food coloring mixing chart

Food Coloring Mixing Chart: Create Any Color You Need

By Anthony HernandezFebruary 15, 2026

No matter if you're a seasoned baker or a home cook trying to liven up your dishes, understanding how to mix food coloring is a crucial skill. It's not as simple as adding a drop here and there. Certain colors react differently, and understanding their behavior can help you achieve the perfect hue. Let's dive into the world of food coloring, creating a comprehensive guide that will help you navigated the sometimes tricky landscape of food coloring mixing.

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let's understand our fundamental colors. You'll usually start with three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. All other colors can be derived from these. Now, let's get started on mixing our colors.

Mixing Primary Colors

It's crucial to understand the basic principle of subtractive color mixing. When you mix two colors, you're essentially subtracting elements from each. For instance, mixing red and blue gives you purple because the green and yellow color elements in the initial mix are subtracted. So, your first equation is:

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Red + Blue = Purple

Creating Orange

A key color in many recipes, orange can be created by mixing red and yellow. However, it's important to note that too much yellow can lead to an undesirable light orange or even a yellow hue.

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So, the equation here is:

Red + Yellow = Orange

Creating Green

Mixing blue and yellow produces green, a tricky color to get right, especially on the first try. The key here is to remember that a larger amount of blue is required with a small amount of yellow to get a vibrant green.

the color mixing guide for icing is displayed on a white table with cupcakes and

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the different colors of icing are shown in this image, and there is also an info sheet with instructions for how to use them

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Your equation here is:

Blue + Yellow = Green

Mixing Secondary and Tertiary Colors

Now, you're ready to explore mixing secondary and tertiary colors. Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors, while tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary color and a secondary color.

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Remember, each of these mixes should add up to about 30-35 drops of coloring

Mixing Secondary Colors

Secondary colors are easier to achieve than you might think. Once you've successfully created purple, green, and orange, you're ready to create secondary colors which include:

Red-Violet: add more red to the purple mix
Blue-Green: add more blue to the green mix
Yellow-Orange: add more yellow to the orange mix

Your combinations should look like this:

Blue + Purple = Red-Violet (25 Blue, 5 Purple)
Green + Blue = Blue-Green (16 Green, 14 Blue)
Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange (15 Yellow, 15 Orange)

Mixing Tertiary Colors

Tertiary colors are typically less vibrant than secondary colors. They are made by mixing a primary and secondary color together.

Here's how you can create some tertiary colors:

Red-Violet + Orange = Red-Orange
Blue-Green + Green = Blue-Green
Yellow-Orange + Yellow = Yellow-Green

Again, remember to keep your drop combinations consistent with the secondary colors you've created. For instance, for Red-Orange, you'd use around 19 drops of Red-Violet and 11 drops of Orange.

At this point, you're ready to experiment. With your newfound knowledge of food coloring, you can create a wide array of colors for any dish or dessert you choose to prepare. So, go ahead, have fun, and paint your kitchen with those vibrant hues!