Color Theory

Color Theory: 7 Types of Color Purity

Color Theory for Designers

Color purity is defined by its resemblance to its hue, and this is important because purer colors can make more tone, shades, and tints. Let’s start with hue.

Hue is the name of the purest colors. The colors found on a 12-spoke color wheel are hues. As you move around the color wheel, you’ll notice that some colors (such as orange and yellow) appear similar, while others (such as blue and purple) look quite different.

There are seven different types of color purity:

1. Primary colors

2. Secondary colors

3. Tertiary colors

4. Split-complementary colors

5. Complementary colors

6. Analogous colors

7. Monochromatic colors

• Primary Colors: The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. These colors are considered pure because they cannot be made from any other colors.
• Secondary Colors: The secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. These colors are made by mixing two primary colors together.
• Tertiary Colors: The tertiary colors are yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green. These colors…