Have you ever landed on a website and instantly felt welcomed? It could be the hero image or video that grabs your attention. Maybe the logo and branding create a strong first impression. Or perhaps the informative blogs intrigue you with their valuable content.
But nine out of ten times, it's the powerful impact of the colors.
Yes! Colors are often responsible for making a solid first impression that keeps you hooked.
Color schemes are more than aesthetic visuals. They have emotions, moods, vibes, and a deeper meaning associated with them.
Having the appropriate color scheme for the home page and landing pages is crucial. However, don’t forget the blog pages. Colors in blog design can complement your content and readers will find your blogs more appealing.
I have always been fascinated by the magic of colors. In this guide, I have crafted the basics of color theory for your blog website, especially for non-designers.
Ready to amp up your blog design? Let's get the brushes ready.
What is Color Theory?
Color theory is the science of blending colors in an aesthetically pleasing way. You can call it the language of colors. How they interact with one another. How they complement each other if used correctly. And how together they can transform the look of your website.
Let’s understand the basics of the color theory-
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors
You may have seen this color theory many times while exploring color schemes to choose from. But let’s revise it a little bit, shall we?
Primary Colors
Primary colors are the base colors or parent colors. You cannot make them by combining two or more colors.
Red, Yellow, and Blue are the primary colors. You can blend these colors in variable proportions to create different shades of secondary or tertiary colors.
Secondary Colors
A perfect blend of two or more primary colors creates secondary colors. As you can see in the diagram above, orange, purple, and green are the secondary colors.
Tertiary Colors
Tertiary colors are the combination of a primary and a secondary color. These colors unlock endless possibilities of palettes.
For example, red blended with purple can create a gorgeous magenta color. Blue and purple together can make violet. Yellow and orange can create a charming amber hue.
However, not all combinations of primary and secondary colors can be eye-pleasing. For example, red and green won’t make a pretty color. Neither will blue and orange.
Hue, Shade, Tint, and Tone of the Color
Now that you’re familiar with the basic concept of colors, here’s how you can play around with them to create different schemes and palettes.
Hue
Hue is the purest form of color. It doesn’t have any tint or shade. You must blend hues of primary colors to get the purest form of the secondary color.
When you mix colors with tint and shade, you’re technically combining more than two colors. For example, hues of blue and yellow will generate the pure green. But, mixing a tinted blue with a tinted yellow results in a tinted green.
Shade
We often use the term shade to describe lighter or darker forms of a particular color. Technically, it’s the amount of black you blend into the hue. You can create a custom shade of any color by controlling the hint of black in it.
Tint
The opposite of shade, tint is nothing but the amount of white blended with the hue. Similar to a shade, you can get a range of tints by adding a variable amount of white in any pure color. Colors can have both shades and tints blended together.
Tone
Tone, aka saturation, is a mixture of a color with both black and white (or grey) in a primary color. The term saturation is often used for digital images where you control the amount of black and white in the color. The tone indicates the same for the paintings.
You could say it’s a combination of a shade and a tint.
Choose Colors in Blog Design Appropriate for Your Audience
Colors can have a psychological impact on people. A color palette for your blog website can encourage various moods and meanings.
For example:
Orange showcases success and confidence. Yellow is a sign of happiness. Green is often used to promote growth or healing. White has a calming effect. Black is dramatic. Red can be dangerous or powerful.
You get the gist.
Colors can also evoke feelings of warmth or coolness. Shades of red and orange tend to feel warm, while blues and greens give a cool vibe.
Even different age groups and genders react differently to the colors. Women tend to like softer colors whereas men often prefer brighter colors. Similarly, children are attracted to vibrant brighter colors. Young adults tend to have preferences based on trends. Older adults prefer cooler colors.
You must be mindful of these factors while using colors in blog design.
Choose the Color Scheme for Your Blog
Different shades, tints, and tones of colors can create a unique color palette for your blog. Below are some examples that can inspire your website.
I’m using Adobe's color wheel to showcase various color combinations.
1. Monochromatic Color Scheme
The Monochromatic color scheme uses various shades and tints of the same color. The theme gives your website a chic, clean visual.
The monochromatic color palette lacks color contrast, but you can control the theme by exploring the shades/tints of your brand colors.
WeProfit is the best example of a monochromatic theme.
The creative use of purple shades with a hint of colorful animation makes it quite engaging.
2. Analogous Color Scheme
If you want a little bit of contrast for the blog color scheme, you can go for the analogous palette. It’s a combination of one primary color paired with two colors directly next to it on the color wheel. You can also choose two colors on either side of the main color to get more contrast.
Libenar, a baby product company, is the best example of an analogous theme. Their landing pages and blog pages follow a trifecta of Purple, Blue, and Pink, creating a softer theme for the target audience.