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What are Complementary Colors?

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Complementary colors are colors that cancel each other out when combined to produce a grayscale color between white and black. When placed side-by-side, complementary colors have the highest possible contrast with one another. This has implications for aesthetics and practical applications. For example, life vests are often designed to be orange as this complements the blue color of the sea, thus maximizing visibility.
Overview: Complementary Colors
Function
Color Theory
Design
Definition
Colors that cancel each other out when combined to create a grayscale color.
Value
Maximizing or avoiding color contrast
Examples
blue & orange
red & green
purple & yellow
Related Concepts
Analogous Color

Color Theory

This is the complete list of articles we have written about color theory.
Analogous Color
Chroma
Color
Color Combinations
Color Depth
Color Harmony
Color is Real
Color Perception
Color Purity
Color Saturation
Color Scheme
Color Space
Color Symbolism
Color Temperature
Colorimetry
Complementary Colors
Corporate Colors
Heat Map
Hue
Impossible Colors
Lightness
Matching
Monochromatic Color
Primary Colors
Rainbow Colors
Saturation
Spectral Color
Tints And Shades
Visible Spectrum
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