Color, explained in plain English
Short guides on color theory, mixing, print, accessibility and color codes. Every guide ends at the free tool that does the work, so you can read for two minutes and then try it.
Color theory
The color wheel, the six harmonies, and how to turn them into a palette.
Color theory in plain English: hue, saturation and lightness, RYB vs RGB wheels, the six color harmonies, the 60-30-10 rule, and a step-by-step palette method.
Complementary colors sit opposite on the color wheel. RYB and RGB pairs with HEX codes, why they vibrate, how to tame them, and how to find any complement.
Analogous colors are neighbors on the color wheel. Five palettes with HEX codes (sunset, forest, ocean, autumn, lavender), when they lack contrast, and accents.
A triadic color scheme uses three hues 120 degrees apart. RYB and RGB triads, four palettes with HEX codes, why triads feel energetic, and how to balance them.
Split complementary colors are a base hue plus the two hues beside its complement. How it differs from complementary and triadic, plus four palettes with HEX.
A tetradic color scheme uses four hues as two complementary pairs. Rectangle vs square, four palettes with HEX codes, and how to balance four hues.
A monochromatic color scheme uses one hue at varied lightness and saturation. Tints, tones and shades, four palettes, a 50 to 900 UI scale, and contrast checks.
Color mixing
What colors make purple, green, brown and more, in paint, light and CMYK.
Red and blue make purple in paint, but magenta and cyan give a cleaner result. Purple in RGB and CMYK, four HEX examples, and how to lighten, darken or mute it.
Blue is a primary color, so no two paints make it, but cyan and magenta do. Recipes for navy, sky, royal and teal blue, with HEX codes and a mixing chart.
Red is a primary color, but magenta and yellow make red in modern paint and print. Recipes for crimson, maroon, burgundy and coral, with HEX and RGB codes.
Yellow is a primary color in paint, but red and green light make yellow on screens. Recipes for gold, mustard, ochre and lemon yellow, with HEX and RGB codes.
Blue and yellow make green in paint; cyan and yellow make a cleaner one. Green in RGB and CMYK, four HEX examples, and how to make lime, sage and forest green.
Red and yellow make orange in paint. How orange works in RGB light and CMYK ink, four HEX examples from peach to burnt orange, and how to adjust the shade.
Brown comes from mixing complementary colors or all three primaries. Orange plus blue, red plus green, brown in RGB and CMYK, and warm vs cool brown HEX codes.
Red and white make pink. Which red to choose for hot pink or coral, pink in RGB and CMYK, four HEX examples, and how to make dusty rose or blush.
Black and white make gray; complements make richer chromatic grays. Gray as equal RGB channels, K-only vs rich neutral in CMYK, and warm vs cool gray HEX codes.
Ultramarine and burnt umber make a richer black than tube black. Black as rgb(0,0,0), 100K vs rich black in CMYK, and the near-blacks used in interfaces.
Blue and green make teal. How much of each, teal in RGB and CMYK, four HEX examples from muted to bright, and how to get turquoise or deep teal.
Yellow with a little brown or orange makes gold. Why flat color only suggests metal, CSS gold #FFD700, the CMYK recipe, Pantone metallic inks, and HEX examples.
Orange and white make peach, with a little pink to warm it. Peach in RGB (peachpuff #FFDAB9) and CMYK, four HEX examples, and how to keep it from going muddy.
Print and Pantone
RGB vs CMYK, spot color, Pantone matching and why print looks different.
RGB is additive light for screens, CMYK is subtractive ink for print. Why bright colors shift, why CMYK numbers depend on the ICC profile, and how to convert.
CMYK is the four-ink process color model for print. Why K means key, halftone dots, CMYK percentages, rich black vs 100K, ink limits, and common mistakes.
Pantone is a spot color system for print and product. Codes and C/U suffixes, Formula Guide vs Color Bridge, Pantone vs CMYK vs HEX, and HEX to Pantone matches.
The Pantone Color of the Year 2026 is Cloud Dancer, PANTONE 11-4201, a soft warm white. HEX, RGB and CMYK values, palettes, contrast tips and every past color.
The Pantone Color of the Year 2027 is expected in early December 2026. Release date, how Pantone picks the color, recent picks and how to use it once it is out.
Accessibility
WCAG contrast, Delta E and how to check color the way a viewer sees it.
Delta E is the distance between two colors in CIELAB. CIE76, CIE94 and CIEDE2000, what the numbers mean, print tolerances, and how it powers Pantone matching.
WCAG contrast is a luminance ratio from 1:1 to 21:1. AA and AAA thresholds for text and UI, passing and failing HEX examples, how to fix a pair, and APCA.
Color codes
HEX, RGB, HSL, OKLCH and named colors, explained for designers and developers.
A HEX color code is #RRGGBB in hexadecimal. How to read one by eye, shorthand and alpha, ten common codes, HEX vs RGB vs HSL, and why HEX is not a print spec.
The 148 CSS color names, why gray and green differ between CSS and X11, how a color name lookup finds the nearest name by Delta E, and why names are not specs.