How to pick an accent color for a UI

You have a brand color, but you are not sure it will work for buttons, links, and selected controls. A shade that looks right in a logo can be hard to read on a white interface, or too bright when it fills a large button.

Sample possible colors from your brand reference, then try them in a realistic interface before adding one to your style guide. TooLab’s Color Picker can pick a color from anywhere on your screen and show its HEX, RGB, and HSL values.

Pick and test an accent color

1. Open the Color Picker in Chrome or Edge on a computer. Picking colors from elsewhere on the screen works in those browsers. Other browsers may offer a reduced version or no screen picking.
2. Open a brand reference, such as a logo, brand board, or existing website, and keep a UI mockup visible too. If the reference has a flat color swatch, sample from its middle, away from text, edges, and shadows.
3. Pick a few candidate colors that fit the brand. Record each color’s HEX value, such as #2463EB, and its RGB and HSL values. Use the exact values from an official brand guide if you have them, rather than treating a sampled logo pixel as the definitive brand color.
4. Try each candidate on the actual interface backgrounds. Check it on a primary button, a text link, a selected control, and a small icon. Look at normal and hover or selected states if your design includes them.
5. Choose the candidate that remains clear and recognizable at the sizes and placements where people will see it. Record the selected value and its intended role in your style guide.

Judge the color in context, not just as a large swatch. A saturated shade may feel strong and clear on a small button, but overpower a whole panel. The same hue can also look different beside warm gray, pure white, or a dark background.

What the result means

The accent stands out and the label is easy to read

The color is a good candidate for that particular use. Check it on the other backgrounds and components where you plan to use it before making it a shared brand token. A color that works on a white button may not work equally well on a dark header.

The color fits the brand but the text is hard to read

Keep the hue as a starting point, but change its lightness or choose a different text color. Do not assume that a color is accessible just because it looks vivid. As a common accessibility target, normal text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. Large text needs at least 3:1. Check the actual foreground and background pairing with an accessibility checker.

The color looks different between the source and the mockup

Make sure you sampled a flat area rather than a softened edge, shadow, or gradient. A compressed image or screenshot may not preserve the original brand value, and display settings can affect how colors look. Treat the picker result as the color visible on your screen, not proof of the original design file’s exact color.

You have several close values for the same color

Choose one canonical value for the style guide and label any lighter or darker versions as separate tokens. HEX, RGB, and HSL describe the color in different formats, but they should correspond to the same sampled shade. Keeping one approved value prevents small inconsistencies across pages and components.

How to refine the color

1. Start with the brand palette. Use a color already associated with the brand, or a close variation that suits the interface. The accent should feel related to the brand without forcing a logo color into a role where it is difficult to read.
2. Adjust lightness before changing the whole hue. If a color is too pale for text or a button, try a darker version of the same hue. If it feels too heavy, try a lighter version for a background or secondary state. Keep the original token distinct from these variations.
3. Check each use against its background. Test text, button labels, icons, and control borders separately. A color can work as a decorative accent but fail as text. For text and important controls, verify contrast rather than relying only on visual judgment.
4. Keep meanings consistent. Use the accent for a clear set of roles, such as primary actions, links, or selected items. Avoid using the same color for unrelated status messages if that could confuse people. Reserve error, warning, and success colors for their established meanings.
5. Check that color is not the only signal. A selected item should also have a visible shape, border, icon, or label change. That way, the state remains understandable for people who cannot distinguish the accent from nearby colors.
6. Review the color at realistic size. Zooming into a swatch can hide problems that appear on a small icon or button. Check the design at its intended size and, where relevant, on both light and dark backgrounds.

What to record in the style guide

Give the accent a clear name and purpose, such as Primary action or Interactive accent. Include the approved HEX value, plus RGB and HSL values if your team uses them. Add small examples showing the color on approved backgrounds, with the text color that meets your contrast target.

Document any lighter or darker variants separately, and state which components may use them. For example, a bright accent might be approved for a small button but not for long paragraphs of text. Include hover, focus, and selected states if the interface needs them, and make sure each state is distinguishable without color alone.

When you sample a color, choose a plain area of the reference and record the source. If the brand has an official digital color specification, use that as the source of truth. The Color Picker is useful for checking colors on screen, while the style guide should preserve the approved values and rules your team has agreed to use.