What are Complementary Colors?

Understanding Complementary Colors

The color wheel can be used to illustrate colors that complement each other. When placed next to each other, these two colors create a high level of contrast, which is one reason why complementary colors are sometimes referred to as opposite colors in color theory. Another explanation for this name is that complementary colors are located on opposite ends of a color wheel, whether you’re using a RBG or RYB color wheel.

Why Do Complementary Colors Look Good Together?

When used together as part of a design, complementary colors can look especially pleasing to the eye. This is because of how the human eye functions. Inside your eye’s retina, there are receptors called cones that respond to different colors of light and allow you to see in color.

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However, if you stare at one color for a prolonged period, the cones in your eye that process blue light will become fatigued, weakening the signal they send to your brain. When you look away from that color and fix your eyes on a white wall or piece of paper, you’ll see an afterimage in an opposite, or complementary, color.¹ What you’re seeing is the white spectrum of light from the wall, but cone fatigue is making it difficult for your eyes to process the light from the color you were originally looking at, so the afterimage will appear as the opposite color on a color wheel.

Complementary colors look especially dynamic together because they play up each other’s intensity while appearing balanced since they equally stimulate different parts of the eye. It’s a natural illusion that adds energy and draws the eye.

Examples of Complementary Color Combinations

In the traditional red, yellow, blue color wheel, the complementary color combinations are as follows:

• red and green
• yellow and purple
• blue and orange
• red-orange and blue-green
• yellow-orange and blue-violet
• yellow-green and red-violet

Whether you’re decorating your space and looking for the right color throw pillows to go with your couch and rug, or choosing an outfit for a special occasion, knowing your complementary color combinations can help in a big way.

But if you’re a web designer using a red, green, blue color wheel, the complementary colors are:

• red and cyan
• green and magenta
• blue and yellow
• orange and azure
• chartreuse green and violet
• spring green and rose

These color combinations can work to your advantage if you’re designing a website or preparing a compelling digital presentation. Keep your audience’s attention with well-designed slides.