Lean into the bold power of monochromatic color schemes with this complete guide to using the shades, tints, and tones of a single color in your designs. Plus discover FREE monochromatic color palettes for 2024.
We often think of a color scheme as consisting of multiple colors, but one of the most powerful color combinations you can choose is, in fact, a monochrome color scheme.
Far from one-dimensional, monochromatic color schemes bring strength and style to designs, and also happen to be a huge color trend for 2024.
Here, we’ll uncover what monochromatic color actually means, the benefits of using monochrome in your designs, and suggest on-trend 2024 color palettes with a monochromatic theme.
License these images via Storm is Me, paralisart, and Wirestock Creators.
What Is a Monochromatic Color Scheme?
The word monochrome originates from Greek roots, a combination of monos (one) and khroma (color). As the name implies, monochromatic color schemes are based around one color.
Monochromatic color schemes use the shades, tints, and tones of a single color taken from the 12 colors of the color spectrum.
A base color, such as red, can be darkened with black to create a shade, lightened with white to create a tint, or desaturated with gray to create a tone. These various hues are then combined to create a graduating color scheme, leading the viewer through every facet of the base color.
Monochromatic color schemes use the shades, tints, and tones of a single color taken from the 12 colors of the color spectrum.
A loosely monochromatic scheme is not so strict with using exclusively shades, tints, and tones of one color. It may also incorporate slightly varied colors that include aspects of other hues.
As an example of a loosely monochromatic scheme, red might be teamed with pink (which is a light tint of red, with the addition of white), burgundy red (which includes a little brown or even purple), and cayenne red (which is a lighter shade of mahogany red).
The overall scheme is “red” in character, as all the shades share a red base, but this type of monochromatic scheme also brings different color characteristics to a project.
Monochromatic color doesn’t have to equate to one-dimensional. In these examples, different shades of red—including crimson, scarlet, and mulberry, as well as red’s related tint, pink—are pulled together to create monochromatic schemes with depth and interest. License these images via Savvapanf Studio, Creative Lab, and ImageFlow. Packaging design for Blond hair care by YUNGBLD Studio.
Analogous Color Schemes vs. Monochromatic Color Schemes
Analogous color schemes involve colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, creating a harmonious and cohesive look. This scheme creates a sense of unity and can be easy on the eyes.
On the other hand, monochromatic color schemes involve using different shades and tints of the same color. This creates a cohesive and unified look as well, as the colors all stem from the same base color.
However, monochromatic schemes can lack contrast and may be less visually stimulating compared to analogous color schemes.
Why Should You Use Monochromatic Color?
You should consider using monochrome colors in your designs for the simple fact that monochromatic color packs a serious color punch! By using the variations of a single color, you can maximize the aesthetic and psychological impact of that color.
Let’s say you want to fully harness the vitality and healing energy of green. A monochromatic green scheme will offer an interesting, diverse take on the color, while also packing the palette full of green’s psychological impact.
Monochromatic color schemes are also seriously on-trend! In line with the penchant for ’90s-inspired monochrome on the catwalks, single-color dressing is a huge fashion trend for 2024.
Matching sets and trouser suits are revising the old-school reputation of matching your clothes to your accessories, making for a thoroughly modern color trend that’s proving popular with the street style set in Milan, New York, and Paris.
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Monochromatic color schemes also happen to be incredibly easy to use, making them a simple strategy for brands looking to make a colorful impact without the fuss.
Since you don’t have to worry about pairing complementary colors together to create a monochrome color scheme, you can focus on simply selecting the base color you feel fits best with the brand in mind.
Marketing a pharmaceutical brand? A healing green monochrome scheme is a nice choice. Want to inject a sports brand with energy? A monochromatic orange palette will give your designs a go-getting dynamism.
In terms of brand memorability, using a monochromatic color scheme is also a tried-and-tested technique for improving brand recall and for reinforcing a brand identity. Think of some of the most popular brands in the world—it’s likely you associate these with one color alone.
Nike (black), Coca-Cola (red), and McDonald’s (yellow) are just a few examples of brands who have stuck to monochromatic or loosely monochromatic color schemes in their brand identities to reinforce the memorability of their logo or advertising.
Overall, using a monochromatic color scheme is both easy and effective, and represents a simple yet impactful way of creating memorable branding and marketing designs.
Now that you know why you should use monochromatic color in your designs, read on to discover five stylish monochromatic color schemes that offer a fresh take on monochrome color.
From neon magenta purple to cafe au lait’s neutral colors, you’ll find a monochrome scheme to suit a range of projects, from social media designs to website layouts.
License these images via Ron Adar, FashionStock.com, and FashionStock.com.
5 Monochromatic Color Palettes to Use Now
The best monochrome color schemes incorporate tints, tones, and shades of a color family to build depth into the palette. By incorporating a graduating range of related hues, you can avoid creating flat, one-dimensional designs. You’ll know you’ve hit the sweet spot when the intensity of color literally bursts from the page, making the viewer feel enveloped in a particular color.
Below, you’ll find 5 FREE monochrome color schemes, which suggest HEX code color swatches to incorporate into digital designs for social media, websites or apps. These lively and vibrant color palettes are designed to give a fresh take on monochrome styling, using unusual colors such as magenta purple, oxblood red and Majorelle Blue. Simply right-click on a palette you love to save or pin it to a moodboard.
1. Neon Purple Monochromatic Palette
Magenta purple provides the base color for this neon purple monochrome palette, which includes tones, tints and hues of violet and magenta. Include a neon note of electric purple to bring this monochromatic scheme to life on websites and social media designs, and create contrast with paler, duskier tints of magenta purple.
2. Green Monochrome Color Palette
An entirely green scheme really brings out the vitality and lushness of this verdant shade, making for designs that feel calm and enveloping.
In this monochrome green color palette, we shift towards the blue end of the green spectrum, with a range of jungle-inspired colors that incorporate slight tones of blue and gray, creating a cool and calming scheme.
Dark forest green is teamed with jungle green and related tints of pale jade and foam green.
3. Blue Monochrome Color Palette
In Morocco, blue is considered a sacred color, symbolic of the infinite and the absolute, bringing tranquility to those who surround themselves with shades of the hue. In the city of Chefchaouen, the streets and houses are blue-washed, maximizing the all-encompassing effect of this captivating color.
In this monochromatic blue color scheme, we look to Majorelle Blue, a fresh and vibrant blue that was named by the French artist Jacques Majorelle, who took inspiration from the intense blue colors he saw in use on traditional Moroccan buildings.
Very deep peacoat blue is teamed with indigo blue, cobalt, and Majorelle blue for a graduating blue scheme that builds from a dark base to a beautifully vibrant blue top note.
4. Neutral Monochrome Color Palette
Neutral colors are a great choice for creating calming and soothing monochrome projects. With neutral colors like beige, sand, and cream, look for a common undertone in the colors to create a seamless graduating monochrome palette.
In this neutral monochrome palette, all the neutral colors have a slight hint of warm pink and brown, allowing them to work together seamlessly. Working from a base tone of cafe au lait, the palette builds in pale tan brown and dusty pink to create a warm, cocooning color scheme that would work beautifully for soothing interior spaces.
5. Red Monochrome Color Palette
Red is such a beautiful color with so many variations, both aesthetically and psychologically. Bright reds like crimson and scarlet are passionate and fiery, while deep blood reds are more grounded and luxurious.
In this red monochrome color palette, you can combine the old world luxury of deep cabernet red and burgundy with brighter tones of scarlet red to create a complex red color palette with plenty of depth and drama.
Color Theory Inspiration
Finding color theory inspiration for your designs is important simply because color has a huge impact on how people perceive and interact with your design. By understanding color theory, you can create design projects that evoke certain emotions, communicate effectively, and create a cohesive and visually appealing overall aesthetic.
Color theory inspiration can help you choose the right color combinations, create harmony in your designs, and ultimately make your work more engaging and impactful.
For more color resources visit the Shutterstock Colors Page!
Conclusion: Monochrome Isn’t Monotone!
Designers might be put off using monochrome color schemes in fear of the result being one-dimensional, but with careful consideration of how to build up tints, tones, and shades into the color palette, a monochrome scheme is the absolute opposite of boring.
Brimming with colorful intensity and enveloping vibrancy, monochromatic schemes are not only easy to use but a proven effective brand strategy for boosting the impact and memorability of designs.
Equipped with your new monochrome confidence, why not delve into the meaning and psychology of colors, to help you decide which hue to use in your next branding project?
License this cover image via Ron Adar, FashionStock.com, and FashionStock.com.
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