# Brand color ideas: 30 palettes for new brands, with codes

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/brand-color-ideas)

A brand palette is four or five colours with jobs, not a favourite colour and some friends. Here are 30 starting points by mood and industry, with codes to copy and a way to test them.

## The short version

- A working brand palette has four or five colours with fixed jobs: a ground, a main colour, a supporting tone, a neutral for text and one accent.
- The accent is the colour people remember, so it should appear on one thing at a time, such as a button, a price or a logo mark.
- Palettes that suit an industry help customers understand what you sell, but a single unexpected colour is what makes a brand recognisable.
- Test a palette on real designs at real sizes, in light and dark, before you commit, because swatches on a white page hide most problems.
- Check that your text colour against your ground meets WCAG contrast, or body copy will be hard to read for many people.

Good **brand color ideas** start with jobs, not favourites. Pick a ground colour that most of your designs sit on, a main colour that says what kind of business you are, a supporting tone for depth, a neutral for text and one accent that people remember you by. Below are 30 palettes built that way, six by mood with swatches and 24 by industry with codes, plus a quick method for testing whichever one you choose.

## How a brand colour palette is built

Most failed palettes are five colours of equal weight: nothing leads, so nothing is recognisable. A palette works when each colour has a share of the space: the ground covers most of it, the main colour a good part, and the accent only a sliver. The [60 30 10 rule](https://gradiently.design/guide/60-30-10-rule) is a useful starting ratio, even if you bend it later.

| Role | Share of a design | Job |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ground | About 60% | Backgrounds, large areas, the mood |
| Main | About 25% | Headings, shapes, the colour people associate with you |
| Support | About 5 to 10% | Depth, secondary panels, illustrations |
| Neutral | Text only | Body copy that has to read on the ground |
| Accent | Under 5% | One button, one price, one mark per design |

Five roles, five shares. The accent works because it is rare; spread it everywhere and it becomes a second main colour.

## Brand colour palettes by mood

Start here if you know how you want people to feel. Colour associations are cultural rather than universal, as [colour psychology](https://gradiently.design/guide/color-psychology) explains.

- Deep navy: #0b2545
- Harbour: #13315c
- Mist blue: #8da9c4
- Pale sage: #eef4ed
- Brass: #e0a458

1. Calm and trustworthy. Navy reads steady; a brass accent stops it feeling like a bank statement. Suits finance, healthcare and consultancies.

- Espresso: #3d2314
- Terracotta: #c8553d
- Apricot: #f28f3b
- Cream: #f6e7cb
- Sage teal: #588b8b

2. Warm and friendly. Earthy reds on cream feel handmade. The cool sage teal accent keeps it from looking like every other café.

- Forest: #1b3a2f
- Moss: #4f772d
- Fern: #90a955
- Lime wash: #ecf39e
- Chalk: #fdfcf6

3. Fresh and natural. Greens from deep to bright, on chalk, for wellness and sustainability brands.

- Ink: #0d0d1a
- Ultramarine: #3a0ca3
- Violet: #7209b7
- Hot pink: #f72585
- Electric sky: #4cc9f0

4. Bold and modern. A near black ground lets saturated colour glow. Use the electric sky sparingly.

- Soft black: #1a1a1a
- Umber: #4a3f35
- Antique gold: #b08d57
- Linen: #e8dcc8
- Ivory: #f7f3ee

5. Quiet luxury. Low saturation and lots of space. Gold reads as expensive only when muted and used sparingly.

- Ink: #2b2d42
- Coral red: #ff6b6b
- Sunflower: #ffd93d
- Leaf: #6bcb77
- Pool blue: #4d96ff

6. Playful. Four brights held together by one dark ink. Let one colour lead per design.

## Brand color ideas by industry

Each industry palette lists four codes, usually from darkest to lightest, and the last column names the colour doing the accent's job. Conventions exist for a reason: a dentist in teal and a bakery in warm browns are understood at a glance. Meet the convention with your main colour and break it gently with your accent.

| Business | Palette | Codes | Why it works |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Accountant | Ledger | `#1d3557` `#457b9d` `#f1faee` `#e63946` | Navy for trust, a red accent reserved for the figure that matters |
| Law firm | Chambers | `#2b2d42` `#8d99ae` `#edf2f4` `#9c6644` | Slate and paper with a leather brown accent |
| Dentist | Clean bite | `#03363d` `#17a398` `#e6f4f1` `#ffb703` | Teal reads clinical but not cold; yellow is friendly |
| Physio clinic | Recovery | `#264653` `#2a9d8f` `#e9f5f2` `#f4a261` | Calm blue greens with a warm, encouraging accent |
| Café | Morning roast | `#4a2c2a` `#c08552` `#f3e9dc` `#5e8b7e` | Coffee browns with an unexpected green |
| Bakery | Crumb | `#7f4f24` `#dda15e` `#fefae0` `#bc4749` | Crust, butter and flour, with a jam red for offers |
| Evening restaurant | Supper club | `#1b1b1e` `#7a1e2c` `#d4a373` `#f5ebe0` | Dark ground and wine red feel like dinner, with a caramel accent |
| Florist | Stem | `#2d4a3e` `#e5989b` `#ffcdb2` `#fffaf5` | Deep leaf green makes the soft pink accent look fresh |
| Yoga studio | Breath | `#5e548e` `#9f86c0` `#e0b1cb` `#fbf8f3` | Dusky violets that slow the eye down, with rose pink as the accent |
| Gym | Rep | `#111111` `#3a3a3a` `#f2f2f2` `#e4ff1a` | Black and grey with one loud acid yellow |
| Skincare | Dew | `#6b4e3d` `#e8b4a0` `#f6e3d8` `#fdf8f4` | Skin tones and warm whites, cocoa brown for text, peach as the accent |
| Fashion label | Atelier | `#0f0f0f` `#c9c1b6` `#f4f1ec` `#8a1c1c` | Black and stone with a single oxblood |
| Jeweller | Velvet | `#14213d` `#2e1a47` `#f5f0e6` `#c9a227` | Midnight blues set off a gold accent the way a display case does |
| Estate agent | Front door | `#22333b` `#5e503f` `#eae0d5` `#c6ac8f` | Charcoal and timber tones feel like a well kept home; sand is the accent |
| Architecture studio | Concrete | `#262626` `#7d7d7d` `#d9d9d9` `#ff5a1f` | Greys like materials, one safety orange |
| Developer tool | Terminal | `#0b1021` `#1f6feb` `#e6edf3` `#7ee787` | Dark interface blues with a code green accent |
| Fintech | Mint ledger | `#0a2e2a` `#00b37e` `#d7f9ec` `#1e1e24` | Deep green with a bright mint accent signals money without dollar clichés |
| AI product | Signal | `#0e0b16` `#5b5bd6` `#a78bfa` `#f0abfc` | Indigo on near black, with orchid as a restrained accent |
| Podcast | On air | `#1a1423` `#ff7b54` `#ffb26b` `#ffd56b` | A dark studio ground with a warm sunset ramp, coral leading |
| Children’s brand | Playground | `#118ab2` `#06d6a0` `#ffd166` `#ef476f` | Bright, clear colours softened just enough; pink is the accent |
| Charity | Common ground | `#2f3e46` `#52796f` `#cad2c5` `#f4a259` | Sober greens with a hopeful orange |
| Outdoor gear | Trailhead | `#283618` `#606c38` `#fefae0` `#dd6b20` | Olive and canvas with a high visibility orange |
| Wedding planner | Vows | `#6d597a` `#b56576` `#e8c2ca` `#fbf6f0` | Plum with a rose accent that photographs well on paper |
| Music artist | Afterhours | `#090014` `#3c096c` `#ff006e` `#fb5607` | Club darkness with two hot, connected accents |

Copy the codes into your [brand kit](https://gradiently.design/guide/brand-kit) and adjust one colour until it feels like yours.

## How to make a palette feel like your brand

What turns a listed palette into an identity is one decision nobody else in your street has made, usually the accent: a law firm in leather brown, a gym in acid yellow. Change the accent first and keep the ground and text colour, so you gain a look without losing readability.

### Avoid

- Five bright colours used equally
- Picking the logo colour first and the rest by eye
- An accent on every element of every design
- Light grey text on a cream ground
- Choosing from swatches on a white page

### Do

- One ground that covers most of the space
- Roles first, then colours to fill them
- One accented thing per design
- A dark neutral that passes contrast
- Testing on a real post, story and banner

A palette blended into a soft gradient gives you a background that is unmistakably yours, as long as the colours are related.

- Breath as a gradient: `linear-gradient(160deg, #5e548e 0%, #9f86c0 50%, #e0b1cb 100%)`
- Calm navy as a gradient: `linear-gradient(160deg, #0b2545 0%, #13315c 55%, #8da9c4 100%)`
- Warm terracotta glow: `radial-gradient(circle at 80% 20%, #f28f3b 0%, #c8553d 40%, #3d2314 85%)`

Three of the palettes above as backgrounds. Neighbouring colours blend cleanly; keep the accent out of the blend and use it on top.

## Test your brand colours before you commit

1. **Make three real designs** A square post, a 1080×1920 story and a 1500×500 header, with real words and your logo.
2. **Check text contrast** Your neutral on your ground should pass WCAG AA. [Colour contrast and accessibility](https://gradiently.design/guide/color-contrast-accessibility) shows how to measure it.
3. **Look at it small** Shrink the post to thumbnail size. If you can still tell it is yours, the palette is doing its job.
4. **Try it next to competitors** Put your post beside three local rivals. If yours blends in, change the accent, not the whole palette.
5. **Write the codes down** Record every hex code and its role in one place.

A portrait bakery post reading Fresh bread from seven over a warm gradient background

Testing a palette on a real post: the headline, the detail and the background all have to work together at 1080×1350.

If you want help choosing, [how to choose brand colours](https://gradiently.design/guide/how-to-choose-brand-colors) walks through the decision from scratch, and [logo colour combinations](https://gradiently.design/guide/color-combinations-for-logos) narrows it down to the two or three colours your mark itself should use.

## Turning brand colours into a look

Five hex codes can be copied by anyone. In Gradiently, a Mark carries a palette as a living background with its own light, grain and motion, and no two Marks look alike. Search the Market with colour words like "deep teal" to find one close to your palette, design with it for free, and claim it so only you can export with it. Your brand kit holds the exact codes for text and accents.

## FAQ

### How many colours should a brand have?

Four or five is enough for most brands: a ground, a main colour, a supporting tone, a neutral for text and one accent. More than that is hard to use consistently.

### What is the best colour for a new brand?

There is no single best colour. Choose a main colour that fits what you sell, then an accent your competitors are not using, so customers can spot you.

### Should my brand colours match my industry?

Matching the industry with your main colour helps people understand you quickly. Breaking it with your accent is what makes you memorable.

### How do I check my brand colours are accessible?

Measure the contrast of your text colour against your ground with a WCAG contrast checker. Body text should reach at least 4.5:1.

### Can I use a gradient as a brand colour?

Yes, as long as it is built from related colours in your palette and you keep a flat version for small uses like favicons and text.