How-to
Custom Tier Names and Colors: Going Beyond S to F
You don’t have to stick with S, A, B, C and D. Here’s how to choose tier names and colors that fit your topic and make your list easier to read.
By List Tier Maker Team Published
Letter grades are the classic tier list format, but they’re not the only option. Custom tier names can make a list clearer, funnier or more useful.
When to rename your tiers
Rename tiers when letters don’t say enough. “S” means little to someone who has never seen a tier list, while “Would eat every day” needs no explanation. Custom names are especially useful for:
- Decisions: Do now / This week / Later / Never
- Recommendations: Must try / Worth it / Only if you’re a fan / Skip
- Personal taste: Love / Like / It’s fine / No thanks
- Experience: Played and loved / Played / Want to play / Not interested
Adding an F tier
Many people add an F row below D for the truly bad. Use Add tier in the tier list maker; new tiers are added at the bottom and get the next free letter automatically. You can rename it to anything you like.
Choosing colors
The traditional palette runs from red-pink for S through orange and yellow to green for the lower tiers. It works because the warm colors draw the eye to the top of the list. A few guidelines if you change it:
- Keep a gradient. Colors that shift gradually from top to bottom make the order obvious.
- Keep contrast. The tool automatically switches label text between dark and light so names stay readable, but very similar neighboring colors make rows hard to tell apart.
- Use color for meaning. For a decision board, red for “Do now” and grey for “Never” communicates priority instantly.
How many tiers?
Five or six is the sweet spot for most lists. Fewer than four and the groups are too broad; more than seven and readers have to work to tell the levels apart. The tool allows up to 20 for the times you really need them.
To rename a tier, click or tap its label. To change its color, open the gear menu next to the row.