Colts vs Cardinals colors
Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals and their primary colours sit 1.72:1 apart in lightness with a perceptual difference of 63.7. Every cross-team pairing is measured below.
These values are not yet verified
The colour values on this page are illustrative placeholders used while the site is being built. Each one must be traced to the team's own published brand assets and dated before it is presented as fact — see the method page. Do not use these figures for print or production yet.
Colts vs Cardinals
Clear in colour- Colour difference
- ΔE 63.7
- Lightness contrast
- 1.72:1
The same two colours in greyscale — what a monochrome feed, and a viewer with colour vision deficiency, has to work with.
The two palettes
Every cross-team pairing
6 measured| Colts colour | #97233F | #000000 | #FFB612 |
|---|---|---|---|
| #002C5F | 1.72:1 Fails | 1.53:1 Fails | 7.83:1 AAA |
| #A2AAAD | 3.38:1 Large text only | 8.89:1 AAA | 1.34:1 Fails |
Gray on Black is the highest-contrast combination across the two palettes. Use it for anything carrying text.
Gray on Yellow is the lowest-contrast combination, and the one a designer reaches for by accident when both teams want their signature colour.
What the verdict means
A colour clash takes two measurements, not one. Perceptual difference says how far apart two colours look to the eye with hue included; lightness contrast says what survives when colour is removed. Judged on lightness alone, a navy and a purple can score identically to navy against itself, which is plainly wrong. Judged on hue alone, two colours that separate clearly in colour can merge completely in a monochrome broadcast.
For Colts and Cardinals the two figures are ΔE 63.7 and 1.72:1, which together give a verdict of clear in colour. Both measurements are comfortable, so these two read as distinct teams in every medium.
The National Football League divides its thirty-two teams between two conferences, and uniform colour is regulated more tightly here than in any other major league: a team must register its colours with the league, and opposing teams are required to wear contrasting jerseys so that broadcast audiences can tell them apart.
Design with either palette
Take Colts or Cardinals colours into the design studio, add your own artwork, and check the result for print problems before committing to a run.