Tertiary Colors
Colors made by mixing one primary with one secondary. On the traditional 12-part wheel there are six tertiaries — the intermediate hues that make palettes feel rich and considered.
The six tertiaries
Each tertiary is the midpoint between a primary and an adjacent secondary on the 12-part wheel.
Red-orange
Red + Orange · Hue ~15°
Yellow-orange
Yellow + Orange · Hue ~45°
Yellow-green
Yellow + Green · Hue ~90°
Blue-green
Blue + Green · Hue ~165° (teal)
Blue-violet
Blue + Violet · Hue ~255° (indigo)
Red-violet
Red + Violet · Hue ~315° (magenta)
Mixing rules
| Tertiary | Formula | Approx. hue |
|---|---|---|
| Red-orange | Red + Orange | 15° |
| Yellow-orange | Yellow + Orange | 45° |
| Yellow-green | Yellow + Green | 90° |
| Blue-green | Blue + Green | 165° |
| Blue-violet | Blue + Violet | 255° |
| Red-violet | Red + Violet | 315° |
Why tertiaries are useful
- More nuance — tertiaries feel more sophisticated and less obvious than pure primaries or secondaries.
- Softer accents — a red-orange accent feels warmer than pure red without being as aggressive.
- Natural palettes — blue-green (teal) and yellow-green (lime) are nature-adjacent hues and work beautifully for wellness, outdoor and organic brands.
- Rich harmonies — tetradic and split-complementary palettes often rely on tertiaries to make the harmony feel intentional rather than mechanical.
Frequently asked questions
What are tertiary colors?
A tertiary color is made by mixing one primary color with one secondary color. On the traditional RYB wheel there are exactly six: red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet and red-violet.
How do you make a tertiary color?
Mix one primary with one secondary. Red + orange = red-orange. Yellow + orange = yellow-orange. Blue + green = blue-green. The result always sits between its two parents on the wheel.
What is the difference between a secondary and a tertiary color?
A secondary comes from mixing two primaries. A tertiary comes from mixing one primary with one secondary. Tertiaries always have hyphenated names because they sit between two named colors.
Why do tertiaries matter in design?
They are the most useful colors for refined palettes. Because they are less saturated and less obvious than the primaries and secondaries, they work well for surfaces, subtle accents and details. A palette built only from primaries and secondaries often feels harsh; tertiaries soften it.