Colour Rules for Email Signatures
🎨 Maximum 2–3 Colours
Use your primary brand colour for the name/divider, a neutral for contact text (#333 or #666), and optionally your secondary brand colour for accents.
☀️ Contrast Matters
Light text on white backgrounds is unreadable. Maintain at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio. Use dark text (#333333) for contact details.
🌙 Dark Mode Safe
Avoid pure black (#000000) text — it becomes invisible in dark mode. Use #333333 or #222222. Avoid light-only colours that disappear on dark backgrounds.
Where to Use Colour
- Name: Brand colour (makes your name stand out)
- Divider/separator: Brand colour or lighter grey
- Job title: Grey or secondary colour (#666666)
- Contact details: Dark neutral (#333333)
- Links: Brand colour (underlined for clarity)
- Social icons: Brand colour or standard platform colours
Colour by Industry
| Industry | Recommended Colours | Psychology |
|---|---|---|
| Finance / Banking | Navy, dark blue, gold | Trust, stability, premium |
| Healthcare | Blue, teal, green | Calm, healing, clean |
| Legal | Navy, burgundy, charcoal | Authority, tradition |
| Tech / Startup | Blue, purple, teal | Innovation, creativity |
| Real Estate | Green, gold, navy | Growth, luxury, trust |
| Creative / Design | Any brand colour | Personality, boldness |
Common Colour Mistakes
- ❌ Using too many colours (looks unprofessional)
- ❌ Light grey text (#999 or lighter) — unreadable for many people
- ❌ Neon/fluorescent colours — looks unprofessional in business emails
- ❌ Background colours — not reliable across email clients
- ❌ Using colour alone to convey meaning (accessibility issue)
🎨 Customise your colours: Every template lets you set your brand colours. We ensure proper contrast and dark mode safety. Create your signature →