A colour system is not a list of swatches. It is a set of decisions about which colour does what, and when.
Roles, not favourites
I give every colour a job: background, text, highlight, warning. Once roles are clear, clients stop asking for new colours and start using the ones they have properly.
Test in the worst conditions
A palette that works on a calibrated screen can fail on a cheap printer or a phone in sunlight. I test every system on uncoated paper and on the oldest phone in the studio.
- One colour that means the brand
- Two that support it
- Neutrals that make everything readable