The science of business card color combinations<\/h2>\n\n\n\nColor wheel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The color wheel<\/a> is a pictorial representation of how colors appear in light. Essentially, it\u2019s the rainbow rendered in circular form. Designers create color schemes using the relative location of each color on this wheel. This approach takes the guesswork out of finding color combinations\u2014the results are mathematically assured!<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Image needed: color wheel diagram showing the various schemes]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the most common color wheel schemes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The color wheel is made up of primary hues\u2014that is, the pure version of the color. When crafting unique color combinations, be sure to consider saturation (adding brightness, or tint, to the hue) and value (adding darkness, or shade, to the hue). With digital color wheels (like Adobe Color<\/a>), saturation and value are usually represented by depth, with the center being pure black and the outer rim being pure white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro tip: With a single hue (or an analogous color scheme), you can vary the saturation and value to give your business card a soft gradient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Jecakp<\/a><\/em> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Color psychology<\/a> describes the way that colors make viewers feel. Through experience and cultural reinforcement, we subconsciously associate each color with an emotion. Designers choose color combinations with these associations in mind to strategically communicate. For business cards, choose colors whose associations support one another and speak to your brand values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Image needed: something representing color psychology]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some common Western color associations are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to emotional associations, colors have a temperature, and contrasting or harmonizing these temperatures is another way to come up with dynamic color schemes. This can be literal (red for fire, blue for ice), but a more helpful way to think about temperature is energy. Bright, high energy colors read as warm, whereas mellow, muted colors will read as cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [Image needed: the below colors split up into warm and cool, maybe in another wheel shape]<\/p>\n\n\n\n Natural colors are those we associate with specific imagery in our everyday world. By drawing on the power of the environment, natural colors give a visceral, material sense in addition to emotional associations. Consider how an environmental brand uses green to symbolize earth whereas a luxury brand might use another shade of green to symbolize money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By HYPdesign<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is an infinite variety of colors you can potentially combine, but space on a business card is limited. Because color is a supporting player\u2014the actual information is the star\u2014using too many colors can distract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By conceptu<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many businesses pair a single color with neutral tones like white, black or gray. With two colors, one main color does the heavy lifting while a secondary, accent color highlights important details. Even for expert designers, three or more colors on such a small space is difficult to pull off. For your first business card design, we recommend color combinations of no more than two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond emotional communication, one of the most important jobs that color does is aid readability through contrast and emphasis. Contrast makes sure that design elements are visually distinct by setting dark colors against light colors\u2014or vice versa. Consider how hard on the eyes sunny yellow text on a lime green background would be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Rose \u274b<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Emphasis involves using color as visual landmarks to draw the eye to important details first. A common strategy is to color the icons next to the contact information so that readers can quickly find an email or phone number when they need it. This is where an accent color comes in handy\u2014the eye naturally picks out what is rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any part of a business card can receive color, but there are some common areas designers typically choose for better visual communication. First and foremost, color should be placed in a way that enhances the reading experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Bojana.<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re an established business, you may have created a logo and brand identity (if not, we\u2019ve got you covered<\/a>). In this case, your color combinations are already decided\u2014reuse those colors for your business card to foster brand consistency<\/a>. In cases where your brand colors may be too bold to adapt in large portions to a business card, introducing neutrals like black, white or gray is a great alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Arthean<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Understandably, many working professionals won\u2019t go to the trouble of creating a personal logo for their business card. If this sounds familiar, you still have to think of yourself as <\/a>a brand<\/a> in order to decide what color combinations will foster the right impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While not technically<\/em> colors, it\u2019s helpful to think of neutrals like white, black and gray as important to consider for color combinations. Keep in mind that all color combinations will interact with neutrals in addition to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Hasanssin<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Along these same lines is whitespace, sometimes called negative space\u2014the empty parts of your business card. Although whitespace is empty, that doesn\u2019t mean the viewer doesn\u2019t see it, and there\u2019s even a psychology to that emptiness. Large amounts of whitespace (whether or not it\u2019s actually white) creates a sense of lightness and serenity. A busy, full card conveys weight and boldness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Printed business cards are a tactile experience, and there are various textures<\/a> that can affect how the color is displayed. Foil adds a metallic sheen, embossing creates natural shadows and even the card material can add a roughness that deepens the color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By hyakume<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s sometimes tempting to treat these finishing touches as exactly that\u2014last minute purchases. But because they can dramatically change the way color comes across, plan for materials and textures early on in your coloring process. Even after you\u2019ve chosen your color combinations, print out a test card before putting in a full order to make sure nothing gets lost in the translation from digital to physical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ivory and gold are both associated with wealth. Gold itself can be gaudy if overused, so as an accent color, it pairs perfectly with the neutral blankness of white. This combination creates a clean, minimalist aesthetic with a subtle touch of glamor suitable for luxury brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By ultrastjarna<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In our digital age, black and silver have an immediate correlation with tech devices. This metallic color combination expresses innovation and modernity. While black on its own is somber, silver adds a touch of dashing sleekness. As a subtle pairing\u2014you might not even notice the silver foil until the light hits it\u2014this intentional subversion of attention shows confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caption: By conceptu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the suit-and-tie business world, bold colors like orange get a bad rap as childish. Pure neutrals like gray, while adequately adult, suggest lifeless conformity. But together, orange and gray invite warmth with buttoned-up professionalism, particularly when orange is the accent color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Prozmajevski<\/a><\/em> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Blues and greens have natural associations with the plants and water, making them the go-to combination for environmental brands. But somewhat contradictorily, neon varieties of blue and green are reminiscent of the unnatural lights of computers, making them a popular choice for tech or future-focused brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By smashingbug<\/a><\/em> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The combination of red and blue is reminiscent of childhood, bolstered by its popularity with superhero costumes. In their lighter forms (pink and baby blue), these colors have stronger connotations with babies. Generally, this combination is great for brands whose work involves children or may be going for nostalgic, playful\u2014even sporty\u2014effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By pecas\u2122<\/a><\/em> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even in darker shades, purple has a vibrancy that pairs well with the joyful warmth of yellow. Like most energetic color combinations, it\u2019s easy to go loud with both of these colors, which is why they are useful for bold, risk-taking brands. In the pictured example, these colors grab the viewer\u2019s attention to pique their curiosity with a cryptic logo and QR code<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By bo_rad<\/a><\/em> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Orange and blue is a classic and surprisingly versatile complementary combination. While lighter versions of each color come across as youthful, darker versions fit right at home in professional business settings. In addition to offsetting warm against cool, blue\u2019s associations with stability and trust are a perfect counterweight to the creativity and daring of orange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Jecakp<\/a><\/em> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Black and pink are a high contrast pair in more ways than one. In terms of their actual color, you have light versus dark, and in terms of their psychology, you have danger versus innocence. The colors are an irresistible pair of opposites, cuteness with an edge, for business cards that want the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Yokaona<\/a><\/em> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Red and brown (especially a lighter beige) reminds viewers of desert settings, lending a rustic ambiance to business cards. For this reason, the combination is useful for brands with a rugged, outdoorsy vibe, like a woodworking business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caption: By ludibes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n As a cool color, blue balances out sunnier hues, which is why a yellow accent can add a dose of warmth in a moody sea. Both colors naturally harmonize triggering peaceful associations (that of serenity for blue and joy for yellow) while the temperature contrast creates irresistible visual tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By Moxie Mason<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yellow and brown are an analogous earth-tone color combination. Because they lack the vibrancy of environmental colors like green or blue, this combination has a muted sensibility that evokes salt-of-the-earth maturity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By velvetmade<\/a> via 99designs by Vista<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Between visual communication and emotional resonance, color combinations do important work on business cards. While reading and understanding how color combinations work is a great start, there\u2019s no substitute for practice. With tools like VistaCreate<\/a>, you can quickly mockup business cards to test out color combinations before committing. When you\u2019re ready, you can easily upload, customize and print your business card designs<\/a> through VistaPrint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Business cards are all about making connections. Much more than simply eye-catching, the right color combinations on business cards are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":174,"featured_media":8524,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"The 12 Best Color Combinations for Business Cards | VistaPrint US","_seopress_titles_desc":"Picking the best color combination for business cards is part intuition, part science. To help demystify this process, we\u2019ll walk you through every consideration for finding the best color combination for your business card.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":{"vp_publishing_settings_post_modified":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/174"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8406"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36088,"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8406\/revisions\/36088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogadmin.vpsvc.com\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
![\"Holographic](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_2040,h_1644,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706201124\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_97128971\/attachment_97128971.png?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nColor psychology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Warm colors vs. cool colors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Natural colors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Business](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_2001,h_1500,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706209678\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_129089068-2\/attachment_129089068-2.jpeg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTips for effective color combinations on business cards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How many colors to use<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Beige](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_2001,h_1500,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706201190\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_129089068\/attachment_129089068.jpeg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nUsing color for contrast and emphasis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1836,h_1396,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706201271\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_89979442\/attachment_89979442.png?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhich business card elements typically receive color<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Green](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_2560,h_1920,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706201328\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/9d26a3d3-1293-4f3c-b69e-1dc37b8c3ef1\/9d26a3d3-1293-4f3c-b69e-1dc37b8c3ef1.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
Logo colors and branding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_2006,h_2560,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706208648\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/4be6ffe1-2751-4e52-b8b9-b33b60ad2d74\/4be6ffe1-2751-4e52-b8b9-b33b60ad2d74.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nColor combinations and black and white<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Black](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1707,h_2560,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706208749\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_92853429\/attachment_92853429.jpeg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBusiness card material<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Business](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_842,h_617,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706208812\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_41005441\/attachment_41005441.png?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBest business card color combinations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Whites and golds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1439,h_960,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706208868\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/ca1186e0-e15d-410d-bc45-fbb982e89a07\/ca1186e0-e15d-410d-bc45-fbb982e89a07.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBlacks and silvers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Black](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1900,h_1268,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706257594\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_73819515-1\/attachment_73819515-1.jpeg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGrays and oranges<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Orange](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1900,h_1268,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706208905\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_73819515\/attachment_73819515.jpeg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBlues and greens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_2016,h_1346,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706208959\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/3574776e-ddbc-4317-9c92-5d14e95eb585\/3574776e-ddbc-4317-9c92-5d14e95eb585.jpeg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nReds and blues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1476,h_1247,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706209005\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/6b7ee356-d3a3-4aac-8cbf-490b396fc109\/6b7ee356-d3a3-4aac-8cbf-490b396fc109.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPurples and yellows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1024,h_1024,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706209053\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/36c81a0c-5a27-46b7-8057-c571d8f9674a\/36c81a0c-5a27-46b7-8057-c571d8f9674a.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nOranges and blues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Orange](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_2040,h_1643,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706209099\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/attachment_89147676\/attachment_89147676.png?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBlacks and pinks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pink](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_842,h_1551,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706209242\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/8c8995c5-a6fb-4328-86a9-4970118efbf1\/8c8995c5-a6fb-4328-86a9-4970118efbf1.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nReds and browns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Red](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1200,h_846,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706257662\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/568a834f-8048-46d0-b352-99c2898072bf-1\/568a834f-8048-46d0-b352-99c2898072bf-1.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBlues and yellows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_1200,h_846,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706209313\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/568a834f-8048-46d0-b352-99c2898072bf\/568a834f-8048-46d0-b352-99c2898072bf.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYellows and browns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Yellow](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/vistaprint\/images\/w_2000,h_1653,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1706209366\/ideas-and-advice-prod\/blogadmin\/ed9fbf7a-d6e0-467d-9ac6-2a5835eee73c\/ed9fbf7a-d6e0-467d-9ac6-2a5835eee73c.jpg?_i=AA\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nGet started combining colors on your business card<\/h2>\n\n\n\n