Color chords

About color chords

Color chords are created by first choosing a base color and then picking a chord type (built on professional color theory). A spread of colors is then populated and stored in the current palette in the Swatches panel. You can then select from these colors as you design.

Example color chords created by applying different chord types to the base color in the top row.

Chord types are based on the HSL color wheel and include:

(A) Complementary—the base color and its opposite on the color wheel.
(B) Split Complementary—the base color and the colors adjacent to its opposite on the color wheel.
(C) Analogous—the base color and the colors adjacent to it on the color wheel.
(D) Accented Analogic—as for Analogous but, like Complementary, also includes the base color's opposite.
(E) Triadic—three colors spaced equally around the color wheel starting from the base color.
(F) Tetradic—four colors arranged around the color wheel in two complementary color pairs, starting from the base color. Otherwise known as 'Rectangle'.
(G) Square—four colors spaced equally around the color wheel starting from the base color.
(H) Tints—colors which vary in lightness from the base color to white.
(I) Shades—colors which vary in lightness from the base color to black.
(J) Tones—colors which vary in saturation from the base color to gray.

To create a color chord:

(Optional) On the Swatches panel, click Panel Preferences and choose an 'Add Palette' option.
Do one of the following:
- With no content selected, select a color using the Color or Swatches panel.
- Select page content with the color you wish to work with. Remember to select the appropriate color selector on the Color or Swatches panel.
On the Color panel, click the Panel Preferences menu and select a chord type from the Add Chord to Swatch pop-up menu.

About color chords

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