Color Guides

Handy basics for working with color: complementary colors, RGB vs CMYK, contrast ratio and more.

What are complementary colors?The definition of complementary colors, how to find them on the color wheel, and how to use them in design.RGB vs CMYK: the differenceWhy on-screen RGB and print CMYK differ, and when to use each.HEX color codes explainedWhat the #RRGGBB HEX format means and how it maps to RGB.What is HSL? Working with hue, saturation and lightnessWhy HSL is more intuitive than RGB and what each value means.Contrast ratio and web accessibility (WCAG)How much a text needs to contrast with its background to stay readable, per WCAG.The basics of color harmonyCommon color-combination rules: complementary, analogous, triadic and tetradic.