The 3 color rule is a guideline for choosing colors when designing websites. It states that for the best visual harmony, websites should contain no more than 3 main colors. This color palette typically consists of a dominant color, secondary color, and an accent color.
Using a limited color palette has several benefits:
- It creates a cohesive and professional look.
- It focuses attention on your content rather than distracting colors.
- It is more visually appealing than sites with many competing colors.
In this article, we’ll explain the 3 color rule in detail and provide tips for choosing your website’s color palette.
Understanding the 3 Main Colors
The 3 main colors in your palette each serve a distinct purpose:
Dominant Color
This is the prominent color used most extensively throughout your site. It appears in key elements like headers, footers, and call-to-action buttons. The dominant color creates a sense of visual identity and brand recognition.
For example, Facebook’s dominant blue lets users know they’re on a Facebook page at a glance. This color should complement your brand and content.
Secondary Color
The secondary color appears less frequently than the dominant shade. You use it for accents, such as headlines, image borders, and graphical elements.
The secondary color works alongside the main color, adding visual interest through contrast. For example, YouTube combines its brand red with white and black accents.
Accent Color
The accent color is used sparingly as a highlight. It attracts attention to important content like callouts, notifications, alerts, and CTAs. You can also use an accent color to distinguish different sections of content.
For example, Target usesbright red as their dominant color, muted grey as secondary, and bright yellow as an eye-catching accent color on their website.
Choosing the Right Color Palette
When selecting your palette, consider these tips:
- Use 60% dominant color, 30% secondary color, and 10% accent color.
- Select colors that align with your brand identity and style.
- Ensure sufficient contrast between colors.
- Use a color scheme generator for ideas.
- Test colors to ensure readability.
- Check that colors are visually appealing together.
Use Brand Guidelines
If your website represents an established brand, use their official color palette. You can find these colors in brand guides and logo files. Consistent use of branded colors increases recognition.
For example, Starbucks uses their signature green as the dominant brand color. Pairing it with neutral black and white creates an iconic, on-brand style.
Choose Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel, creating striking contrast. Common color pairings include:
- Orange and blue
- Red and green
- Yellow and purple
Websites like YouTube use complementary colors to make the design visually engaging.
Use a Triadic Scheme
A triadic scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. This creates color harmony while adding interest through contrast.
For example, you could use three bright primaries like red, yellow and blue. Just ensure one dominates as the main color.
Try Split Complementary
The split complementary scheme uses a main color, the color on either side of its complement, and a neutral. This combination balances vibrancy with subtlety.
For example, choosing a vibrant orange as the dominant color, with light blue and blue-green as complements, and white or grey as the neutral.
Use Color Scheme Generators
There are many free color scheme generators online, like Coolors and Adobe Color. These let you input a main color and generate triadic, complementary, and tetradic harmonies.
Try generators when lacking inspiration. But always ensure the palette aligns with your brand identity.
Test Colors for Readability & Accessibility
Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors. Black or dark grey text on a white or light background provides maximum clarity.
Also check your palette with online contrast checkers to identify any readability issues for visually impaired users.
Avoid red-green color combinations as about 5% of men have red-green color blindness. Ensure all information conveyed with color is also available without color.
Use Neutrals and Pastels as Accents
Light tints work well as secondary colors alongside bright main colors. For example, pale blue, soft peach, mint green, or dusky pink.
Neutral shades like white, grey, and black also make safe accent colors. They add subtle contrast without clashing with vibrant hues.
Limit Use of Overpowering Colors
Some colors have a strong impact and quickly overwhelm a palette, like fluorescent shades, pure black or white, and loud primaries.
Use them sparingly only as accents. Allow more muted versions to dominate, like dark grey instead of black, or burnt orange rather than bright orange.
Consider Color Psychology
Colors evoke emotional reactions. Warm hues like red, yellow, and orange suggest excitement, energy, youth, and cheer. Cool blues, greens, and purples feel more professional, peaceful, and stable.
Understand color associations to determine if a palette effectively conveys your brand personality and story.
Examples of the 3 Color Rule
Many top brands employ the 3 color rule in their website designs:
Dominant: Dark blue (#1877F2)
Secondary: White
Accent: Grey
Facebook’s monochromatic palette evokes professionalism and reliability. The dark blue hue creates brand recognition, with white providing contrast for easy reading.
Target
Dominant: Red (#D5282E)
Secondary: Grey (#3D464C)
Accent: Yellow (#FFC120)
Target uses their brand red as the primary color. Cool grey offsets this, while the bright yellow draws attention to key elements like sale tags.
Starbucks
Dominant: Green (#00704A)
Secondary: Black (#1E3932)
Accent: White
The deep green evokes natural, earthy notes suiting Starbucks’ coffee heritage. Black backgrounds contrast the green, and white highlights important text.
| Brand | Dominant Color | Secondary Color | Accent Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark blue (#1877F2) | White | Grey | |
| Target | Red (#D5282E) | Grey (#3D464C) | Yellow (#FFC120) |
| Starbucks | Green (#00704A) | Black (#1E3932) | White |
Tips for Applying the 3 Color Rule
To employ the 3 color rule effectively, remember these tips:
- Use the 60-30-10 ratio for optimal balance.
- Ensure colors complement each other and align with your brand.
- Check sufficient contrast between colors.
- Use colors consistently across website sections.
- Limit accent colors to avoid overwhelming the palette.
- Consider color meanings and associations.
- View the site on different devices to test readability.
Also provide ample negative space and white area to let the 3 colors shine. Avoid detailed backgrounds that could compete visually.
Benefits of Using the 3 Color Rule
Applying the 3 color rule offers many advantages:
- Clean, professional look: Limited colors appear more polished than many competing shades.
- Brand consistency: Maintains recognition through strategic color use.
- Focus on content: Draws attention to information rather than distracting colors.
- Visual harmony: Carefully chosen hues complement each other.
- Accessibility: Easier to provide sufficient contrast.
- Scannability: Key sections distinguishable by color.
Overall, strategically applying 3 colors creates attractive, polished website designs that effectively engage users.
Conclusion
The 3 color rule offers a handy guideline for choosing harmonious, effective palettes. Limiting your website to one dominant color, secondary color, and accent color keeps the design cohesive.
Carefully selecting colors that complement each other and represent your brand creates an aesthetically pleasing site. Proper contrast between colors also ensures accessibility. Executed well, the 3 color rule results in professional, user-friendly designs.
When planning your next website, keep this handy rule in mind. With the right dominant, secondary, and accent colors, you can produce a beautiful, functional site that effectively engages your audience.
