In designing websites and applications, I have noticed that when mixing colors with white, certain colors make white look more “greenish” or “purple-ish”. This happens to a much greater degree when using tints of white.
As a designer, how can we understand how white is influenced by the colours it is contrasted with?
Answer
I love this question. Although it sounded wierd at first.
Gradients
This first part I learned it prior to the digital age, mixing actual paint.
If you make a gradient straight from your base color to white you can sometimes have an undesirebled hue. For example Red to white pass trhu a pink color. (Orange arrows)
You need to slightly turn the color to a lighter part of the color wheel. (Green arrows) to compensate.
Here is the diference. I just added a little yellow on a patch in the midle of the gradient.
The same is true to the darker gradients. Specially with the yellow
The ammount of “correction” depends on the project.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : blurgoon , Answer Author : Community