A brand palette works when each colour has a defined job, the text and interface colours meet accessibility contrast ratios, and the palette survives conversion to print and to different screens. Choosing a colour because a chart says blue means trust is the weakest approach. Start from roles and constraints, then pick hues that fit your category and audience.
Think in roles, not swatches
Most working palettes are small. A useful structure is:
| Role | Purpose | Typical count |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | The colour people associate with the brand: logo, key headings, main buttons | 1 |
| Secondary | Supports the primary in layouts, charts and illustrations | 1 to 2 |
| Neutrals | Text, backgrounds, borders, dividers | 3 to 5 tones |
| Accent | Highlights, calls to action, small emphasis | 1 |
| Functional | Success, warning, error, links | 3 to 4 |
Counts are a rule of thumb, not a standard. The point is that every colour has a reason to exist, and the neutrals do most of the work in real layouts.
Step 1: Look at your category and competitors
Before choosing, collect the colours used by direct competitors and by the places your customers see you, such as shelves, feeds, search results and signage. The goal is distinctiveness without alienating the category. A palette that looks identical to the market leader makes the brand forgettable; one that clashes with category norms can confuse. This is a judgement call, so test with real customers if the budget allows.
Step 2: Build for contrast and accessibility
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set measurable contrast rules. W3C’s guidance for success criterion 1.4.3 (Level AA) says text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, and large text needs at least 3:1. Large text means at least 18 point, or 14 point bold, which W3C notes is roughly 24 and 18.5 pixels. Ratios are not rounded, so 4.499:1 fails. Criterion 1.4.11 asks for at least 3:1 against adjacent colours for the parts of controls and graphics needed to understand them. Logotypes are exempt from the text contrast requirement, though a logo that acts as a control benefits from an accessible variant.
Practical consequences:
- Test every text and background pairing you intend to use, not only the primary colour on white.
- Light brand colours such as yellow, pale green or light grey rarely pass as text on white. Use them as backgrounds or fills, and pair them with a dark neutral for text.
- Do not use colour alone to convey meaning. Criterion 1.4.1 requires a non-colour cue, such as text or an icon, alongside any colour coding.
- Provide a dark-mode or reversed version of the palette if your product or site supports it, and test that too.
Free contrast checkers exist in browser developer tools and design software. Record the passing pairs in your guidelines so designers do not have to guess.
Step 3: Plan for print and digital reproduction
Screen colours are made with light (RGB), and print colours with ink (commonly CMYK, or spot inks such as Pantone). Bright, saturated screen colours, especially vivid blues, greens and oranges, can look duller in print because some of them fall outside what the ink can reproduce. Paper stock also changes the result: the same ink looks different on gloss and uncoated paper.
A workable process:
- Choose the colours on screen, then ask the printer for a proof on the actual paper.
- Record each colour in the formats you will need: HEX and RGB for screens, CMYK for process print, and a spot colour reference if you use one.
- Accept small differences between media and decide the tolerance, rather than expecting a perfect match.
- Test signage, uniforms or packaging separately, since materials behave differently.
Step 4: Check the palette in context
Mock up real applications before signing off: a website header, a product page, a social post, an invoice and a printed flyer. Problems that never show on a swatch sheet, such as a muddy accent next to a neutral, appear immediately. Look at the palette in black and white as well, to confirm the hierarchy still reads.
Step 5: Document and enforce
A palette only protects a brand if people use it. Put the approved colours, the passing text pairings and examples of correct and incorrect use in a short guide, and store design tokens or variables where designers and developers can reach them. The article on consistent visual identity across channels covers how to keep this working as the number of channels grows, and what makes a brand look premium explains how restraint in colour contributes to perceived quality.
What not to rely on
Colour psychology claims, such as red creates urgency or blue builds trust, are often overstated, and associations vary by culture and context. Treat them as hypotheses to test, not rules. Your own audience, category and execution will matter far more than a generic meaning. If you sell in several countries, check local cultural associations as part of market research.
Trust also comes from content and consistency, not colour alone; a coherent campaign idea does more than a perfectly chosen blue.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact’s Studio and Technology divisions work on brand films, animation, websites and landing pages, where a documented palette keeps visuals consistent from screen to screen. If you are refreshing or building a visual identity and want help applying it across video and web, see Studio or contact us.
Sources
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum), W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.11: Non-text Contrast, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
- Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.1: Use of Color, W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
