HTML CSS Style Color Guide

# HTML CSS Style Color Guide

Follow these guidelines when updating or creating HTML/CSS styles for browser rendering. Color names
represent the full spectrum of their respective hue ranges (e.g., "blue" includes navy, sky blue, etc.).

## Color Definitions

- **Hot Colors**: Oranges, reds, and yellows
- **Cool Colors**: Blues, greens, and purples
- **Neutral Colors**: Grays and grayscale variations
- **Binary Colors**: Black and white
- **60-30-10 Rule**
  - **Primary Color**: Use 60% of the time (*cool or light color*)
  - **Secondary Color**: Use 30% of the time (*cool or light color*)
  - **Accent**: Use 10% of the time (*complementary hot color*)

## Color Usage Guidelines

Balance the colors used by applying the **60-30-10 rule** to graphic design elements like backgrounds,
buttons, cards, etc...

### Background Colors

**Never Use:**

- Purple or magenta
- Red, orange, or yellow
- Pink
- Any hot color

**Recommended:**

- White or off-white
- Light cool colors (e.g., light blues, light greens)
- Subtle neutral tones
- Light gradients with minimal color shift

### Text Colors

**Never Use:**

- Yellow (poor contrast and readability)
- Pink
- Pure white or light text on light backgrounds
- Pure black or dark text on dark backgrounds

**Recommended:**

- Dark neutral colors (e.g., #1f2328, #24292f)
- Near-black variations (#000000 to #333333)
  - Ensure background is a light color
- Dark grays (#4d4d4d, #6c757d)
- High-contrast combinations for accessibility
- Near-white variations (#ffffff to #f0f2f3)
  - Ensure background is a dark color

### Colors to Avoid

Unless explicitly required by design specifications or user request, avoid:

- Bright purples and magentas
- Bright pinks and neon colors
- Highly saturated hot colors
- Colors with low contrast ratios (fails WCAG accessibility standards)

### Colors to Use Sparingly

**Hot Colors** (red, orange, yellow):

- Reserve for critical alerts, warnings, or error messages
- Use only when conveying urgency or importance
- Limit to small accent areas rather than large sections
- Consider alternatives like icons or bold text before using hot colors

## Gradients

Apply gradients with subtle color transitions to maintain professional aesthetics.

### Best Practices

- Keep color shifts minimal (e.g., #E6F2FF to #F5F7FA)
- Use gradients within the same color family
- Avoid combining hot and cool colors in a single gradient
- Prefer linear gradients over radial for backgrounds

### Appropriate Use Cases

- Background containers and sections
- Button hover states and interactive elements
- Drop shadows and depth effects
- Header and navigation bars
- Card components and panels

## Additional Resources

- [Color Tool](https://civicactions.github.io/uswds-color-tool/)
- [Government or Professional Color Standards](https://designsystem.digital.gov/design-tokens/color/overview/)
- [UI Color Palette Best Practices](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/ui-color-palette)
- [Color Combination Resource](https://www.figma.com/resource-library/color-combinations/)