{"id":67478,"date":"2021-06-29T09:59:56","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T06:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/?p=67478"},"modified":"2023-07-24T14:15:35","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T11:15:35","slug":"pastel-colors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/pastel-colors\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Using Pastel Colors in Graphic Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Picture this: sun, holiday, happy thoughts. A walk down a street with buildings full of history and all of them painted in soft pastels. You feel relaxed, without a care in the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if they are associated with a delicate look, pastels can make a strong impression on people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now imagine this feeling captured in ad visuals or other marketing campaign assets.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of the powerful impact they have without you even realizing it, today we’ll focus on the use of pastel in graphic design, and not only. \"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll talk about what pastels are, the different pastel color palettes, and how to use them in a sophisticated way to <\/span>make ads that are powerful<\/span><\/a> and send the right message.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A. What Are Pastel Colors?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

B. What Is a Pastel Color Palette?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

C. The Psychology of Pastel Colors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

D. Types of Pastels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

E. Pastel Color Palettes <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

F. Which Colors Complement Pastels?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

G. 6 Design Tips for Using Pastel Colors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

H. Where to Use Pastels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Let’s dive right in and start with what pastel colors are.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>A. What Are Pastel Colors?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Pastel colors, also known as \u201ctints,\u201d are the softer versions of primary and secondary colors obtained by adding white to the original color.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, pale pink is red with a certain amount of white in it. The more white you add, the paler and softer it gets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You’ll get a mild color through this color mix that still keeps its power due to initially being a pure hue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their muted look doesn’t minimize their impact. Still, it rather gives you the freedom to create many versions of pastel color palettes for your designs without risking making a negative impact on the viewer, unlike bright color palettes, which require much more attention to color theory<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

And since I mentioned it, and you know what pastel colors are, let\u2019s see what defines a pastel color palette.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>B. What Is a Pastel Color Palette?<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"pastel<\/p>\n

A pastel color palette combines two or more pastel colors that go perfectly well together, creating a harmonious look for your design. Whenever you need to discover colors you should pick for your palette, you can always consult the Pantone pastel colors<\/a>, which also come with pastel colors RGB models.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, you can search for these tints and their codes on <\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can take pastel hex codes from both these places.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many ways to mix them and various choices for you to pick, and we\u2019re going to see them later on in the article, together with pastel colors hex codes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before that, we will look at the psychological impact pastel colors have on people and why you shouldn\u2019t exclude them from your designs.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>C. The Psychology of Pastel Colors<\/b><\/h2>\n

Probably the first thing that draws your attention and makes you form a perception regarding a design or a certain object is their color.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Colors strongly influence human behavior. This gives you an important edge when creating visuals for your marketing campaigns because you have the power to shift human perception to your advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

This doesn’t mean you have to use extremely vibrant colors to send a message because pastels, too, have a unique way of tapping into people’s emotions.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we saw earlier, pastel colors are a combination of primary or secondary colors with a certain amount of white, resulting in a shade that makes them bold and soothing at the same time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can use their duality and explore the many possibilities of creating designs based on pastels.<\/span><\/p>\n

The essential aspect you need to start with is understanding which colors you should use according to the people you\u2019re targeting with your visual content. That\u2019s because while for some people, pastel colors are a better facilitator in communication, others can perceive pastels as cold and superficial, with no significant meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s learn about the power of pastel colors.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. They have a calming effect<\/b><\/h3>\n

Pastel colors are less saturated than original colors, which gives them a more calming effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baby blue pastel, pastel pink, and pale yellow are the universally accepted colors for children’s rooms. However, don’t think about using them only in this situation because you’re wasting a huge potential they could have in graphic design.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you use them correctly in your visuals, they\u2019ll offer the feeling of calmness, cleanliness, and white space, allowing your audience to engage with your designs and understand your message clearly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"pastel<\/p>\n

Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n

2. They are uplifting<\/b><\/h3>\n

Due to their appeasing influence, pastel colors have the power to uplift someone\u2019s mood just by looking at a design based on a pastel color palette.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because they\u2019re a constant reminder of positive feelings, a well-thought-out pastel visual can raise feelings of optimism in its viewer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like this Instagram profile from Mirabeau<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"maisonmirabeau<\/p>\n

3. They equal spring and vacation<\/b><\/h3>\n

During the Victorian period, the holiday became a new social trend in Europe\u2019s middle class, and together with it came the pastels. People embraced the soft colors of their umbrellas and clothes on the beach, forgetting all about the dark colors associated with winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is why people create an instant connection between pastels and spring, holiday, or fresh beginnings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Look just how refreshing this pastel pink Instagram theme is.<\/p>\n

\"pastel<\/p>\n

Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n

4. They are versatile<\/b><\/h3>\n

This is probably their biggest and most important trait. Pastel colors can help you with almost any kind of design.<\/span><\/p>\n

And here\u2019s why.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nowadays, they tend to be associated with feminism and nurseries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But, as we\u2019ve seen before, they also send holiday vibes. Moreover, in the early 20th-century, pastel colors were used by sportsmen or<\/span> gentlemen who chose to dress in pale pink polo shirts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, pastels are still present in a big part of fashion, skincare, and makeup products.<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore, if you choose a pastel color palette in graphic design, it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re targeting only women. On the contrary, pastels\u2019 history gives you the possibility to target a wide range of people.<\/span><\/p>\n

A pastel color palette offers you the perfect freedom to insert darker, more vibrant colors to highlight a certain element or text or naturally create color accents.<\/span><\/p>\n

Later<\/a> has an Instagram profile with pastel colors as a dominant theme mixed with darker colors as accents.<\/p>\n

\"latermedia<\/p>\n

5. They are simply charming<\/b><\/h3>\n

When someone\u2019s asked to think of a color related to romanticism, they\u2019ll probably say red. But pastels, especially light pink, can denote feelings of romance as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pastel color shades can also show elegance and hold a classy feel wherever you use them\u2014fashion, packaging, on your website, or when creating your designs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The only condition is to place them in the right context.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Beauty Within<\/a> used pastel colors for packaging, but also for showcasing their products on their Instagram posts.<\/p>\n

\"beautywithinn<\/p>\n

<\/a>D. Types of Pastels<\/b><\/h2>\n

You can explore many pastel color shades for your designs, especially because there are so many of them. Here are a few common and widely used pastel colors that are extremely versatile and don\u2019t overwhelm the viewer:<\/span><\/p>\n