Color Wheel
A circular arrangement of hues used to identify color relationships like complementary, analogous, and triadic.
Definition
The color wheel is a 360° visual map of the color spectrum. Originating with Newton, the modern designer's wheel arranges colors so that mixing two adjacent colors produces the color between them. Color relationships derived from the wheel — complementary (opposite), analogous (adjacent), triadic (three equidistant) — form the basis of harmonious palette design.
Formula
Position on wheel = HSL hue value (0-360°). Complementary = +180°. Analogous = ±30°. Triadic = ±120°. Tetradic = ±90°.
Example
Red (0°) and cyan (180°) are complementary. Mauve (276°), pink (336°), and turquoise (180°) are nowhere near each other on the wheel.