Gradients are a popular graphic design technique that has been holding strong for years now. Luckily for designers, this amazing trend is showing no signs of fading away! If you want to make your design unique and eye-catching, gradients are the best way to go. From this guide, you’ll find out how to use the magical power of gradients to your advantage!
Gradient is a smooth, nuanced blend between several colors or several tones of the same color. A gradient can contain different shades of one and the same color (e.g. from light green to dark green), two colors (e.g., blue and orange), or a whole gamut of colors (e.g., yellow, blue, violet, and red).
Gradient is also referred to as a color progression, or color scale. Gradients perform a bunch of important tasks.
Depending on how color transitions are arranged, gradients come in several types. Let’s focus on the main 5 types of gradients.
Color progression is a versatile design technique that works great both online and offline, from packaging to mobile apps.
Mozilla Firefox and Instagram, Messenger and PlayStation 2…The list can go on and on! A whole lot of big-name brands are using the power of color progressions in order to:
Web design opens up a myriad of opportunities for using gradients. Designers apply color progressions to:
Gradients help create a visual hierarchy that allows you to manage the attention of your target audience and guide them through the page.
Gradients can visually elevate both the icon and the interface of your app.
Gradients have a variety of uses on social media as well. Businesses use gradients to visually enhance:
Whether it’s a website banner, target ads on socials or highway billboards, gradients never fail to catch the viewers’ attention.
Gradients can work wonders on your printed designs, such as business cards, booklets, how to create a business flyer, and posters. Apply gradients on background images, titles, and other elements. Be careful, though, because color progressions do not always display correctly in print.
When choosing a print shop, make sure it meets your requirements and can bring your design to life just the way you want it. It might be a good idea to print a sample to be able to assess the quality. Want to learn more about how to prepare your files for print? Read our guide How to Choose the Best Color Scheme for Print and Screen.
Gradients look great across a variety of surface textures, from paper, to plastic, to fabric. Think about what color combination matches your selected surface best.
Creating a high-quality gradient that brings out the best in your brand requires a good deal of work.
Here are the key rules to follow when selecting the best colors for your gradient.
1. Colors must match
The best way to compile a successful color combination is by using a color wheel. If you’re working with different shades of the same color, pick a monochrome palette. If you’re using two different colors, opt for a complementary or analogue palette. Eyeing more hues for your gradient? Then pick a triadic or tetradic palette.
2. Colors must go in line with your brand identity
If, say, your brand color is red, you don’t want to make a gradient from blue and green. When creating gradients, it’s important that you use your corporate hues that reflect your company’s personality. Don’t have brand colors yet? With the ZenBusiness brand identity constructor, you’ll get professional color palettes that fit your brand like a glove!
3. Colors must evoke the right associations
Who are your potential clients? What are their tastes and interests? What emotions do you want them to experience when looking at your gradients? Each color has its unique meanings and connotations. For example, red charges everyone with energy, pink radiates romantic vibes, and blue transcends reliability and serenity. Study your target audience to find out what things they’re looking for in your brand.
The fact that gradients look good on a variety of surfaces doesn’t mean that you have to use them everywhere. Choose the elements — physical, digital, or both — that you want to highlight and enhance them with color progressions.
Think about where you want the viewers’ attention to go. For example, a CTA button can have a linear gradient, while photos will look good with diamond gradients.
There is no lack of smart ways to make your color progression even more visually pleasing. Check out some of them!
Don’t be afraid to play around with visual effects! Try different options to eventually pick the best one.
CSS is a vital website development tool. Simply put, it’s a language that describes the appearance of HTML documents, including gradients. CSS code allows developers to set up every characteristic of a color transition, from colors, to shape, to order of arrangement. Here’s an example of CSS gradient:
background: rgb(2,0,36);
background: radial-gradient(circle, rgba(2,0,36,1) 0%, rgba(0,212,255,1) 100%);
When creating a gradient with one of the numerous online tools, you can copy the gradient’s CSS code and add it to your website.
Depending on your design skills, you can create a gradient all by yourself or with the help of special tools.
If you have basic skills working in graphic editors, you can use one of them to craft a nice gradient.
In Photoshop, you can apply gradients to text, graphics, and images. Upload the file to Photoshop and pick “Gradient” in the tool panel. Select the area you want to apply your gradient to. Set up the type, colors, transparency, and other parameters of the gradient.
Use this service only if you’re willing to add a gradient to a photo. Upload the image, add a linear or radial gradient, select the right preset, and accentuate the desired elements.
If you’re a complete rookie in graphic design, you can benefit from one of the smart online services with ready-to-use gradients.
Gradients are a powerful design technique that adds personality and depth to your visual branding. When putting together a gradient, use your brand colors. Avoid applying gradients throughout your brand identity. Pick a few designs (business cards, web banners, app icon, etc.) that can benefit from color progressions most. By following these simple rules, you’ll end up with a striking gradient that will make your brand memorable and recognizable.
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