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Choosing the right color palette for the design you are working on may seem like a fun and easy part of your project. If you think about it, picking out colors doesn’t even sound that difficult. Kids learn their colors in pre-school so how hard can it be? Ha! It can actually be a challenging part of the design process. What color do I use to make the headline standout? How do I choose complimentary colors?

Here are a couple tips to help you use color in an effective way to make your design a successful one. I will be using images with a winter theme as an example for guiding you to choosing a stunning color palette.

Choose a dominant color:

Typically when I think of winter, I think of snow, frost, and ice. When there is snow on the ground, a lot of warm colors of nature have gone and we are left with the white snow and blue sky. Take a look at the winter images below. The dominant color you see is blue. Now determine where to use this color. Being that it is already dominant in your image, you may not want to use it everywhere! Stick to main points that you want to stand out in your design, such as a headline or a special offer. Take a few minutes to look at images around you and instead of looking at the subject of the image, look for the color that stands out the most to you.

Choose accent colors:

Choosing accent color to compliment your design can sound intimidating. I’ve attached the same images from above. What color or colors appear to be accents, or secondary colors?  I’ve chosen 3 colors from these images that, when used appropriately, make successful accents to help you call attention to content that is not the main focal point of your design, such as a subhead or callout piece.

Follow these easy guidelines to help you create a stunning color palette for your design. Take time to look at images in a different way. Instead of looking at the sandy beach or a mountain landscape, look at the colors and choose 3-4 colors that you see. Then when you need to design your project, you will already be another step ahead in having designed a successful piece!