Color 1:

Color 2:

Mix Ratio:50% / 50%

100% Color 150/50100% Color 2

#800080

RGB(128, 0, 128)

50% #FF0000 + 50% #0000FF

Show gradient preview

Gradient Steps:

#FF0000

#BF0040

25%

#800080

50%

#4000BF

75%

#0000FF

100%

Quick Presets:

The Science of Color Mixing in Digital Design

Color mixing in digital design works differently than traditional paint mixing. Digital screens use additive color mixing (RGB), where combining colors creates lighter results, while physical paints use subtractive mixing (CMYK), producing darker results. Understanding this distinction is crucial for accurate color work.

In RGB color space, mixing red and green produces yellow, blue and green create cyan, and red and blue make magenta. These are the secondary colors of light, differing from traditional art education where red and blue make purple in subtractive mixing.

The mixing ratio determines how much of each color contributes to the result. A 50:50 mix creates the perfect middle color, while 75:25 favors one color heavily. This allows precise control over gradient transitions and color harmonies.

How RGB Color Mixing Calculation Works

This tool mixes colors by blending RGB values proportionally. For a 60:40 mix of Color A (#FF0000) and Color B (#0000FF), it calculates: R = (255 × 0.6) + (0 × 0.4) = 153, G = (0 × 0.6) + (0 × 0.4) = 0, B = (0 × 0.6) + (255 × 0.4) = 102, resulting in #990066.

The algorithm performs linear interpolation in RGB space, which is computationally simple and produces predictable results. However, it can sometimes create muddy intermediate colors, especially with complementary colors, because RGB mixing doesn't account for human color perception.

For more perceptually uniform color mixing, Lab or LCH color spaces are superior, but RGB mixing remains the standard for web design due to its simplicity and direct correlation with how screens display colors.

Practical Applications of Color Mixing

Gradient creation: Mix two colors at different ratios (e.g., 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) to generate smooth gradient stops for CSS linear-gradient or background images. This creates more natural-looking gradients than browser-interpolated transitions.

Finding brand color variations: Mix your primary brand color with white, black, or gray to create lighter and darker variations that maintain brand consistency while providing sufficient contrast for different UI elements.

Color harmony exploration: Mix analogous colors (colors next to each other on the color wheel) to find intermediate harmonious colors for your palette. This helps create cohesive color schemes with natural transitions.

Hover and interaction states: Mix your base button color with a darker or lighter color to create subtle hover states that feel natural rather than jarring. Typically, mixing with 10-20% black or white works well.

Color Mixing Best Practices and Considerations

Avoid mixing complementary colors (opposite on color wheel) at equal ratios, as they often produce muddy browns or grays in RGB space. Instead, use unequal ratios (70:30 or 80:20) to keep one color dominant.

When creating gradients, consider using three or more color stops rather than just two. Mix intermediate colors manually for smoother, more vibrant transitions, especially across large color distances.

Test mixed colors for accessibility. A color that results from mixing two WCAG-compliant colors might not itself meet contrast requirements. Always verify text-on-background combinations with contrast checkers.

Document your color mixing ratios in design systems. Specify exact percentages used for variations so developers can recreate them programmatically using CSS color-mix() or SCSS functions, ensuring consistency across implementations.

Loading tool…

Color Mixer - Mix Two Colors Together

Mix two hex colors together at different ratios.

Mix two colors together to create intermediate colors with adjustable ratio. Perfect for creating color gradients, finding middle colors, generating color transitions, and designing color schemes. Mixes colors in RGB space and provides the resulting hex color code.

Keywords

#color mixer#mix colors#color blend#color combination#gradient colors#color tool

Looking for more? Explore other Colors tools

Color 1:

Color 2:

Mix Ratio:50% / 50%

100% Color 150/50100% Color 2

#800080

RGB(128, 0, 128)

50% #FF0000 + 50% #0000FF

Show gradient preview

Gradient Steps:

#FF0000

#BF0040

25%

#800080

50%

#4000BF

75%

#0000FF

100%

Quick Presets:

The Science of Color Mixing in Digital Design

How RGB Color Mixing Calculation Works

Practical Applications of Color Mixing

Color Mixing Best Practices and Considerations

Color Mixer - Mix Two Colors Together