azokroma
Blog · Colours

Building your brand colour palette: the 60-30-10 method

Primary, secondary, neutral and accent colours: a simple method to compose a consistent palette and document it (HEX, RGB, CMYK).

Published on By The azokroma team2 min read
Building your brand colour palette: the 60-30-10 method

Create your company’s complete brand identity in 5 minutes.

Create my brand

Why a palette rather than one colour

The logo is only the visible part. Your website, documents, social networks and presentations need more colours: backgrounds, text, buttons, alerts. A palette defined once and for all avoids case-by-case decisions and guarantees consistency.

The 60-30-10 rule

Borrowed from interior design, it spreads colours by visual weight. It is simple and works very well for a website or a document.

ShareRoleExample
60%Dominant: backgrounds and large surfaces, often a neutralOff-white or midnight blue
30%Secondary: headings, blocks, structural elementsBrand colour
10%Accent: buttons, links, things to spotBright contrasting colour

Compose your palette in 4 steps

  1. Choose the primary colour according to the message to convey (see colour psychology).
  2. Add a secondary colour: analogous (neighbouring on the colour wheel) for harmony, complementary (opposite) for contrast.
  3. Plan the neutrals: a near-black for text, a near-white for backgrounds, and two or three greys. Avoid pure black #000000, often too harsh on screen.
  4. Reserve an accent: a single bold colour for important actions, used sparingly.
  • Ink #0F172A
    Text and dark backgrounds
  • Primary #6366F1
    Headings, brand elements
  • Light tint #A5B4FC
    Block backgrounds, hover states
  • Paper #F8FAFC
    Page background
  • Accent #F59E0B
    Action buttons only

Document every colour

For each colour, note the name, the HEX code (screen), the RGB, the CMYK (print) and, if needed, a Pantone reference for spot-colour printing. CMYK obtained by conversion is an approximation: always ask the printer for a proof for vivid shades.

The azokroma Brand identity pack includes the palette in HEX, RGB and CMYK, with a ready-to-paste CSS variables file.

Create my palette

Frequently asked questions

How many colours in a brand palette?

Between five and eight in total: a primary, a secondary, an accent, and neutrals (text, background, greys). The “brand” part stays limited to two or three colours.

HEX, RGB or CMYK: which one to use?

HEX and RGB for screens, CMYK for four-colour printing. Keep all three in your guidelines for every colour.

Is the 60-30-10 rule mandatory?

No, it is a starting point. The idea to keep: a calm dominant, a structural colour and a rare accent.

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to react.

Leave a comment

No e-mail asked. Your comment is published after review. Nickname and text are kept until you ask for removal (see the privacy policy).

Try it in azokroma

Pick a name, a symbol, colours and a font, then get an exclusive design removed from the catalogue the moment you buy it.

Create my brand

Sources

Keep reading

Colour psychology: how to choose the colour of your logo
Colours

Colour psychology: how to choose the colour of your logo

Blue, red, green, yellow… what each colour suggests, how to choose according to your industry, and the mistakes to avoid before locking in your palette.

Colour contrast and accessibility: what WCAG means for your brand
Colours

Colour contrast and accessibility: what WCAG means for your brand

4.5:1 and 3:1 ratios, text and buttons: how to check that your brand colours stay legible for everyone, and what to do if they do not.

Brand guidelines: contents, structure and example
Design

Brand guidelines: contents, structure and example

What brand guidelines (or a brand manual) should contain, page by page, and the usage rules that prevent logo reproduction mistakes.

Brand image: definition and the 8 elements to build
Brand

Brand image: definition and the 8 elements to build

Brand image, visual identity, branding: what these words cover, the 8 elements of a consistent brand and how to build them in the right order.

← All articles