Using colour
How to use colour
Start with the core palette Use primary colours for text, branding, and logos. Only use secondary colours for accents and decoration—not for text. Limit colour use to avoid clutter Typically, two secondary colours along with unlimited primary colours are sufficient. Most products have designated secondary colours to complement our blue hues. See page 24 for details. Always ensure a strong colour contrast for text (dark on light or light on dark). Prioritise RGB/Hex for digital; CMYK for print. Keep the colour palette consistent across web, print, email, and social. Emphasise layout, font size, and colour contrast for content hierarchy. Consider using the fulcrum and gradient designs for backgrounds.
Use bright colours (yellow #f0ab00, pink #c71065, orange #e37222, red #cd202c) only for decoration—not for essential content. They work best for icons, decorative shapes, testimonial quote marks and larger testimonial text.Avoid using them for headlines, main body copy or call to action buttons. See page 33 for icon usage guidance.
At the Group level, we lean heavily on BMJ Group blue (#15375e), using orange (#e37222) as an accent colour.
BMJ blue (#2a6ebb) and BMJ Group dark blue (#15375e) are the core colours for product communications, presentations, and primary product branding elements.
Secondary colours like purple (#7d5cc6), aqua (#00b2a9), green (#69be28), and others should be used for accents, buttons, icons, or illustrations to guide attention, but never for text.
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