Brand colours · D2C
Brand colours for D2C startups
A ready-to-use palette for a D2C brand, tested for contrast and shown on a real app screen, pitch deck and business card. Copy the hex codes, or use it to see what good looks like before you choose your own.
Meet the sample brand
To show the palette working, we built it for a fictional D2C company.
How it should feel
Half the category uses sage green and beige. On a crowded feed, that blends straight in. So Kindred Co. goes a different way, using clay rose as its signature and mustard seed for the moments that matter.
Fonts: Fraunces for headings, DM Sans for body text.
The palette
Four colours, each with one job. Click any swatch to copy its hex code.
Clay Rose
#C46A55 · RGB 196, 106, 85A terracotta rose stands out in an Instagram grid full of beige.
Mustard Seed
#E2A93B · RGB 226, 169, 59Warm, edible-looking yellow for sale tags and badges.
Cocoa
#2E1F1A · RGB 46, 31, 26Brown-black feels crafted and keeps type readable on packaging.
Linen
#F6EEE4 · RGB 246, 238, 228A warm off-white that photographs well under natural light.
A good split: mostly light, dark for text, primary for key moments, accent sparingly.
The palette in use
Colours only prove themselves on real things. Here it is on the three places a D2C startup shows up first.
App screen
Pitch deck slide
Business card, front and back
Contrast check
Text must stay readable. We checked each pairing against the WCAG standard, where 4.5 to 1 passes for body text.
| Use | Sample | Ratio | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body text | Aa Kindred Co. | 13.8 : 1 | Pass AA |
| Text on primary | Aa Kindred Co. | 5.0 : 1 | Pass AA |
| Accent on dark | Aa Kindred Co. | 7.5 : 1 | Pass AA |
| Primary on light | Aa Kindred Co. | 3.3 : 1 | Large text only |
| Light on dark | Aa Kindred Co. | 13.8 : 1 | Pass AA |
What to know about colour in D2C
The palette is only a start. These are the traps we see most in this industry.
What the category already owns
Half the category uses sage green and beige. On a crowded feed, that blends straight in.
Avoid
- A palette that only works on screen and turns muddy when printed on a box.
- Changing colours for every campaign, so nobody learns which is yours.
Photograph a real product against your light colour before you lock it. Your packaging is your first ad, so the colours must work in print, not only in Figma.
Choose your own in four steps
Use the sample as a reference, then make it yours.
Write your positioning
Colour follows strategy. Know who you serve and how you want them to feel first.
Map the competition
Screenshot five D2C competitors and note the colours they own. Pick a lane nobody holds.
Build four colours
A primary, an accent, a dark and a light. Check contrast before anything else.
Test it on real things
Your app, a deck slide and the place customers meet you offline. Fix what fails.
Questions
What are good brand colours for a D2C startup?
Start from a primary that the category does not already own. Half the category uses sage green and beige. On a crowded feed, that blends straight in. The sample palette here uses Clay Rose (#C46A55) as the primary with Mustard Seed (#E2A93B) as the accent.
How many colours should a startup brand have?
Four is enough: a primary, an accent, a dark for text and a light for backgrounds. Use them roughly 60, 30 and 10 percent, with the accent the smallest share.
Can I use this palette for my own brand?
Yes, it is free to use as a starting point. Change at least the primary so it fits your positioning and stands apart from your competitors.
How does Astitva choose brand colours?
Astitva writes your brand strategy from a short brief, suggests a palette that fits it, checks the text contrast and then uses the same colours across your logo, brand book and pitch deck.
More for D2C founders
Every guide for this industry, in one place.
Get a palette made for your startup
Astitva writes your brand strategy from a short brief, picks colours that fit it, checks contrast, and uses them across your logo, brand book and pitch deck.
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