Create dynamic color schemes with a base color and two colors adjacent to its complement.
Controls how far apart the split complementary colors are from the true complement.
#4a6baf
Base
#000000
Complement -30°
#000000
Complement +30°
This is a preview of how your split complementary color scheme might look in a design. The background uses your base color, the heading uses the first split complementary color, and the button below uses the second split complementary color.
A split complementary color scheme is a variation of the complementary color scheme. Instead of using the color directly opposite your base color on the color wheel (the complement), it uses the two colors adjacent to the complement.
This creates a more sophisticated and balanced color scheme than a standard complementary scheme, while still maintaining strong visual contrast. Split complementary schemes offer the visual tension of complementary colors but with less intensity and more versatility.
Split complementary color schemes provide enough contrast to create visual interest in websites while being more sophisticated and less jarring than pure complementary schemes.
In posters, brochures, and marketing materials, split complementary schemes create eye-catching designs with a good balance of harmony and contrast.
Split complementary schemes can create dynamic living spaces with a sophisticated balance of contrast and harmony, making them popular for modern interior design.
In clothing and accessory design, split complementary color schemes can create bold, balanced looks that incorporate contrasting colors in a more nuanced way than pure complementary schemes.
A complementary color scheme uses two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. A split complementary scheme uses a base color and the two colors adjacent to its complement, creating a more nuanced and balanced contrast.
Yes, split complementary schemes are more forgiving than pure complementary schemes because they create less intense contrast. They're a good option for beginners who want to create visual interest without the risk of harsh color combinations.
Use your base color as the dominant color, use the split complementary colors as accents, and incorporate neutral colors like white, black, or gray to provide visual rest. Also consider using tints and shades of your three main colors for more subtlety.
While this tool maintains the same saturation and brightness across all three colors, you can manually adjust these values in your design software for more flexibility.