Choose logo colors by agreeing on how the brand should feel, checking which colors your competitors already own, and picking one main color plus neutrals. Most logos work best with one or two colors, and every version should pass a black and white, small size and print test before you approve it.
Logo colors are the first thing people notice and the last thing most brands test properly. A color that looks great on a designer's screen can turn muddy in print, vanish on a dark background or look exactly like your biggest competitor. This guide covers how to choose logo colors, how many to use, and the checks we run before a client signs off.
How to choose logo colors, step by step
Color should support the logo, not rescue it. That is why we always design the shape in black and white first and add color last. Once the shape works, this is the order we follow:
- Write down the feeling in three words. "Calm, precise, premium" and "fast, friendly, loud" point to very different colors. Agree on these words before anyone opens a color picker.
- Map your competitors. Collect 10 to 20 logos from your market and note their main colors. If every accountant in your city uses navy, navy will make you look trustworthy and also invisible. Decide on purpose whether you want to fit in or stand out.
- Pick one main color. This is the color people will remember you by. Choose it based on the three words and the competitor map, not on your personal favorite.
- Add a second color only if it has a job, for example highlighting one part of the symbol or giving you an accent for buttons and links on the website.
- Choose your neutrals. A near black, a white and often one gray. Most of your brand will actually be neutrals, with the main color used as an accent.
- Define the exact values in HEX, RGB, CMYK and, if you print a lot, Pantone. "Blue" is not a brand color. #1F4FD8 is.
- Run the tests in the section below before you approve anything.
What do logo colors mean?
Most articles on this topic include a color psychology chart: blue means trust, red means energy, green means growth. These associations are real enough to be useful as a starting point, but they are not rules. Meaning depends on the exact shade, the industry, the culture and what your competitors already do.
A practical way to use color meaning:
- Use it to rule things out, not to pick the winner. A bright, neon palette is probably wrong for a law firm, whatever the chart says about energy.
- Check your industry's defaults. Green in a food brand reads as fresh. Green in a finance brand reads as money. The same color carries different signals in different markets.
- Think about where you sell. If you work across countries, ask a local contact whether your main color carries an unwanted meaning there.
- Trust the shade over the hue. A dusty sage green and a lime green are both "green" but say completely different things.
If your shape is strong and the color is distinctive in your market, you are in a better position than any chart can put you in.
How many colors should a logo have?
For most brands, one or two. Each extra color adds cost and risk: more inks in print, more ways for the logo to look wrong on a busy background, and more for people to remember.
| Number of colors | Works well for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 color | Most service businesses, minimalist logos, brands that print, embroider or engrave often | The one color must be distinctive, or the logo blends in with competitors |
| 2 colors | Logos where a symbol and a name need separation, or one detail needs emphasis | Both colors need enough contrast with each other and with the background |
| 3 colors | Playful, consumer and kids' brands with a clear reason for each color | Higher print costs and a weaker one-color version |
| 4 or more | Brands built around variety, such as platforms with many products or categories | Hard to reproduce well; the logo needs a strong one-color fallback |
| Gradient | Digital-first brands, apps and tech products | Gradients break in embroidery, vinyl cutting and cheap print; you need a flat version |
Your brand palette can have more colors than your logo. A logo in one color with a website palette of five is very common and works well.
5 tests before you approve your logo colors
These take about fifteen minutes and catch most color problems before they reach the printer or the website.
- Black and white test: view the logo in pure black on white and pure white on black. If the idea disappears, the color was doing too much of the work.
- Background test: place the logo on white, on near black, on your main brand color and on a typical photo. Note which version you need for each, and plan a reversed (white) version from the start.
- Small size test: shrink it to favicon and social avatar size. Two similar colors often merge into one blob when small. Our favicon size guide lists the sizes to check.
- Grayscale test: convert it to grayscale. If two colors turn into the same gray, people with color vision deficiencies may not see the difference either, and the logo will look flat in black and white print.
- Print test: print it on a normal office printer and, if you can, ask a print shop for a proof. Bright screen colors, especially vivid blues, greens and oranges, often look duller in CMYK.
From the studio: before choosing a single color, we put the client's logo in grayscale next to their five closest competitors, also in grayscale. If it does not stand out by shape alone, no color will fix it. If it does, color becomes a bonus, and the client usually picks it in one round instead of five.
HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone: which codes you need
Every logo color should be defined in several color systems, because screens and printers produce color in different ways. Ask your designer for all of these and keep them in your brand guidelines.
| Code | Example | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| HEX | #1F4FD8 | Websites, Webflow, WordPress, Canva, social graphics |
| RGB | 31, 79, 216 | Screen design apps, video, presentations |
| CMYK | Four ink percentages (C, M, Y, K) | Standard four-color printing: flyers, brochures, business cards |
| Pantone | A named spot color from the Pantone guide | Signs, packaging, merchandise and any print where the exact color must match every time |
Two points that save money later. First, CMYK cannot reproduce every screen color, so the CMYK value should be chosen and checked by eye, not just converted automatically. Second, if you use Pantone, the printed result depends on paper: coated and uncoated stock make the same ink look different. Pantone's Color Bridge guide shows each spot color next to its closest CMYK equivalent, which is useful when you need both.
The values belong in your logo files too. Ask for color versions in every common format, with separate files for full color, one color, black and white, so nobody has to recolor the logo themselves.
Logo colors and accessibility
The web accessibility standard WCAG asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. It makes an exception for logos: text that is part of a logo or brand name has no contrast requirement.
That exception is not a reason to ignore contrast. A light gray logo on a white header is still hard to read, and your brand colors will also be used for headings, buttons and links that do have to meet the standard. When you choose a palette, check the main color against white and against your dark neutral with a contrast checker. If it fails for text, keep it for the logo and large shapes, and pick a darker shade of the same color for buttons and links.
When to change your logo colors
Changing colors is one of the cheapest ways to refresh a brand without losing recognition, but it is still a change people notice. Good reasons include colors that fail in print or on screens, a palette identical to a new competitor, or colors that no longer fit what you sell. If you are considering it, our logo redesign guide explains how to decide what to keep, and the brand guidelines template shows where to document the new values so everyone uses them.
Related guides
We build logo and brand palettes that pass print, screen and small size tests, with every color code and file you need.
FAQ
What are good colors for a logo?
Good logo colors are distinctive in your market, fit how the brand should feel, and still work in black, white and print. A color that every competitor uses is rarely a good choice, however well it scores on a psychology chart.
How many colors should a brand have?
A typical brand palette has one main color, one or two accent colors and two or three neutrals. The logo itself usually uses only one or two of them.
Should my logo work in black and white?
Yes. Black and white versions are needed for stamps, engraving, newspapers, single color merchandise and placing the logo on photos, so the shape should work without any color.
Can I change my logo colors later?
You can, and it is a lighter change than a full redesign. Update the color codes in your brand guidelines and replace every file and template at the same time so old and new colors do not mix.
W3C: Understanding WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum); Pantone: Color Bridge Guide Coated. Based on our client projects.
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