colorscheme

A color scheme, or color palette, is a coordinated set of colors chosen for a design to create visual harmony, convey mood, and support readability and brand identity. It serves as a guide for selecting colors across media and helps maintain consistency in appearance and tone.

Common color schemes include monochromatic, which uses variations of a single hue; analogous, which combines neighboring hues on the color wheel; complementary, which pairs opposite hues for high contrast; split-complementary, triadic (three hues evenly spaced), and tetradic (two complementary pairs). These schemes provide different levels of contrast, vibrancy, and harmony and are chosen to suit the purpose and audience of the work.

Color schemes are applied in branding, web and user interface design, print, and multimedia. Designers typically start with a base color and derive tints, tones, and shades to produce a cohesive set of colors for backgrounds, text, accents, and UI elements. In digital work, colors are defined in RGB or HEX values; in print, CMYK is used, with color management ensuring consistent output. Color manipulation often relies on models such as HSL or HSV to adjust hue, saturation, and lightness.

Accessibility considerations are important; sufficient contrast between text and background improves readability, with WCAG guidelines recommending minimum contrast ratios for body text and UI elements. Historically, color theory—originating with the color wheel and developed by theorists like Newton, Itten, and Albers—underpins modern practices, informing how colors interact and influence perception. Color schemes are thus both a practical design tool and a means of communication.