Hello class, bad news I’m afraid: Mrs. Cabbagestalk is still away doing jury duty.

I’m starting to suspect she’s dragging the case out to avoid this half term! (There are also rumours in the staff room that she’s the one on trial, but you didn’t hear that from me). So, open your textbooks and let’s get through another lesson together.

For those of you who turned up last time, we learned all about logo files, and how to navigate the properties each one has. This will hopefully have saved us all some time and stress. Today, we’re getting a crash course in all things colour.

This is important because if you get things wrong, your brand gets very sick and dies. A bit like that peace lily that gets all dramatic when you move it three inches along the windowsill.

Using colour incorrectly will cause inconsistencies, leading to erosion of confidence from your audience. And let’s not forget that it can lead to wasted money if things need reprinting.

So, let’s all put on our thinking caps and learn some stuff. We’re here to protect time, money, and trust in our brand!

Why is your colour palette important?

Your logo is unique to you, and helps people identify when something is connected to your business. Think websites, business cards, brochures, and social media banners. The main company logo itself is one recurring element, but the same is true for your colour palette. If you used a random assortment of colours each time you sent anything out, it would cause confusion and weaken any association with your brand.

The colours themselves need to work as a coherent set, so it’s common to find two or three primary brand colours, and four or five secondary brand colours in a palette. I wrote this piece about colour a while back, which digs a bit deeper.

But when you’ve got your colour palette, what then? Do you have one central code that you plug into everything to ensure consistency? The answer is “kind of”, but with an important caveat: colours behave differently in a digital and print environment.

So, as with many things in life, context is king. Knowing what you’re trying to do will inform the colour information you need.

What are colour codes?

Your brand colours can be written down as different sets of numbers or codes. These tell screens, printers, and software exactly how they should be displayed.

The most common colour codes you’ll be asked for are:

• RGB (R = red, G = green, B= blue)
• HEX (a six-digit code for digital colour)
• CMYK (C= cyan, M= magenta, Y= yellow, K= key, meaning black)
• Pantone, often shortened to “PMS” (for precise physical colour matching).

Depending on where your colour is being used, you’ll need the right code for the right setting.

Digital v print: Is it really that different?

Here’s a simple way to remember it:

• RGB & HEX: for anything that lights up (screens).
• CMYK & Pantone: for anything that gets printed (paper, signage, pens).

Digital colour uses the RGB model, where the primary colours of light are combined in various combinations to give us around 16.7 million individual colours. Because light is the source of the colour, RGB colours can be much brighter and vibrant than their printed counterparts.

So, for RGB, think digital stuff:

• Websites
• Email newsletters
• Social media graphics

Printed colour will use a medium, usually a combination of inks. Think about your office or home printer. It’ll likely have 4 cartridges that combine to create the colours you need: cyan (the bright blue), magenta (the bright pink), yellow, and black. Because light isn’t a factor here, you’re limited to slightly duller colours than you can achieve in a digital setting. The printer you use and the paper it’s printed on mean that colours can vary, even with the same CMYK codes. If you need perfect colour matching, Pantone inks can be used (we’ll get onto this later on).

For CMYK and Pantone, think printed stuff:

• Business cards
• Printed brochures
• Exhibition stands

Each system speaks a different language. So, if a printer asks for CMYK and you give them RGB, they’ll either guess (bad) or send it back (slightly less bad, but still annoying).

Can we see some examples of these colour codes?

We sure can:

• RGB: To remind us, this stands for red, green, and blue, the light-based colours your screen uses to display everything. You’ll usually see these written like: R: 146, G: 201, B: 178 (which makes the Yardstick mint green).
• HEX: This is a six-digit code that starts with a #, like #92C9B2. It’s just another way of writing RGB, but it’s what web developers and most digital platforms use. Perfect for websites and email templates.
• CMYK: Again, this is cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). This is the colour language of printers. A typical code might be: C: 43, M: 3, Y: 35, K: 0. Use this when setting up artwork for brochures, flyers, and business cards.
• Pantone: Think of Pantone colours as the paint swatches of the design world. Each colour has a name or number, like “Pantone 281 C”. These are mostly used when exact colour matching is crucial, like on branded merchandise or professional stationery.

Class dismissed… until next time

While you all rush off, I hope this has been helpful! We know our RGB from our CMYK, so we’re one step closer to brand consistency. #EFBF04 stars all around!

In future lessons, we’ll tackle more branding topics that feel confusing at first but are easy when you know how, like fonts and file types.

Until then, if you’re battling colour chaos, or your HEX codes have got the #0000FFs, email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300.