Using color in illustration

Our illustrations use our full color palette to evoke depth and reality. The broad range of colors and shades more accurately represents the people and objects in our storytelling. This is where we have the most fun with color.

A collection of different illustrations tiled in a square grid. From left to right: Various car parts and accessories, a person smiling on their phone with products surrounding their head, a watch placed in a display box, two people in a yellow car, a basketball, a person crouching in front of a car with the hood propped open surrounded by car parts, a baseball trading card, a person with three different tea pots in front of an eBay cardboard box, a person taking a picture of a product from their phone, a lamp, a person holding a car part sitting on top of a pile of tires, and a speaker.

Full illustration palette

Our full color palette has 17 color families with 8 shades in each family—that equals 136 total colors. We use these colors to capture detail and mimic the reality of each illustration's subject matter. Select a color to view the hex, Pantone, and CMYK values.

Pink

Red

Coral

Orange

Marigold

Yellow

Dijon

Avocado

Green

Kiwi

Jade

Teal

Indigo

Blue

Violet

Lilac

Neutral

Color in illustration

All the main colors in our illustrations are from our full palette. They've been strategically chosen to both set a mood and ensure enough contrast to be legible on various background colors. Skin tones are the only colors we use in illustrations that are not in our palette.

A group of four diverse people is illustrated in the Bay-approved illustration palette. Six colors from their clothing are highlighted from left to right: L400, L500, G700, T700, O400, G600.

Color strategy

Every illustration has a primary color and 2 secondary colors associated with it. Generally, one secondary color complements the illustration's primary color and the other is a neutral. This strategy ensures that each illustration has a focus color that stands out on the background color. It's important for each illustration to have visual variety and not blend in too much with the background color.

Two people inside a yellow car with a white attachment on top, illustrated against a green background. The colors used in this illustration are highlighted in a tile below: Yellow, blue, and black.
A person is placing a skateboard inside a cardboard box using eBay tape and scissors, illustrated against a light blue background. The colors used in this illustration are highlighted in a tile below: Orange, brown, and blue.
A green motorcycle helmet is illustrated against a pink background. The colors used in this illustration are highlighted in a tile below: Green, grey, and black.

Background colors

Each illustration has 6 different pre-determined background colors that ensure good visual contrast. Use the background colors provided for each illustration. If you need customized colors for an illustration, please reach out to the OneExperience (OX) team or sign up for office hours.

Dark mode

In most instances, our illustrations do not change between light and dark mode. But in a few rare cases where the background changes in dark mode, some illustrations do as well.

Illustrations with colored backgrounds

Illustrations that use a background color (in things like banners, education cards, and modals) do not change color in dark mode. If there’s text above or below the illustration in a separate container, those colors will invert. The illustration itself is treated like an image and keeps its original background color.

A light mode full sheet with the top half showing a person scrolling through a smartphone with products surrounding their head. This is illustrated against a yellow background.
A dark mode full sheet with the top half showing a person scrolling through a smartphone with products surrounding their head. This is illustrated against a yellow background.

Illustrations without backgrounds

When illustrations without a background color are used on plain white backgrounds (like in empty states), all elements on the page will invert. Most illustrations work on both light and dark backgrounds, but some need adjustments to ensure legibility against black.

An empty state in light mode showing a person upside down in an illustrated style.
An empty state in dark mode showing a person upside down in an illustrated style.

Color customization

If you want a new color scheme for a specific illustration, do not re-color anything on your own. To discuss custom coloring, reach out to the OneExperience (OX) team or sign up for office hours.

Resources

Change log

DateNotes
Jun, 2024
  • Created with eBay Evo