Do you have difficulty determining your color type? Atypical Soft types – are you one of them? Or are you simply interested in the diversity of atypical color types? Then you’ve come to the right place. For general information on atypical color types, it’s best to read my blog post “Atypical Color Types“. My online course also helps you recognize whether you are an atypical color type.
If you’re interested in darker Soft Autumn types, you’ll find them among the Atypical Deep Types.
The following two atypical Soft types are rather rare. However, these types border on In-Between-Types, as they can never use a palette without exceptions:
Softer and Warmer than Typical Soft Autumn
This type is very tricky. You can recognize it by the fact that it harmonizes best with the warmer colors of Soft Autumn but slightly stands out here. Warm Autumn colors are usually not bad, but generally only the darker and not extremely warm tones work. This type only tolerates the warmer colors of Deep Autumn from the Deep Autumn palette. It is so rare that I haven’t created a separate color pass for it. However, to better understand the difference between muted and less muted colors, take a close look at the following color charts. The left Soft Autumn chart shows the original Soft Autumn, and the second from the left shows the Soft Autumn colors slightly clearer or less muted. I’ve also marked which colors you should better omit if you’re a warmer and clearer Soft Autumn. You can also find color suggestions from Warm and Deep Autumn below, which you can borrow (framed in green).
Cooler and Clearer than Typical Soft Summer
The counterpart to the above “Softer and Warmer than Typical Soft Autumn” is the Soft Summer cooler and clearer. These two are no longer related, as they are too far apart due to the respective reinforcement of their temperature. You can recognize this type by the fact that it harmonizes best with the coolest colors of Soft Summer but slightly stands out here. It usually works well with Cool Summer colors, but not with the “icy” and very light colors. Light Summer is generally too light.
This type is also too rare to create a separate color pass for. However, you can see what I mean below when you read in your analysis: “Avoid the warmer colors of the Soft Summer palette and choose the remaining colors that are not quite so muted.” On the left is the original Soft Summer, in the middle is the less muted Soft Summer. I’ve also marked which Cool Summer colors you can generally borrow or which you should not use.
Atypical Soft types – Intermediate types based on Soft types:
Soft Autumn Light
As described for many other color types, there are also Soft Autumn types that are lighter than typical. In contrast to lighter Deep types, these really need lighter colors. Since half of the Soft Autumn palette is dark, only the other half would flatter them. Due to the atypical brightness for Autumn types in general, no other palettes are suitable for borrowing colors. For this reason, there is an additional color pass for Light Soft Autumn. In some color systems, it is also called “Tinted Autumn” or “Light Autumn.” This color type is often confused with a Spring type. You can find the Digital Color Palette here.
Soft Summer Light
Or Light Soft Summer – here, too, I find that, as with Soft Autumn Deep, the intermediate type according to my color wheel starts more from Light Summer than from Soft Summer. It is also called Toned Summer or Toned Soft Summer. It is a Light Summer whose characteristic “Soft” can be weighted just as much as the characteristic “Light.” So, the Light Soft Summer has the main characteristics “Light & Muted” and the secondary characteristic “Cool.” As often with In-Between-Types, this color type cannot borrow colors from any other type and therefore has a very limited palette. The Light Spring colors are too clear, and the Light Soft Autumn colors are too warm. You can find the Digital Color Palette here.
Soft Summer Deep
You won’t find this type among the Deep intermediate types because it doesn’t originate from Deep Autumn or Deep Winter. It is the counterpart to Light Soft Autumn. Just as this type is actually too light for Autumn types, Soft Summer Deep is too dark for Summer types. It is also called Shaded Summer or Shaded Soft Summer. It is not that rare. Solely based on the darkness of its colors, one would assign it to Winter types. However, it doesn’t fit anywhere because there are no high contrasts. Also, only about half of the Soft Summer color pass would be suitable for Soft Summer Deep. Therefore, there is a separate color pass for this type. Like Light Soft Autumn, this type cannot borrow colors from any other color type since all Summer colors are too light and the Deep Winter colors are too clear. Maybe there are a few colors from Soft Autumn Deep/Deep Autumn Soft, you can lend. You can find the Digital Color Palette here.
