väritili

Väritili, literally “color account” in Finnish, is a concept used in design and printing to describe a structured approach to managing and budgeting color usage across a project. The term is a neologism formed from väri (color) and tili (account or ledger).

In practice, a väritili involves creating a palette ledger that lists approved colors with attributes such as hex or Pantone values, applicable media (print, screen), usage rules, and estimated costs or resource implications. Teams define a color budget for a project and track asset-level color usage against it. Changes or deviations from the palette typically require authorization and ledger updates.

Typical components include a defined primary palette, a secondary or accent palette, accessibility considerations, and rules for color replacement or mixing. The system supports consistency across assets, aids in cost control in printing, and can facilitate accessibility compliance by ensuring contrast and token usage are accounted for.

Usage areas include branding, UI design, and packaging, particularly where color fidelity and cost are important. Some practitioners view väritili as part of broader color management or design-token systems, akin to a color inventory or budget within a design system.

Origins are unclear and the term is not widely standardized; it appears mainly in Finnish design discourse and as a concept in some agencies’ internal workflows. As a methodological idea, it emphasizes discipline in color usage and auditability rather than a universal protocol.

See also: Color management; Design tokens; Branding; Palette.