What are complementary colors?

Complementary colors are two colors positioned exactly opposite (180°) on the color wheel. For example, the complement of red is cyan, and the complement of blue is orange.

Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast and make each other stand out, so they are often used for accent colors, buttons and warnings that need to catch the eye.

However, placing complements over large areas can tire the eyes, so it is safer to use one as a dominant color across a wide area and the complement as a small accent. The palette feature above shows the complement of any color instantly.