About this combination
Daidai — the bitter orange used in New Year decoration — signals renewal and prosperity. Against kon, the deepest grade of indigo, it carries a merchant-class energy: confidence, generosity, success earned.
Where it works
- Sports branding with warmth
- Confident startup identities
- Food brands with bold flavor
Historical context
This editorial combination anchors Daidai, Kon and Gofun in the orange family — a 3-colour grouping with a bold, warm, playful character. It is an original composition by the editors of colorcombinations.org, built with Wada's method from traditional Japanese shikisai colour names associated with the Edo era; it is not one of the 348 plates in Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations. Its strongest pairing — Kon on Gofun — reaches a contrast ratio of 12.20:1, clearing the WCAG AAA bar for body text, so it holds up for text-on-colour layouts as well as decorative use.
Studio
Taking Bitter Orange & Navy off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this palette is going decides what it needs next.
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...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Pantone
Color Bridge Guide — coated
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Color Bridge Guide Coated | Pantone to CMYK, RGB & HTML Color Matching Fan Deck for Graphic Design, Branding & Print | GG6103B
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...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
Display Plus HL colorimeter kit
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite Video Photo Kit with Display Plus HL Colorimeter and ColorChecker Passport Video 2, 10,000 Nit Monitor Calibration, Camera Color Matching
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Pentel
Fude Touch brush sign pen
Listed on Amazon as Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen, Black, Felt Pen Like Brush Stroke (SES15C-A) 3 Pieces
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