Material Design 3 Color

Material Design 3 Color and Dynamic Theming

Overview

This skill guides the application of Material Design 3 (M3) Expressive color and theming principles to create vibrant, accessible, and emotionally engaging user interfaces.

Keywords: Material Design 3, M3, dynamic color, theming, color palette, Material You, accessibility, color tokens, surface colors, accent colors, fixed accent colors, emphasis colors, contrast levels

Core Principles

Dynamic Color System

Material Design 3's color system is built on the concept of dynamic color, allowing interfaces to adapt to user preferences and contexts:

1. Tonal Palettes: Use five key tonal palettes (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Neutral, Neutral Variant) with multiple tones (0-100)
2. Color Roles: Map 26+ color roles to UI elements (e.g., primary, onPrimary, primaryContainer, onPrimaryContainer)
3. Adaptive Theming: Support both light and dark themes with appropriate contrast
4. User Personalization: Allow color schemes to adapt based on user wallpaper or preferences (Material You)
5. Fixed Accent Colors: Provide color tokens that remain consistent across light and dark themes for brand identity
6. Emphasis Colors: Use bolder, more vibrant color roles for key UI elements to improve clarity and emotional resonance

Color Palette Structure

When creating color palettes, follow this structure:

Primary Palette (Main brand color):

• Primary: Main interactive elements (buttons, active states)
• On Primary: Text/icons on primary color
• Primary Container: Standout fill color for key components
• On Primary Container: Text/icons on primary container
• Primary Fixed: Stays constant across light and dark themes
• On Primary Fixed: Text/icons on primary fixed
• Primary Fixed Dim: Dimmed variant for secondary emphasis on fixed surfaces

Secondary Palette (Complementary accent):

• Secondary: Less prominent components
• On Secondary: Text/icons on secondary
• Secondary Container: Tinted backgrounds
• On Secondary Container: Text/icons on secondary container
• Secondary Fixed: Stays constant across light and dark themes
• On Secondary Fixed: Text/icons on secondary fixed
• Secondary Fixed Dim: Dimmed variant for fixed surfaces

Tertiary Palette (Contrasting accent — now a prominent expressive accent for branding and highlights):

• Tertiary: Contrasting accents and highlights
• On Tertiary: Text/icons on tertiary
• Tertiary Container: Input elements
• On Tertiary Container: Text/icons on tertiary container
• Tertiary Fixed: Stays constant across light and dark themes
• On Tertiary Fixed: Text/icons on tertiary fixed
• Tertiary Fixed Dim: Dimmed variant for fixed surfaces

Neutral Palettes (Surfaces and backgrounds):

• Surface: Default background for components
• On Surface: Text on surface
• Surface Variant: Alternate surface color
• On Surface Variant: Text on surface variant
• Surface Dim: Dimmed surface for reduced emphasis
• Surface Bright: Brighter surface for increased emphasis
• Surface Container Lowest: Lowest-emphasis container surface
• Surface Container Low: Low-emphasis container surface
• Surface Container: Default container surface
• Surface Container High: High-emphasis container surface
• Surface Container Highest: Highest-emphasis container surface
• Outline: Borders and dividers
• Outline Variant: Decorative elements
• Inverse Surface: Inverted surface for contrast elements (e.g., snackbars)
• Inverse On Surface: Text on inverse surface
• Inverse Primary: Primary color used on inverse surfaces

Error/Warning/Success (Feedback colors):

• Error, Warning, Success with corresponding "On" colors and containers

Accessibility Guidelines

1. Contrast Levels (M3 Expressive standardizes three levels):

   • Standard: Default contrast suitable for most users
   • Medium: Enhanced contrast for improved readability
   • High: Maximum contrast for users with low vision or high-contrast preferences
   • All three levels are tokenized for easy implementation

2. Contrast Requirements:

   • Text contrast: Minimum 4.5:1 for body text, 3:1 for large text (WCAG AA)
   • Interactive elements: Minimum 3:1 contrast with background
   • Use "On" colors to ensure proper contrast

3. Color Independence:

   • Never rely solely on color to convey information
   • Use icons, text labels, or patterns alongside color
   • Ensure color-blind friendly combinations

4. Dynamic Range:

   • Light theme: Higher tones (90-99) for surfaces, lower tones (10-40) for emphasis
   • Dark theme: Lower tones (10-20) for surfaces, higher tones (80-90) for emphasis

Implementation Guidelines

Color Token System

Use CSS custom properties (variables) for all colors. M3 Expressive introduces 26+ color roles:

:root {
  /* Primary */
  --md-sys-color-primary: #6750A4;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary: #FFFFFF;
  --md-sys-color-primary-container: #EADDFF;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary-container: #21005D;
  
  /* Primary Fixed (consistent across themes) */
  --md-sys-color-primary-fixed: #EADDFF;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary-fixed: #21005D;
  --md-sys-color-primary-fixed-dim: #D0BCFF;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary-fixed-variant: #4F378B;
  
  /* Secondary */
  --md-sys-color-secondary: #625B71;
  --md-sys-color-on-secondary: #FFFFFF;
  --md-sys-color-secondary-container: #E8DEF8;
  --md-sys-color-on-secondary-container: #1D192B;
  
  /* Secondary Fixed */
  --md-sys-color-secondary-fixed: #E8DEF8;
  --md-sys-color-on-secondary-fixed: #1D192B;
  --md-sys-color-secondary-fixed-dim: #CCC2DC;
  --md-sys-color-on-secondary-fixed-variant: #4A4458;
  
  /* Tertiary */
  --md-sys-color-tertiary: #7D5260;
  --md-sys-color-on-tertiary: #FFFFFF;
  --md-sys-color-tertiary-container: #FFD8E4;
  --md-sys-color-on-tertiary-container: #31111D;
  
  /* Tertiary Fixed */
  --md-sys-color-tertiary-fixed: #FFD8E4;
  --md-sys-color-on-tertiary-fixed: #31111D;
  --md-sys-color-tertiary-fixed-dim: #EFB8C8;
  --md-sys-color-on-tertiary-fixed-variant: #633B48;
  
  /* Surface and Surface Containers */
  --md-sys-color-surface: #FEF7FF;
  --md-sys-color-on-surface: #1D1B20;
  --md-sys-color-surface-variant: #E7E0EC;
  --md-sys-color-on-surface-variant: #49454F;
  --md-sys-color-surface-dim: #DED8E1;
  --md-sys-color-surface-bright: #FEF7FF;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container-lowest: #FFFFFF;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container-low: #F7F2FA;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container: #F3EDF7;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container-high: #ECE6F0;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container-highest: #E6E0E9;
  
  /* Inverse */
  --md-sys-color-inverse-surface: #322F35;
  --md-sys-color-inverse-on-surface: #F5EFF7;
  --md-sys-color-inverse-primary: #D0BCFF;
  
  /* Outlines */
  --md-sys-color-outline: #79747E;
  --md-sys-color-outline-variant: #CAC4D0;
  
  /* Error */
  --md-sys-color-error: #B3261E;
  --md-sys-color-on-error: #FFFFFF;
  --md-sys-color-error-container: #F9DEDC;
  --md-sys-color-on-error-container: #410E0B;
  
  /* Scrim and Shadow */
  --md-sys-color-scrim: #000000;
  --md-sys-color-shadow: #000000;
}

[data-theme="dark"] {
  /* Primary */
  --md-sys-color-primary: #D0BCFF;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary: #381E72;
  --md-sys-color-primary-container: #4F378B;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary-container: #EADDFF;
  
  /* Primary Fixed (same as light — these don't change) */
  --md-sys-color-primary-fixed: #EADDFF;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary-fixed: #21005D;
  --md-sys-color-primary-fixed-dim: #D0BCFF;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary-fixed-variant: #4F378B;
  
  /* Secondary */
  --md-sys-color-secondary: #CCC2DC;
  --md-sys-color-on-secondary: #332D41;
  --md-sys-color-secondary-container: #4A4458;
  --md-sys-color-on-secondary-container: #E8DEF8;
  
  /* Secondary Fixed (same as light) */
  --md-sys-color-secondary-fixed: #E8DEF8;
  --md-sys-color-on-secondary-fixed: #1D192B;
  --md-sys-color-secondary-fixed-dim: #CCC2DC;
  --md-sys-color-on-secondary-fixed-variant: #4A4458;
  
  /* Tertiary */
  --md-sys-color-tertiary: #EFB8C8;
  --md-sys-color-on-tertiary: #492532;
  --md-sys-color-tertiary-container: #633B48;
  --md-sys-color-on-tertiary-container: #FFD8E4;
  
  /* Tertiary Fixed (same as light) */
  --md-sys-color-tertiary-fixed: #FFD8E4;
  --md-sys-color-on-tertiary-fixed: #31111D;
  --md-sys-color-tertiary-fixed-dim: #EFB8C8;
  --md-sys-color-on-tertiary-fixed-variant: #633B48;
  
  /* Surface and Surface Containers */
  --md-sys-color-surface: #141218;
  --md-sys-color-on-surface: #E6E0E9;
  --md-sys-color-surface-variant: #49454F;
  --md-sys-color-on-surface-variant: #CAC4D0;
  --md-sys-color-surface-dim: #141218;
  --md-sys-color-surface-bright: #3B383E;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container-lowest: #0F0D13;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container-low: #1D1B20;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container: #211F26;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container-high: #2B2930;
  --md-sys-color-surface-container-highest: #36343B;
  
  /* Inverse */
  --md-sys-color-inverse-surface: #E6E0E9;
  --md-sys-color-inverse-on-surface: #322F35;
  --md-sys-color-inverse-primary: #6750A4;
  
  /* Outlines */
  --md-sys-color-outline: #938F99;
  --md-sys-color-outline-variant: #49454F;
  
  /* Error */
  --md-sys-color-error: #F2B8B5;
  --md-sys-color-on-error: #601410;
  --md-sys-color-error-container: #8C1D18;
  --md-sys-color-on-error-container: #F9DEDC;
  
  /* Scrim and Shadow */
  --md-sys-color-scrim: #000000;
  --md-sys-color-shadow: #000000;
}

Fixed Accent Colors

Fixed accent colors are new in M3 Expressive. They maintain the same value across light and dark themes, useful for brand identity elements:

/* Fixed colors remain identical in both themes */
.brand-banner {
  background-color: var(--md-sys-color-primary-fixed);
  color: var(--md-sys-color-on-primary-fixed);
}

.brand-accent {
  background-color: var(--md-sys-color-tertiary-fixed);
  color: var(--md-sys-color-on-tertiary-fixed);
}

/* Fixed Dim for secondary emphasis on fixed surfaces */
.brand-banner-secondary {
  background-color: var(--md-sys-color-primary-fixed-dim);
  color: var(--md-sys-color-on-primary-fixed);
}

Contrast Level System

M3 Expressive standardizes three contrast levels for accessibility:

/* Standard contrast (default) */
:root {
  --md-sys-color-contrast-level: 0;
}

/* Medium contrast */
[data-contrast="medium"] {
  --md-sys-color-primary: #5640A0;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary: #FFFFFF;
  --md-sys-color-primary-container: #7B68BA;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary-container: #FFFFFF;
}

/* High contrast */
[data-contrast="high"] {
  --md-sys-color-primary: #2D0F6E;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary: #FFFFFF;
  --md-sys-color-primary-container: #4E3A87;
  --md-sys-color-on-primary-container: #FFFFFF;
}

Color Application

1. Interactive Elements:

   • Filled buttons: Use primary color with on-primary text
   • Outlined buttons: Use outline with primary text
   • Text buttons: Use primary text only
   • FABs: Use primary-container with on-primary-container
   • Button Groups: Use surface-container with on-surface text

2. Surfaces and Containers:

   • Main background: surface
   • Elevated components (cards, dialogs): surface-container variants
   • Input fields: surface-container-highest
   • Snackbars: inverse-surface with inverse-on-surface text
   • Bottom sheets: surface-container-low

3. State Layers:

   • Hover: Apply 8% opacity layer of on-surface
   • Focus: Apply 12% opacity layer of on-surface
   • Pressed: Apply 12% opacity layer of on-surface
   • Dragged: Apply 16% opacity layer of on-surface

4. Emphasis and Brand:

   • Use fixed accent colors for brand elements that must remain consistent
   • Apply emphasis through color saturation and contrast, not just hue
   • Use tertiary as an expressive accent for onboarding, highlights, and branding

Dynamic Color Generation

When generating color schemes from a source color:

1. Extract Core Hue: Identify the dominant hue from the source (e.g., user wallpaper)
2. Generate Tonal Palettes: Create five tonal palettes using HCT (Hue, Chroma, Tone) color space
3. Assign Color Roles: Map generated tones to semantic color roles (26+ roles)
4. Generate Fixed Variants: Create fixed accent colors that remain constant across themes
5. Generate Surface Containers: Create the five-level surface container hierarchy
6. Generate Contrast Variants: Produce standard, medium, and high contrast versions
7. Validate Contrast: Ensure all role pairs meet accessibility requirements
8. Support Themes: Generate both light and dark variants

Best Practices

1. Semantic Naming: Always use semantic color tokens (e.g., primary, error) rather than literal colors (e.g., blue, red)
2. Consistent Application: Apply colors consistently across all components
3. Elevation Tinting: Add subtle tint to elevated surfaces using primary color at very low opacity
4. Color Hierarchy: Use primary for main actions, secondary for less important actions, tertiary for expressive accents
5. Test Both Themes: Always test in both light and dark modes
6. Vibrant Expression: In M3 Expressive, embrace richer, more vibrant colors while maintaining accessibility
7. Context Awareness: Adapt color intensity and palette based on app context and user preferences
8. Use Fixed Colors for Branding: Apply fixed accent tokens for logo colors or elements that must not change between themes
9. Support Contrast Levels: Implement standard, medium, and high contrast variants for accessibility
10. Surface Container Hierarchy: Use the five surface container levels to create clear visual depth

Tools and Resources

• tokens.css: Ready-to-use M3 color tokens (light + dark) based on the orange baseline palette (#FF9800), included in this skill's directory. Copy into your project and customize.
• examples/color-roles.svg: Visual reference SVG showing M3 color roles (primary, secondary, tertiary, error), surface container tones, and the primary tonal palette. Use as a stakeholder reference or documentation asset.
• material-theme-builder skill: Use to generate a complete token set from any source color programmatically.
• Material Color Utilities: https://github.com/material-foundation/material-color-utilities — HCT color space, palette generation, and dynamic color algorithms
• Material Theme Builder: https://material-foundation.github.io/material-theme-builder/ — interactive web tool for generating color schemes
• Official M3 CSS tokens: https://github.com/material-foundation/material-tokens — baseline CSS token files (colors, typography, shape, motion, state, elevation)
• M3 color system: https://m3.material.io/styles/color/overview
• M3 design tokens overview: https://m3.material.io/foundations/design-tokens/overview
• Color Contrast Checker: Validate WCAG compliance for all text and interactive elements
• HCT Color Space: Leverage for perceptually uniform color generation
• CSS Custom Properties: Implement dynamic theming with CSS variables and data attributes

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. ❌ Hard-coding color values instead of using tokens
2. ❌ Using only one color for all states (no hover, focus, pressed variations)
3. ❌ Ignoring dark theme or treating it as an afterthought
4. ❌ Insufficient contrast between text and background
5. ❌ Overusing accent colors (they should be used sparingly for emphasis)
6. ❌ Not testing with actual user-generated color schemes
7. ❌ Relying only on color to communicate state or information
8. ❌ Forgetting to define fixed accent colors for brand elements
9. ❌ Not implementing multiple contrast levels for accessibility
10. ❌ Using surface instead of the appropriate surface container variant

Checklist for Color Implementation

When implementing M3 color systems, ensure:

• All five tonal palettes are defined (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Neutral, Neutral Variant)
• Both light and dark themes are implemented
• All color pairs meet WCAG contrast requirements
• Semantic color tokens are used throughout (no hard-coded hex values)
• State layers (hover, focus, pressed) are implemented with appropriate opacity
• Elevation tinting is applied to raised surfaces
• Color scheme can be dynamically generated from user source colors
• All components use color roles consistently
• Color is not the only indicator of state or information
• Fixed accent colors are defined for branding elements (primary-fixed, secondary-fixed, tertiary-fixed)
• Surface container hierarchy is implemented (lowest through highest)
• Inverse colors are defined for contrast elements (snackbars, tooltips)
• Three contrast levels are supported (standard, medium, high)
• Scrim and shadow tokens are defined
• Documentation includes color token reference and usage guidelines