HrvatskiStep 1
Write three feeling words
How should buyers feel? Calm, sharp, warm, bold. Colour follows these words.
How to choose brand colors in 7 steps.
Start with what you want people to feel, not with your favourite colour. Then test every colour in real use.
To choose brand colors, start from your position and your buyers. Look at the colours your competitors use, then pick one main colour that stands apart, two or three neutrals for text and backgrounds, and one accent.
Test every pair for contrast so text is easy to read. Then try the palette on real things: a slide, a post, a dark screen and a tiny icon. Write down the codes so everyone uses the same ones.
By Vedran Obradović · Updated 4 November 2026
How to choose brand colors, step by step.
Step 2
Map your competitors
Put their logos and sites side by side. Note the main colour of each.
Step 3
Pick one main colour
One colour people will link to you. Different from your closest competitors.
Step 4
Add neutrals
A dark for text, a light for backgrounds, one or two greys. They do most of the work.
Step 5
Add one accent
A small, bright colour for buttons and key points. Use it sparingly.
Step 6
Test contrast
Check every text and background pair. Small text needs strong contrast.
Step 7
Test in real use
Slides, posts, a dark screen, a printed page, a 16 px icon. Fix what fails.
Make a competitor colour map.
Most B2B tech markets are full of the same blue. A map shows where the space is.
Competitor colour map
Competitor | Main colour | Accent | Light or dark site | Feeling [Name 1] | [colour] | [colour] | [light/dark] | [word] [Name 2] | [colour] | [colour] | [light/dark] | [word] [Name 3] | [colour] | [colour] | [light/dark] | [word] [Name 4] | [colour] | [colour] | [light/dark] | [word] [Name 5] | [colour] | [colour] | [light/dark] | [word] Colours nobody uses: [list] Colours everyone uses: [list] Our three feeling words: [word], [word], [word] Main colour ideas that fit the words and the gap: [colour], [colour], [colour]
Look at real examples in SaaS branding examples and cybersecurity branding examples.
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Give every colour a job.
A palette works when each colour has one clear role and a rough share of the space.
| Role | Share of a page | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Background | About 60% | Calm space | Off-white or very dark |
| Text | About 25% | Easy reading | Near-black or near-white |
| Main colour | About 10% | Says "this is us" | Headlines, shapes, logo |
| Accent | About 5% | Points to one thing | One button, one key number |
| Support colours | As needed | Charts and states | Success, warning, error |
Free tool
Colours are one part. How strong is the rest?
Answer a few short questions. You get your brand score and the first thing to fix. It is free and runs right here.
Test contrast before you fall in love.
A colour that fails contrast cannot carry text. Find out now, not after the website is built.
- Small text: aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 with its background (WCAG AA)
- Large text and icons: at least 3 to 1
- Bright accents: often fail as text colour, so use them for shapes and buttons with dark text
- Dark mode: test the palette on a dark background too, many colours need a lighter version
- Colour blindness: never use colour alone to show meaning, add a word or an icon
Write each colour once as a token, so the website, slides and AI tools use the same value. See design tokens for brands.
Copy this brand palette sheet.
Fill it in and put it in your brand guidelines. Delete every colour without a job.
Brand palette sheet
[Brand] colours Main colour: [name] HEX [#000000] | RGB [0, 0, 0] | CMYK [0, 0, 0, 0] | Pantone [code] Job: [logo, headlines, big shapes] Accent: [name] HEX [#000000] | RGB [0, 0, 0] Job: [one button or one key point per page]. Never as text colour on light backgrounds. Dark: [name] HEX [#000000]. Job: text on light, dark backgrounds. Light: [name] HEX [#000000]. Job: backgrounds, text on dark. Grey: [name] HEX [#000000]. Job: lines, small notes. Pairs that pass contrast: [dark on light], [light on dark], [dark on accent] Pairs we never use: [accent on light for text], [main on dark for small text]
Need the full picture? What to include in brand guidelines shows where the palette sits.
Your brand colour checklist.
Tick what is true today. Your ticks stay on this device.
0 of 10 done
Talentix
Guidelines with real rules: clear space, variations, monochrome, what not to do, colour pairing and type.
MTG
Brand OS Pro Portal. The team makes its own posts. No waiting.
Colours are part of a bigger system. See what a visual identity system holds.
Pattern Lab
Try one Brand OS Portal tool
See a palette at work.
This is a real tool from a real Brand OS Portal, on the MTG brand. Make a pattern. The brand colours and rules stay right.
Straight answers.
How many colours should a brand have?
Most brands do well with one main colour, one accent and two or three neutrals. That is four to six in total.
What is the 60-30-10 rule for brand colours?
A simple guide: about 60% calm base, 30% second colour, 10% accent. On this page I split the 30% into text and main colour, which suits B2B websites.
Should a tech company use blue?
It can, but many tech companies already do. If your competitors are blue, a different main colour helps people remember you.
What do brand colours mean?
Colour meaning changes by culture and market. Your feeling words and your competitors tell you more than a colour meaning chart.
How do I check colour contrast?
Use any free WCAG contrast checker. Aim for 4.5 to 1 for small text and 3 to 1 for large text.
Can I change my brand colours later?
Yes, but it costs time on every file. Test well now. See the rebrand checklist if you are changing them.
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