Tints and Shades are fantastic ways to expand a two or three color palette into a wide array of colors. More colors means more beautiful designs.

When it comes to designing, choosing the right shade of color is always a struggle. Colors can be so confusing, there is always a wide variety to choose from say, from bright shades like pink and yellow to dark colors like black and brown.

How do we choose the right color? Its one of the most commonly asked question, here are few steps that would help you chose the right color and  mood.

Step 1:Get familiar with the color palette

Color palette is an array of colors from light to dark, you can mix colors to get your desired color. The color palette can be sectioned as 2 parts namely,

• Bright colors(outer corners)
• Pastel colors(inner corners)

here every color will have a unique hex code,that is visible on the lower part of the color palette. Nothing these hex code lets you reuse the color when needed.

Step 2:Study the color bond

Color bond plays a key role because some color go with each other while some don’t match at all. To understand this better colors are further classified into 3 main types-

• Monochromatic color: Dark, medium and light versions of a single color.
• Analogous color: Colors that located next to each other on the palette giving a low contrast flow.
• Complementary color: Colors that are located on the opposite side of the palette giving the most dramatic contrast.

Step 3:Understanding tints and shades

In simple words tints and shades are the lighter and darker versions of the same color.

Shades = Basic color + Black color

Tints = Basic color + White color

Understanding the tints and shades makes the color selection process simple because you can keep your selection process minimal and need not worry about making your design look like a color splatter instead of professional.

It also gives your design a more professional and sleek look which leads us to cohesive branding.

Cohesive Branding as the name suggests is the process of creating a design using one basic color and range of its tints and shades. It gives a nice touch of visual identity to the design. Set a mood and blend the colors using the tints and shades to create depth and dimension.

Conclusion:When used correctly colors can change the meaning, mood and invoke your emotions.