Tetradic Colors: Four-Color Mastery
The most complex harmony — two complementary pairs for comprehensive brand systems.
The Tetradic Rectangle
Four colors forming a rectangle on the wheel — essentially two complementary pairs
Blue ↔ Orange (pair 1) • Green ↔ Pink (pair 2)
Understanding Tetradic Harmony
Tetradic (also called rectangular or double-complementary) schemes use four colors arranged into two complementary pairs. This creates the richest possible palette while maintaining mathematical harmony.
The colors form a rectangle on the color wheel, with each diagonal representing a complementary relationship. This means you have maximum variety — warm and cool colors, high and low contrast options.
Advanced Warning
Tetradic is the hardest scheme to balance. With four competing colors, chaos is one wrong decision away. If you're new to color theory, start with analogous or split-complementary first.
Tetradic Palette Examples
When Tetradic Makes Sense
✓ Use When
- • Building comprehensive brand systems
- • Data visualization with 4+ categories
- • Large websites with many sections
- • Products needing variety (seasonal)
- • Gaming and entertainment brands
✗ Avoid When
- • You're new to color theory
- • The brand needs simplicity
- • Working on single-page designs
- • Minimal/clean aesthetic required
- • Time is limited for testing
The Key to Tetradic Success
The secret is brutal hierarchy. Even though you have four colors, treat them unequally:
Dominant (50-60%)
Your primary brand color — backgrounds, headers
Secondary (20-25%)
Supporting color — cards, sections
Tertiary (10-15%)
Accent color — buttons, links, icons
Accent (5-10%)
Rare highlights — alerts, special badges
Balancing Tips
- 1
Never give equal weight
If all four colors appear equally, the design will feel chaotic. Commit to hierarchy.
- 2
Separate complementary pairs
Don't place direct complements adjacent to each other — add neutrals between them.
- 3
Desaturate for sophistication
Muted tetradic palettes feel refined; saturated ones feel playful or chaotic.
- 4
Use neutrals liberally
White, black, and gray provide crucial visual rest. Learn more in our Color Roles guide.
Generate Balanced Tetradic Palettes
Our AI handles the complexity — generating tetradic schemes with proper hierarchy and supporting neutrals built in.
Create Your Palette