Color Schemes

Tools to assist with web site color design

Ok, so you have a base color that you like. What other colors go with it? How can you create your own color schemes?

My favorite color scheme design tool is Color Scheme Designer 3. It enables me to enter a base color value and then produce multiple schemes very easily depending on the settings I select. I typically start with the Mono setting which gives me 4 additional hues of my base color. I often use these as the base colors throughout a site.

The online color scheme generator by Color Schemer is also an excellent place to start.

The scheme is based on the Color Schemer Color Wheel. The color wheel, shown below, places Red at the 12 o’clock position and Green at the 6 o’clock position. Orange is at 2, yellow 4, blue 8, and Purple 10.

Enter a base RGB or HEX value of a color into the schemer and hit the appropriate SET button. The Color Schemer will create a palette of sixteen(16) colors with the base color located in the top left corner. Colors horizontally along the top row are colors that are found moving clockwise around the color wheel. Vertical from the base color, the colors move counterclockwise around the colorwheel. Colors diagonal from the base color are complimentary colors.

The palette displays both the RGB and HEX value of the color.

The Color Schemer site also has a Gallery of Schemes. This gallery consists of user submitted schemes. Its a great place to get other ideas for colors. These schemes are typically from 4 to 10 colors and are available to be downloaded and used within the Color Schemer Studio desktop tool. The desktop tool is not a part of this review. The beginner should begin with the online version. An investment in the more robust tool should only be made if there is a great need (i.e. your doing this for a living).

Review other resources at our graphic design tools page.