How to Use Pastel Colors in Your Designs

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Pastel Colors

Everyone adores pastel colors, and today, we will have a brief look at how you can use them in your designs. There’s an explanation for the fascination with these calming eye-candy palettes, which are back in full force in the modern-day design industry.

Pastel colors are mostly synonymous with Easter or gender reveal celebrations, but their utility extends well beyond painted eggs and balloons filled with brightly colored confetti.

It is their light-weighted means of communicating the soft feelings of hope, joy, and harmony that we all need. So, in today’s post, we will have a look at what pastel colors are and how to use them in your designs.

What are Pastel Colors?

Pastel colors are typically described as a hue with high brightness and medium or low saturation, which implies that low-intensity colors with a high lightness or brightness can theoretically be classified as pastel colors.

This description includes three primary colors (Red, Yellow, and Blue), three secondary colors (Purple, Green, and Orange), and six tertiary colors. These colors can be seen as an expressive medium, as they are used in the compositions and drawings.

The use of this color palette has grown considerably in recent years, and a number of the colors in this family have even made it into lists of “colors of the year.” The use of pastel color palate is rapidly picking up speed and designers are increasingly opting for these as their newfound promotional theme.

Pastel colors are used to show the effectiveness and beauty of a design. The use of the color palette and the selection of the right colors for designing is the most significant and integral aspect of graphic design, but it can also be immensely complex when it comes to picking the right colors that complement your design.

The very first thing an artist or interested individual should understand is a productive and effective use of colors before beginning with their designs. This has led pastel colors to be widely regarded as one of the most effective color palettes and systems in use in this modern era of design.

Now that we are aware of the intricacies of pastel colors, let’s look at the tips that can help you in leveraging them in your designs.

Tips to Use Pastel Colors in Your Designs

Pastel shades are easier to differentiate from other colors as they are “paler” tones of existing colors. Pastel shades have a high HSV value and low saturation if you ever want to go down the color palette rabbit hole and get technical about it.

We sometimes characterize pastel colors as washed out due to the fact that they are made by combining existing colors with a lot of white. The greater the white saturation, the paler is the final color. This makes pastels tricky to work with while incorporating them into your designs.

Here are a few tips that can help you in leveraging pastel colors the right way in your designs. Let’s get started!

1. Get acquainted with the color wheel and system

The first step is to become acquainted with the paint scheme and pastel color palette that you choose to use. You must know precisely where the colors on the color wheel are, as well as which colors will be used in the design.

Designers should also know what and where all the colors on the color wheel are, from light to dark and one color mix to another, so that they can be chosen deliberately and effectively. Learn how to use and recognize various color palettes and hex codes.

Hex codes or color codes may be particularly helpful by using the same colors with different aspects of the architecture to avoid confusion.

2. Establish the color intensity

The color intensity denotes the darker or lighter equivalent of the same color and can be manipulated using the color wheel or color codes to distinguish and choose the color that needs to be used.

Changing the intensity of color produces different colors and meanings for the same color, and it is, therefore, useful to know what intensity of the color can be chosen to derive the desired pastel colors.

3. Learn about color relations used to derive pastel colors

Another critical feature of pastel color design is to first consider and explore color relationships so that they can be used carefully and accurately as needed. The simplest approach to consider color relationships is to evaluate and comprehend the role of various colors on the color palette and color wheel.

Monochromatic colors, analogous colors, and complementary colors are examples of well-known and common pastel color relationships. Familiarize yourself with how the various colors connect to one another to derive the desired pastel color, and where they can be used to denote a particular sense and style to a design.

4. Ensure your colors match with images

The type of color scheme you use is heavily influenced by the industry and brand that needs to leverage it. To align the text with the background picture or the industry concept, a visual balance must be generated among the colors. Use pastel colors that are appropriate for the background photos and the style of the brand. This makes the design appealing to the eyes and makes it more recognizable.

5. Deploy pastels as per the intended emotions

The placement of colors on the paint palette and color wheel can be divided into two categories: cold colors and warm colors. Warm shades, such as green, yellow, and red, are normally on the right. Blues, greens, pinks, and purples are examples of cool shades.

So, to elicit emotions through pastel colors, it is essential that you choose the correct color mix for your design requirements.


Conclusion

Pastel colors can elicit feelings and, when used properly, can alter the mood and meanings of a design. Pastel shades are typically chosen for their symbolism and usefulness in logo design and development for various illustrations used in brand promotions. A logo is a publicity graphic that must be appropriate for a company in a specific industry.

To add more charm and effectiveness to the template or logo, use the correct color mix of pastel shades. Although pastel colors were late entrants to the modern-day design industry, it’s only a matter of time before everyone realizes how effective and distinctive pastel shades can be.