Colour Terminology

Hue

Hue refers to the colour of an object, so when you talk about something being red, green, or blue, for example, we are talking about its hue.

Tone

A tone is created when grey is added to a pure hue. The tone appears duller or softer looking than the pure hue and can be used to create a vintage feel, or, depending on the hue, provide sophistication or elegance.

Shade

A shade is a pure hue that has been mixed with black to produce a darker colour. These are often used as an alternative to black.

Tint

A tint is produced when a pure hue is combined with white to produce a lighter colour. Tints can be used to create pastel colours, which are often used to make the design more feminine or vintage looking and are also used on websites aimed at parents of young children.

Saturation

Saturation refers to the intensity, strength or purity of a hue, or, to put it another way, the absence of black, white or grey. The higher the level of black, white or grey, the lower the saturation.

Value

Value, or brightness, as it is also known, refers to how light or dark a colour is. The lighter the colour, the higher the value.