Brand colour palette
What is a brand colour palette?
A brand colour palette is the small set of colours a company appears in everywhere: on its site, in social media, on packaging and on documents. It holds one primary colour, one or two supporting colours and a few neutrals for text and background. Each one is written down in exact values for screen and for print, so nobody has to pick the colour again on the next job.
Example
A palette for a services company: deep blue as the primary colour, a warm orange for buttons, three greys for text, rules and backgrounds, plus a green and a red for success and error messages. Seven values in all — enough to build a website and a print system, few enough for a team to remember.
Each value is written down three times: for screen (HEX and RGB), for print (CMYK) and for spot printing on packaging (Pantone). The same colour behaves differently on a screen and on paper, so print values are approved against a proof rather than converted automatically. Contrast is checked at the same time: orange on white looks fine in the mock-up, but below a ratio of 4.5:1 small text becomes hard to read. WCAG level AA asks for 4.5:1 on normal text and 3:1 on large text and interface elements, so the orange stays on buttons while body copy is set in the dark grey.
Why it matters for a business
Colour is recognised before the name. When an advert, a website and a box carry the same blue, three separate encounters add up to one company. When every item is made from memory by a different supplier, they add up to nothing.
There is a practical side as well. A recorded palette settles the which-blue question on every new job, and it saves a reprint, because the printer receives a value instead of a picture. Since 28 June 2025 the European accessibility requirements have applied to online shops (microenterprises providing services are outside the scope), and contrast is the first thing anyone checks.
How to improve it
- Keep the palette short: one primary, up to two supporting colours, a set of neutrals and two state colours.
- Record every value for screen, for print and for spot printing, with the date it was approved.
- Test every pairing of text and background for contrast before the design goes into build.
- Describe where each colour is used, not only how it looks: background, button, link, warning.
- Send the palette as one file to everyone outside the company who prints or publishes for you.
The palette, the typeface and the rules for using them are settled together in our branding work.