Split the color wheel in half and you get two families. Warm colors are reds, oranges and yellows. Cool colors are greens, blues and purples. Temperature is one of the quickest ways to set a mood.
Warm colors
Warm colors feel energetic, cozy and inviting, and they seem to come toward you. Use them for appetite (restaurants), excitement (sales and events) or comfort (living rooms and autumn designs).
Cool colors
Cool colors feel calm, clean and spacious, and they seem to move away. Use them for trust (finance, health), focus (offices, apps) and freshness (spas, bathrooms, summer).
Every color has a temperature
Temperature is relative. A red with a touch of blue (crimson) is cooler than a red with a touch of yellow (tomato). Greys can be warm (with a hint of brown) or cool (with a hint of blue). Matching the temperature of your neutrals to your main color makes a palette feel harmonious.
Mixing warm and cool
Most memorable palettes use both: mostly one temperature, plus a small accent from the other. A cool navy and blue palette with a single orange button is a classic, because the warm accent pops.
Try it
Search a mood like “warm autumn” or “cool winter morning” and compare the palettes Colrify makes.