- Give four colours a job each: main, ink (text), paper (background) and accent.
- Text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, or 3:1 for large text, under WCAG guidelines[1].
- Bright brand colours often fail as text, and can fail with white text on top too. Keep them for shapes and large labels, and use a darker shade for small text.
- Check competitors first and pick a main colour they do not own.
Four colours, four jobs
- Main: the colour people remember you by. Used for the logo, key shapes and big moments.
- Ink: a dark colour for text. Often a near-black with a hint of your main colour.
- Paper: a light background. Pure white is fine; a warm or cool off-white gives more character.
- Accent: a small second colour for highlights, success states or charts.
A rough split that works for many brands is mostly paper and ink, with the main colour as a confident third and the accent used sparingly. The exact numbers matter less than giving each colour a job.
Start with the competition
Before choosing, collect the logos and websites of five competitors and look at them side by side. Most categories have a default colour: blue in fintech, green in climate, purple in AI. Picking it makes you look like you belong, and also makes you hard to tell apart. Our sector branding guides list the usual colours for 20 industries.
Check contrast before you commit
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ask for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between normal text and its background, and 3:1 for large text[1]. Logos are exempt, but everything people need to read is not. The checks below are calculated for the palette above:
Test in real places
- On a phone screen outdoors, where contrast matters most.
- Printed on paper, since colours shift in print.
- In one colour, for stamps, embroidery and black-and-white printing.
- Next to competitors, to make sure you stand out.
Write it down
Record each colour's hex, RGB and CMYK codes, its role and which pairs pass contrast, in your brand book. Choosing by eye each time is how brands drift.