10 top professional colour combinations to inspire your next design

Looking to redesign your logo? Or want to know how to choose your eye-catching brand colours for the first time? Colour is important, especially when it comes to creating memorable marketing material for your brand.

Maybe you have a soft spot for light pastel pink, or you can’t resist a bright, bold yellow  – whatever colour is your cup of tea, it’ll have a perfect colour match. You can use these pairings together to form the basis of your colour scheme for your business cards, postcards and all marketing material.

Why do colour combinations matter?

The importance of your colour palette shouldn’t be underestimated. Just look at Pantone’s Colour of the Year, an industry-wide celebration of colour, and affirmation that a single shade can speak volumes about a brand.

Everyone’s got a different process, but you might find that colour is one of the final pieces of the design puzzle – you mock up your new logo or Business Card design, then colour it all in at the end. But if you consider colour combinations as a fundamental part of your image, you may find your design takes on a whole new dimension.

How to find colours that go together

Trusty (and eye-popping) colour combinations can be found using the colour wheel. This isn’t just an art class gem from school – it remains an important tool for everyday design to create a strong colour palette. To find complementary colours, simply look at the opposing side of the wheel. 

Through this method you’ll be able to find these classic colour combos:

• Yellow and purple
• Red and green
• Blue and yellow
• Orange and blue

Our top 10 best colour combinations

Here are our top 10 recommendations for cool colour combinations that ooze style…

1. Black and white

A top “colour” combination. Simple, timeless, faultless.

2. Purple and yellow

These colours are both bright and playful, but also have connotations of grandeur. An eye-catching colour combo for a brand that wants to appeal to a broad age range.

3. Orange and white

Bright, bold and simple, it’s one of the best colour combinations for business as it promises a professional brand that’s big on enjoyment.

4. Leaf green and Yellow

This eye-catching colour palette is a classic choice for health brands as these shades suggest freshness.

5. Pink and grey

A mix of feminine pink and earthy, urban grey, this palette is both modern and timeless, making it one of the best colour combinations.

6. Pink and black

The bold urgency of this powerful colour scheme will promise impactful branding. Add some white for an injection of freshness.

7. Baby pink and blue

Innocent, elegant, feminine, and perfect for brands that want a soft, dreamy appeal – like skincare and beauty businesses.

8. Cool greys and blues

Icy and calm – perfect for wintery designs. A cool colour combination if there ever was one.

9. Pantone’s Classic Blue with white

A timeless way to evoke nautical charm and a calm, collected vibe, these two make a great colour combination.

10. Mint green and white

Clean and fresh. Green gives an earthy, uncomplicated tone, while white is simple and pure. A fresh colour combo with a touch of serenity.

Colour combinations to avoid

The fact that there are better colour combinations for design also means that there are less good ones. In many cases, there aren’t any wrong answers. But if you want to have the best impact on your customers and stand out from competitors, you should avoid colour combos that aren’t so easy on the eye.

The colour combinations below are referred to as ‘vibrating colours’ – which means the brightness of both colours causes more of a clash than complement, almost merging into one hectic visual for your poor customers’ eyes…

• Red on green/green on red
• Blue on orange
• Green on blue

Ready to put your eye for the best colour combinations to great use? Take your pick of premium print products at MOO.com.