Complementary colors exist directly across from one another on the color wheel. These colors have high contrast to one another and can make your design boldly stand out with high contrast. However, if used improperly, they can be very visually jarring.

Generally speaking, when using complementary colors, you do not want to use them equally in your design. You want to pick one of the hues as your main color, then use the complementary color to highlight and to make certain important items stand out.

These contrasting color schemes can be found in nature as well and can lend a vibrant, yet natural, feel to a design. Take, for example, orange coral standing out in the blue of the ocean, or lavender against the soft green of the foliage.

Examples of complementary color combinations:

Red and green.
Blue and orange.
Yellow and purple.
Yellow-green and red-purple.
Red-orange and blue-green.