10 powerful color combinations to inspire your next design

Looking to redesign your logo? Or want to know how to choose your eye-catching brand colors for the first time? Color is important, especially when it comes to creating memorable marketing material for your brand.

Maybe you have a soft spot for light pastel pink, or you can’t resist a bright, bold yellow  – whatever color is your cup of tea, it’ll have a perfect color match. You can use these pairings together to form the basis of your color scheme for your business cards, postcards and all marketing material.

Why do color combinations matter?

The importance of your color palette shouldn’t be underestimated. Just look at Pantone’s Color of the Year, an industry-wide celebration of color, and affirmation that a single shade can speak volumes about a brand.

Everyone’s got a different process, but you might find that color is one of the final pieces of the design puzzle – you mock up your new logo or Business Card design, then color it all in at the end. But if you consider color combinations as a fundamental part of your image, you may find your design takes on a whole new dimension.

How to find colors that go together

Trusty color combinations can be found using the color wheel. This isn’t just an art class gem from school – it remains an important tool for everyday design. To find complementary colors, simply look at the opposing side of the wheel. 

Through this method you’ll be able to find these classic color combos:

• Yellow and purple
• Red and green
• Blue and yellow
• Orange and blue

10 of our favorite design color combinations

Here are our top 10 recommendations for classic color combinations that ooze style…

1. Black and white

Simple, timeless, faultless.

2. Leaf green and Yellow

A classic choice for health brands, these shades suggest freshness.

3. Baby pink and blue

Innocent, elegant, feminine, and perfect for brands that want a soft, dreamy appeal – like skincare and beauty businesses.

4. Cool greys and blues

Icy and calm – perfect for wintery designs.

5. Pantone’s Classic Blue with white

A timeless way to evoke nautical charm and a calm, collected vibe. 

6. Pink and grey

A mix of feminine pink and earthy, urban grey makes for a combination that’s both modern and timeless.

7. Pink and black

The bold urgency of this color combination will promise impactful branding. Add some white for an injection of freshness.

8. Purple and yellow

These colors are both bright and playful, but also have connotations of grandeur. The perfect combo for a brand that wants to appeal to a broad age range.

9. Orange and white

Bright, bold and simple, this color combo promises a professional brand that’s big on enjoyment.

10. Mint green and white

Clean and fresh. Green gives an earthy, uncomplicated tone, while white is simple and pure.

Color combinations to avoid

In many cases, there aren’t any wrong answers in design. But if you want to have the best impact on your customers and stand out from competitors, you should avoid color combinations that aren’t so easy on the eye.

The color combinations below are referred to as ‘vibrating colors’ – which means the brightness of both colors causes more of a clash than complement, almost merging into one hectic visual for your poor customers’ eyes…

• Red on green/green on red
• Blue on orange
• Green on blue

Ready to put your eye for color combinations to great use? Take your pick of premium print products at MOO.com.