Colour and palettes for digital services

Date adopted: 
May 4, 2022
Last update: 
March 26, 2025

This page has guidance for project teams developing digital services and products.

Extended palette

The shades in the extended palette ensure the government's digital services and products meet and exceed Web Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA. This is a requirement to meet the government's digital service standard #14 and it will provide a consistent user experience. 

Are you developing print materials?

If you're developing print materials you should only use the brand's primary and secondary colour palettes and their tints.

Extended colour palette

Colour contrast

The extended palette meets WCAG level AAA contrast levels.

Extended colour palette showing colour contrast

Applying colour to hyperlinks

The link colour is a shade of River Blue with 60% black. The original value of black for River Blue is 4%.

The visited link is a tint of Twilight at 70%.

The hover link colour is a shade of River Blue with 75% black.

Link, visited link and hover colour meet WCAG level AAA on a white background.

Extended colour palette for hyperlinks

Applying colour to alerts

Get advice for applying colour to alerts.

Buttons

See the Button online design pattern for how to apply the brand.