Basic Colors
Fundamental colors that form the building blocks of web design and digital art. These essential hues include primary colors (red, blue, yellow), secondary colors, and common variations.
Understanding Basic Colors
Basic colors form the foundation of color theory and design. These fundamental hues include primary colors (red, blue, yellow), secondary colors (green, orange, purple), and common variations that are essential for any designer's palette.
Primary colors cannot be created by mixing other colors, while secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors. Tertiary colors are created by mixing primary and secondary colors, resulting in a rich spectrum of possibilities.
How to Use Basic Colors in Your Designs
When incorporating basic colors into your designs, consider color psychology, accessibility, and the overall message you want to convey. These colors can be used as primary brand colors, accent colors, or part of a broader color scheme depending on your project needs.
For web design, it's important to maintain sufficient contrast between text and background colors to ensure readability. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
Color Harmonies and Combinations
Creating effective color schemes involves understanding color harmonies such as complementary, analogous, triadic, and monochromatic combinations. Basic colors can be combined using traditional color harmony principles like complementary (opposite on the color wheel), analogous (adjacent on the color wheel), or triadic (equidistant on the color wheel) combinations.
Basic Colors Palette
Red
Crimson
Firebrick
Dark Red
Indian Red
Tomato
Green
Lime
Forest Green
Sea Green
Medium Spring Green
Olive
Blue
Navy
Royal Blue
Steel Blue
Deep Sky Blue
Dodger Blue
Yellow
Gold
Goldenrod
Khaki
Orange
Dark Orange
Coral
Purple
Indigo
Violet
Medium Purple
Slate Blue
Pink
Hot Pink
Deep Pink
Medium Violet Red
Brown
Saddle Brown
Sienna
Peru
Black
White
Gray
Silver
Dim Gray
Light Gray
Web Safe Lime
Web Safe Maroon
Color Tools
Convert and explore basic colors with our easy-to-use color tools.
Related Color Categories
Explore other color categories to find the perfect colors for your projects.