How to Incorporate Basic Color Theory in Your Wristband Designs

Colors are important elements in any type of design. But it’s especially true when designing for small accessories like silicone wristbands. Typically, a bracelet’s primary color represent a movement, a support group, or any cause. This is similar to how pink has come to symbolize breast cancer awareness and how red is for AIDS awareness.

But it’s not enough for the colors to simply match a cause’s message or a company’s branding. Using the wrong colors or accents can throw off any design. With wristbands, this could make the name and logo disappear and be hardly readable. It can also make for a drab and unappealing look that just won’t catch any attention. Hence, it’s best to refer to the basics of color theory if you want to get the best out of your wristbands. To help you out, we have three simple combinations for you to try out: complementary, analogous, and triadic colors.

Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are colors that match each other visually through contrast. When looking at the color wheel, these two colors are on opposite ends of the color wheel. This stark difference leaves an immediate impact on any viewer. Common examples are orange and blue, red and green, purple and yellow, and so on.

But care should still be taken when it comes to using complementary colors. Both colors are meant to highlight and not overpower each other. Hence, one color should always be subordinate to another, appearing much less in the design. This can make for a striking and dynamic look that is sure to attract attention.

Analogous Colors

Analogous colors are those that are close together on the color wheel. Hence, analogous colors would be the colors from red to yellow, green to blue, etc.  This type of color combination takes advantage of the similarities between what are called warm (red to yellow) and cool (green to blue violet) colors.

When used correctly, some designs can showcase a gradient or marbling effect in their design. Analogous colors are best for choosing a color combination that is easy to work with. Indeed, this is a pleasant and safe palette that is also generally softer on the eyes. However, you should take care not to let two adjacent colors be your only colors in your design. This can make your message or logo hard to read.

Triadic Colors

Triadic colors are made of three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel, forming an equilateral triangle when connected with a line.  These colors are trickier to spot in the color wheel. But common triads include red, yellow, & blue, and violet, orange, & green.

Each color in the triad has to carefully balance one another, so there should always be one dominant color, one secondary color (for support), and a third color (for use as an accent). Triadic colors create the most vibrant effect out of the three color schemes, even if pale or unsaturated colors are used. Additionally, triadic colors are suitable for imprinted wristbands, as they provide more color combinations that can be incorporated into a design.


With these three color schemes in mind, it’ll be easier to create a design that will suit your needs. With complementary, analogous, and triadic colors, you can definitely enhance your bracelets’ visual impact, while also complementing your intended message.


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