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Logo Design Series – Colour Theory

Colour theory is important in logo design and plays a pivotal role in your company’s branding overall. But before deciding on a colour palette, you need to be aware of colour theory.

Here are some tips:

Learn the colour wheel

I know, it’s design 101, but we have to say it. Ensure that you understand the impact of using certain colours together. You will be looking at these combinations for quite some time so take the time to consider it. Ensure that you are choosing colours that compliment each other and create a punchy, high contrast logo that is instantly recognisable.

The primary colours are red, yellow and blue, and then secondary colours are made by mixing those colours together. Finally, the six tertiary colours are created when the primary and secondary colours are mixed.

Sir Isaac Newton originally created the colour wheel in 1666. The wheel contains six principal techniques for creating aesthetically pleasing colour combinations. First, is to use complementary colours, which are opposite on the wheel. Analogous colours are next to each other on the wheel, while triadic colours are evenly spaces around the colour wheel. There are other options like split adjacent, which uses two colours, adjacent to the core base colours complement, and a “rectangular” scheme where the four colours are evenly spaced across the wheel.

Be sure to consider these colour combinations for your colour options when creating your logo design.

Use colour meanings

Take a leaf out of all of the big fast food companies books! You too, can use colour to evoke a mood or emotion. Red makes people hungry.. it’s no wonder that almost every fast food chain uses it.

Research trends in colour usage

Some colours are used in particular sectors, and it’s important to research this as a wrong colour choice could mean that someone may subconsciously think your business is in a different industry. In some sectors, certain colours are commonly used.

Use Black and White!

If all of this colour theory and colour meanings are too much for you or you want another option, why not consider using black and white? Removing colour altogether can be really powerful, too. Many brands have done this well, capitalising on the contrast between black and white.

In addition to colour make sure you understand the fundamentals of company logo design to create an outstanding brand identity!

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