supporting set, neutral backgrounds and text colours, plus functional colours for success, warning, and error states when the brand has a digital product. A palette is easier to maintain when each swatch has a role rather than equal importance.

Test contrast before approving the palette

Colour combinations that look elegant in a presentation may fail in small text or bright daylight. WCAG guidance uses a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Test actual foreground and background pairs; do not assume a dark-looking colour is dark enough. Never use colour as the only way to communicate an error or status.

Design for print and screens

Record HEX and RGB values for screens, CMYK starting values for process print, and Pantone or spot-colour references only when production justifies them. Printed colour varies with paper, ink, coating, machine, and lighting, so a physical proof is the final authority. Screen values also need testing on more than one display.

Check recognition without relying on trend

Compare direct competitors, then look beyond the category. Distinction may come from proportion and combinations rather than an unused hue. A fashionable fluorescent accent can date quickly or reproduce badly; a quieter palette can still be distinctive through consistent use.

Document accessible pairs

Create a small matrix of approved combinations: body text, headings, buttons, links, icons, and backgrounds. Mark prohibited pairs too. This turns accessibility into a reusable design rule instead of a final inspection.

For a complete system, connect colour with typography, imagery, layout, and materials. Review complete visual identity design or start a commission.