What Color Shirt Will My Logo Go With?

Logo and Clothing Color Combinations That Work

When shopping for custom branded merch or talking with your designer about a new color palette for your company, it's very important to start by finding a brand color scheme and logo color palette. Graphic designers know how to create brand colors and find the best color combinations for company logos, one of the most crucial features of a brand refresh or corporate merchandise buy.

From developing marketing plans and visuals to planning out corporate branded clothing and gifts such the MerchBox, custom YETI Tumblers, or embroidered Carhartt beanies; planning out logo and color combinations can prove tricky. What color represents technology? What color works well with a royal blue logo? What shirt colors go with my logo?

Read through some straightforward color theory below and ensure that your company's branded clothing and merchandise look great for years to come. Find the best logo color combinations for your brand today with Merchology!

Color Schemes for Branding

Choosing a color scheme for brands and companies can help an organization stand out amongst the others in the crowded market while helping connect with the emotions of their potential customers. Color psychology plays a big part in the success and growth of businesses as the need for expansion and marketing comes into play.

From the use of classic red and golden yellow shades by McDonald's to increase your heart rate (red) and be associated with being happy (yellow); both of which stimulate your appetite. Or the prominent use of pure, clean white by Apple to represent the minimalist futuristic of Apple's technological design. The logo and corporate color schemes of these businesses create a visual identity that cements the company in the mind of their customers without their name being mentioned.

Read through some of the most researched and understood emotional meanings behind popular colors here:

• Red - The color red for companies is usually connected with excitement and danger. It has also been noted to relate to love, passion, and adventure.
• Blue - Reminding consumers of organization, trustworthiness, and reliability; the color blue calms the human mind and relaxes breathing.
• Yellow - Optimistic and happy-go-lucky, the color yellow represents happiness, childhood, and playfulness. This shade can help businesses connect with the nostalgia and joyful youth of customers.
• Green - Generally used to represent freshness, natural pieces; green connects the customer with the beauty of the world around you. The color green can also be stress-relieving and Zen.
• Orange - Fresh, adventurous, and happening, the color orange can inspire creativity and exciting new ideas. Also, often attached to the views of cost-effectiveness or capability, orange can increase customer engagement easily.
• Purple - The shade of royalty, refinement, and relaxation, purple can help your audience feel like their best and fullest self when they take it in. The powerful shades of purple can also be interpreted as spiritual and mysterious.
• White - Simplicity and innocence, the pure color of white can present either the idyllic past or the modernistic future all at once. 
• Brown - Realistic and down-to-earth, shades of brown are typically used for natural organizations and products such as grocery co-ops, organic foods and products, and sustainable clothing brands. 

How to Find Color Combinations for Branded Merch

Begin by defining your company's brand identity and the solution it provides for customers. Does your organization deliver peace and calmness for your consumers? Does your company offer excitement and adventure to your potential clients? Determine what exactly it is that you want your audience to feel about your company, then narrow those emotions down to two general types.

With these two branches of feelings noted down, start to research color meanings and align these two pieces together. Then, look around at other examples of logo color combinations and brand color palettes to find inspiration. This will also ensure that you're avoiding a direct copy of logo color combinations while you process.

Pick your primary logo color based upon the main emotion your company should convey to future customers. Next, choose your secondary color based on the other emotion chosen. Discern between the various shades of these two colors to find a set that emphasizes your brand while also matching the tone of the service or goods your corporate provides.

With your logo color scheme chosen, next, you'll want to find logo and shirt color combinations that work to ensure that your logo-branded merch pops against the competition. To find the ideal t-shirt and logo color combinations, find the complementary shades to your chosen logo color palette. Discover the best complementary colors by looking at the photo of a color wheel above. Find the color most similar to your logo choices, then travel directly across the circle, a full 180° and there you'll see your perfect contrasting color.

Once you've narrowed down your two main logo colors and their perfect contrasting shades; also keep in mind the classic contrasting colors such as dark black and clean white.

Now is the time to plan out your marketing and employee needs! From corporate branded clothing, custom branded drinkware, promotional event giveaway items, and more; you know the colors, now design the logo-branded goods! 

Best Logo Color Combinations 2023

What color shirt will my logo go with? Easy, a contrasting shade! Keep in mind that a shirt or jacket is essentially acting as a background to showcase and emphasize your company logo. Here are some of the best t-shirt and logo color combinations we've seen throughout 2023.

One of the best colors for custom embroidered shirts is a rich classic black. Creating a clean foundation for your corporate logo, black polo shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets are the best choice for highlighting lighter-colored logos. If your logo is prominently white, yellow, or a pale shade of another color; black apparel could be a great choice for your branded merch!

Another great shirt color and logo color combination to use is the universal shade of white and any dark logo color palette. The ideal shade for a clean foundation, white polo shirts, branded sweatshirts, and T-shirts will emphasize logos made of black, blue, red - really any rich color! Avoid choosing white bases for your corporate merch if your company logo features pale shades of colors such as light yellow, pale pink, and mint green.

Beyond these two classic apparel shades to highlight your company logo; remember to stick with contrasting shades. Shades of saturated violet work very well against bright yellow. Vibrant yellow-green pops perfectly against eye-catching mauves and magentas.

Contact Us at Merchology!

Stuck between a few different options for your logo-branded clothing? Want some help choosing the best colors for custom embroidered shirts? No problem, we've got your back!

Whether your looking for logo-branded drinkware colors, corporate notebooks and stationery shades, or the perfect branded jackets for your company; our team of Merchologists are at the ready to make sure your merchandise order wows the whole team!