Tone
A color mixed with gray, making it more muted.
Also called tones
A tone is a color mixed with gray. It keeps the hue but loses some intensity, which makes it calmer and more sophisticated.
Many “dusty” colors, like dusty rose or sage, are tones.
Guides that cover Tone
- Pantone What Are Pantone Colors? Learn what Pantone colors are, how the Pantone Matching System and color codes work, and how Pantone compares to CMYK, RGB and HEX for print. Read on.
- Neutrals Understanding Neutral Colors Neutral colors explained: warm, cool and balanced grays, beiges and muted tones, plus how to build a neutral color palette for rooms, brands and UI.
- Light How Light Affects Color How light affects color: learn how light sources, reflection and surroundings change the colors we see, and why paint looks different at home. Read now.
- High & Low Key High-Key vs Low-Key Colors High-key vs low-key colors explained: how light and dark color schemes set mood in design, art and photography, with tips on using each well. Read the guide.
- Tints & Shades Tints, Shades, and Tones Tint, shade and tone explained: see how adding white, black or gray changes a base color, and how to use each to build richer palettes. Read the quick guide.
- Warm & Cool What Is Color Temperature? Color temperature explained: how Kelvin is measured, warm vs cool light and colors, and how temperature affects lighting, design and photos. Read the guide.
- HSL What are HSL colors? HSL color explained: how hue, saturation and lightness define a color, how the HSL color space differs from RGB, and how to use HSL and HSLA in CSS. Read on.