- You've determined that one color is best
as the primary color for your brand,
but how do you then create the secondary palette
or know what tones are best?
Fortunately, this isn't as complicated
as an electronics manual,
but it does take exploration and courage.
I have one folder in Apple Photos
where I save interesting color combinations I find.
They can be on another piece of graphic design,
something I find in the real world that I photograph
or an image from the internet.
This takes some practice.
Rather than focusing on the subject of the image,
look at the colors.
I also have a folder of color palettes
that I've created using these images.
These palettes haven't been applied to a client yet.
They're a good place to start.
My process to create these palettes
isn't precise at this point, it's more of a gesture.
I place the image in Adobe Illustrator
and sample areas using the eyedropper tool.
These colors, give me a rough sense of the palette.
If I like it, I need to go back in
and determine the exact Pantone colors
CMYK and RGB values.
Let's presume I believe green
is the best primary color for my client.
My next step is to decide which green.
I do this while I pull together the rest of the palette.
I work with several shades of green before locking one down.
Is it Kelly Green, avocado green or lime green?
Next, I look at these options for the entire palette.
These options can be whatever you want to explore.
A palette can be based on gray tones, bright colors,
subtle tones, pastels, warm or cold colors,
primary colors, autumn, summer or winter palettes.
You'll find that one palette
begins to feel better than the others
and meets the brand attributes.
Or you may decide you need another color.
If so, add one.
This is simply exploration.
Once you've arrived at the color palette,
you will need to have three versions.
The first is based on Pantone colors.
The second CMYK values,
for instances where Pantone colors aren't available.
And finally RGB values for the screen.
When you determine the exact percentages with CMYK and RGB,
there is no chance that someone with a color sense,
not as good as yours, will try to make their own version.
There are digital options that can be useful,
such as Adobe Color Wheel and Adobe Capture.
These are a great starting point,
work with them and then customize your palette.
Most importantly, be brave.
Many designers freeze at the thought
that they will create a color palette that is wrong.
They have been told that they are using colors
that shouldn't go together.
To that, I say hogwash.
No two colors dislike each other.
There is no wrong combination.
It all depends on how you use them.