Color Palette for Branding
A color palette for branding is the defined set of colors that represent a company’s visual identity — used consistently across logos, websites, packaging, marketing materials, and product design to build recognition and trust.
Create a Brand Palette in 4 Steps
- Upload your logo or brand photography to PhotoTones
- Extract dominant colors — assign primary, secondary, and accent roles
- Document hex, RGB, and HSL values in brand guidelines
- Export a brand kit with Pro for client delivery
Ship a brand palette your client can use
Free extraction from any brand photo. Pro adds a brand kit ZIP with guide, tokens, and exports.
Brand Color Structure
Professional brand systems organize colors into tiers:
- Primary — the hero brand color (logo dominant hue)
- Secondary — supporting color for variety without competing with primary
- Accent — high-energy color for CTAs, highlights, and emphasis
- Neutrals — grays and off-whites for text, backgrounds, and borders
- Extended palette — tints and shades for illustrations, data viz, and sub-brands
See Brand Colors from a Logo for logo-specific extraction tips.
Sources for Brand Palette Colors
- Logo — anchor colors; use PNG with transparency
- Product photography — real-world color context
- Brand mood boards — aspirational tone and texture
- Existing marketing assets — ensure consistency with live materials
From Palette to Brand Kit
PhotoTones Pro ($7/month) packages extracted brand colors into deliverables agencies and freelancers need:
- Print-ready brand guide PDF inside a ZIP
- W3C design tokens and Tokens Studio JSON
- Figma Variables JSON for design handoff
- Light and dark theme CSS
- Adobe ASE for Creative Cloud workflows
Read How to Choose Brand Colors from a Logo for the full strategic workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colors should a brand palette include?
A typical brand palette includes 1 primary color, 1–2 secondary colors, 1 accent, and 1–2 neutrals. PhotoTones extracts up to 6 colors free (12 on Pro) from a logo or brand photo in one pass.
Can I create a brand guidelines document from extracted colors?
Yes. PhotoTones Pro ($7/month) exports a brand kit ZIP with a print-ready brand guide, all code exports, Figma JSON, theme CSS, and preview images — ready to send to clients.
Should I extract brand colors from a logo or a photo?
Start with the logo for core brand colors, then extract from product photography or lifestyle images for extended palette tones that reflect brand mood and application contexts.
How do I check brand color contrast for accessibility?
PhotoTones Pro ($7/month) includes a WCAG contrast grid that shows AA and AAA pass/fail ratios for every color pair in your extracted brand palette. You can also verify pairs with the WebAIM Contrast Checker.
Should a brand palette include dark mode colors?
Yes — modern brand systems define light and dark theme variants. PhotoTones Pro exports light and dark theme CSS from extracted colors. See Dark Mode Color Palette from an Image for the full workflow.