Colors

supplement material

SECTION THREEChapter Eight:Color

Color | Using Color

Created & Designed by Mary E Hoffmann

elements of design 02 of 16

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The two basic color models are additive and subtractive.

The color model that you will use as a designer will depend

upon the medium that you are working with. If you are

working on a computer or television screen, the colors you

see on the screen are created with light using the additive

color method. The additive color theory deals with the

properties of light, as you add colors to the projected light,

the resulting color will become closer to white.

The three primary colors in the additive model are red,

green and blue (RBG). When other colors are created using

these primary additive colors, it is called the Additive ColorProcess. When two primary colors of light are combined,

the secondary colors of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow are

produced. In the additive combination red + green = yellow,

red+ blue = magenta and blue + green = cyan. The televi-

sion screen and computer monitor produce colored pixels

by firing red, green, and blue electron guns at phosphors

on the screen. The light from a pixel’s three phosphor dots

Color | Using Color

RBG Color Model

blends together to synthesize a single color. Combining all

three primary colors in equal intensities will produce white.

Computer monitors and televisions are the most common

application of additive color. In a 24-bit RGB color model

computer screen millions of colors are displayed. RGB is

primarily used for Web graphics and is not recommended to

use for print production.

RED

YELLOW MAGENTA

BLUECYANGREEN


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In the subtractive color model the source of light is re-

flected or absorbed by the surface of an object. Objects

have no color of their own, they only reflect certain rays of

light and absorb others. When we mix colors using paint, or

through the printing process, we are using the subtractive

color method. In the subtractive color method, we begins

with white and ends with black; as colors are added, the re-

sult gets darker and tends to black. Our perceptions of col-

ors change with the amount of light present. Even in the

same light, a color will appear different depending upon col-

ors that are adjacent to it.

The color wheel is used to organize the relationships of the

basic colors in the subtractive color model. The primarycolors are three colors that can be combined to make a full

range of colors. The three primary colors are red, yellow

and blue. When we mix these primary colors together we

get the secondary colors.The secondary colors are green

(blue and yellow), purple (red and blue) and orange (red

Color | Using Color

Color Wheel

and yellow). Tertiary colors are what we get when we com-

bine primary and secondary colors. These colors are: red-

orange, orange-yellow, yellow-green, green-blue, blue-violet

and violet-red. CMYK is a subtractive color model that is

used in offset printing for full-color documents. CMYK

refers to the four colors; Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black.

All colors are obtained by mixing these four process colors.

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

TERTIARY

TERTIARY

TERTIARY

TERTIARY

TERTIARY TERTIARY

SECONDARY

SECONDARY

PRIMARY

PRIMARY RED

YELLOW

BLUE


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Color gamut is the set of possible colors within a color sys-

tem. It is described as the range of colors that exist within a

color model for a device. There are millions of colors that

exist, but not all of these colors can actually be created or

displayed by a computer monitor or printer. These devices

are limited to the number of colors they display and each

devices uses a different color gamut.

Color | Using Color

Color Gamut

There are two types of color Gamut, additive and subtrac-

tive. Computer monitors, digital cameras, televisions, and

other light-based devices use the additive gamut. This

color system is based on combining light to produce color.

The more light that is added, the lighter the image becomes,

and the closer it gets to white. This gamut is RGB based

and has a greater color gamut than the CMYK color gamut.

RGB has the broadest of all the color Gamut.

The subtractive gamut is based on combining ink pig-

ments in varying amounts to produce color. The more pig-

ment that is added the darker the image becomes. This

color gamut is seen in printing and uses the CMYK color

gamut. Color space conversion is what happens when the

color management module translates color from one de-

vice's space to another. Because the RGB color range is

much broader than the CMYK color gamut, the RGB color

space will fall outside that of the CMYK space. Colors will

be affected when they are converted from RBG to CMYK.

VISIBLEColor Gamut

RBGColor Gamut

PANTONEColor Gamut

CMYKColor Gamut


Color | Using Color

RBG Color Gamut

CMYK Color Gamut

Color Models:1. Additive Color Model:

• Deals with the properties of light, as youadd colors to the projected light, the result-ing color will become closer to white.

• Primary colors: red, blue, & green (RBG).• Secondary colors: cyan, magenta, & yellow.• Additive Gamut found in light-based devices such as computer monitors, digitalcameras and televisions.

2. Subtractive Color Model: • An object of a specific color absorbs (subtracts) all the other colors, begins withwhite and ends with black.

• Primary colors: red, blue, yellow (close tosecondary colors of additive method).

• Secondary colors: purple, green, orange.• Subtractive gamut is based on combining

ink pigments (printing) in varying amountsto produce color, uses the CMYK colorgumat.

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The first property of color is called the hue. The hue refers

to a pure color, one without tint or shade. When you de-

scribe a color such as red or blue that is a hue. Hue de-

scribes the different parts of the color spectrum commonly

found in a rainbow or a reflected through a prism. Each dif-

ferent hue is a different reflected wavelength of light.

Color | Using Color

Color Wheel-Hue

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The second property of color is value, which refers to the

lightness and darkness of the hue or adding white or black.

A tint is a color in which white has been added to a pure

color. Mixing a color with white will increase its lightness,

the more white, the lighter the tint. When you take any color

and add white to it, you are creating a tint of that hue.

Color Wheel-Tints


A Shade is a color with black added to a pure color. Mixing

a color with black will make the color darker. Take any color

and add black to it and you will create a shade of that hue.

Add black to red will create a shade of red and make it

darker, such as garnet. At times a designer will use dark

shades instead of black to help avoid a too dark or heavy

look in a design.

Color | Using Color

Color Wheel-Shades

Adding white and black to a color will create a tone. Add

gray to a color and you will create a tone of that color, mak-

ing the color less intense. Every color can produce a variety

of tones; how light or dark the tone is depends upon the

color. How dark or light a tone seems also depends on the

surrounding colors. A tone that is light in one context may

seem darker in another if it is surrounded by lighter tones.

Color Wheel-Tones


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The third property of color is intensity or saturation, which

refers to the brightness of a color. When a color is not mixed

it is bright and is at its full intensity. Intensity differs from

value in that it describes the brightness or saturation of a

color while value describes the lightness or darkness of a

color. Adding white or black to a color will change its value

and at the same time change its intensity.

How to Lower IntensityLowering the intensity of a color will make it less bright,

duller and more neutral. If white is added the color, it will

become lighter in value and the intensity will decrease.

When black is added, the color will become darker in value

and the intensity will also be decreased. Mixing two comple-

Color | Using Color

mentary colors together will also cause the intensity to be-

come duller.

How to Increase IntensityPlacing a color next to its complementary color (colors di-

rect opposite of each other on the color wheel) will intensify

the brightness of each color. This effect is know as simul-taneous contrast, meaning that each complement intensi-

fies the visual brilliance of the other color, so that the color

appears to vibrate.White and Black will Decrease Intensity

Complementary Colors will Increase Intensity


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Ten years ago most computers were only capable of dis-

playing 8-bit color (256 colors). These 256 colors were de-

termined by a mathematical formula, rather than for their

aesthetic qualities. Web designers would use the BrowserSafe Palette of 216 colors exclusively. This palette was lim-

ited to 216 colors instead of the maximum 256 colors be-

cause only these colors would display consistency on all

computer monitors and Web Browsers.

Today, the number of screens only capable of displaying

256 colors has greatly decreased. Presently 95% of all

users have screens with True Color. True Color is also

called 24-bit color and can display millions of colors that

look "true" to the human eye. This means that most comput-

ers today will display colors the way you want them to look.

There still is about 5% of web users that have computer

monitor screens that displays High Color. High Color falls

somewhere between the old standard 256 colors and the

True Color millions of colors.

Color | Using Color

Image Displaying Millions of Color

Image Displaying 216 Colors


Color | Using Color

Web Safe Palette of 216 Colors

#FF33FF #FF66CC #FF6699 #FF6666 #FF6633 #FF6600 #CC66FF #CC66CC #CC6699 #CC6666 #CC6633 #CC6600

#FFFFFF

#FFCCFF #FFCCCC

#FFFFCC #FFFF99

#FFCC99 #FFCC66 #FFCC33 #FFCC00

#FFFF66 #FFFF33 #FFFF00 #CCFFFF

#CCCCFF #CCCCCC

#CCFFCC #CCFF99

#CCCC99 #CCCC66 #CCCC33 #CCCC00



#FF33CC #FF3399 #FF3366 #FF3333 #FF3300 #CC33FF #CC33CC #CC3399 #CC3366 #CC3333 #CC3300


#99FFFF #99FFCC #990099 #99FF66 #99FF33 #99FF00 #66FFFF #66FFCC #66FF99 #66FF66 #66FF33 #66FF00

#99CCFF #99CCCC #99CC99 #99CC66 #99CC33 #99CC00 #66CCFF #66CCCC #66CC99 #66CC66 #66CC33 #66CC00

#9999FF

#9966FF

#9999CC #999999 #999966 #999933 #999900 #6699FF #6699CC #669999 #669966 #669933 #669900

#9966CC #996699 #996666 #996633 #996600 #6666FF #6666CC #666699 #669966 #666633 #666600

#9933FF #9933CC #993399 #993366 #993333 #993300 #6633FF #6633CC #663399 #663366 #663333 #663300

#9900FF #9900CC #990099 #990066 #990033 #990000 #6600FF #6600CC #660099 #660066 #660033 #660000

#33FFFF #33FFCC #33FF99 #33FF66 #33FF33 #33FF00 #00FFFF #00FFCC #00FF99 #00FF66 #00FF33 #00FF00

#33CCFF #33CCCC #33CC99 #33CC66 #33CC33 #33CC00 #00CCFF #00CCCC #00CC99 #00CC66 #00CC33 #00CC00

#3399FF #3399CC #339999 #339966 #339933 #339900 #0099FF #0099CC #009999 #009966 #009933 #009900

#3366FF #3366CC #336699 #336666 #336633 #336600 #0066FF #0066CC #006699 #006666 #006633 #006600

#3333FF #3333CC #333399 #333366 #333333 #333300 #0033FF #0033CC #003399 #003366 #003333 #003300

#3300FF #3300CC #330099 #330066 #330033 #330000 #0000FF #0000CC #000099 #000066 #000033 #000000

#CCFF66 #CCFF33 #CCFF00


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Dithering is a process that produces a desired color by com-

bining two or more colors to create an illusion that a third

color is present. Dithering changes pixels in areas of an

image that have color transition zones thus helps to mini-

mize banding. This is done by a feathering process and the

resulting image appears smoother, but the file size will be-

come larger. Another negative effect of dithering is the re-

duction of the overall sharpness of the image and a grainy

pattern may appear. This loss of image detail is more appar-

Color | Using Color

Color Image: JPEG, Non-Dithered, Millions of Colors Color Image: GIF Dithered-Web Palette

ent when a color photo is dithered as a GIF using the web

palette. Years ago this technique was necessary to create

images that would look acceptable on a 256-color computer

screen, but today there is seldom any need to dither an

image. Save your image as a JPEG or PNG format if you

need a wider range of colors than the GIF format can han-

dle. The first image is a JPEG, visible banding can be seen

in the enlarged area. The second image is a GIF that was

dithered. The bands are feathered but the image is grainy.

supplement material

SECTION THREEChapter Nine:Using Color

Color | Using Color


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Colors deceive us constantly. They can change appearance

in different lighting conditions, with size and their placement

next to other colors. The way we perceive a color depends

upon its context. We perceive colors in their relationship to

other colors. This effect is seen with colors of the same hue

as well as colors that are different but in close proximately.

Color | Using Color

How Color Can Create Unity in a Design

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Unity in a design can create an integrated image in which all

the elements work together to support the design and cre-

ate a common goal. Using similar colors can bring about

unity in your design and can help to make your elements

look like they belong together and not placed arbitrarily on

the page. Your elements will not compete with each other

for attention and will be seen as a single complete piece.

Unity can provide cohesiveness in your design and pull your

elements together both visually and conceptually.

Purple color changes depending upon the background

Yellow fades in the same hue but is bright next to green


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Colors create emotional responses when combined to-

gether. As a designer, you can create a powerful color com-

bination with hues, tints and shades. Color harmony can be

described as sets of two or more color relationships to-

gether that are pleasing to look at. The design will engage

the viewer and create a sense of order or a balance in the

visual experience.

Knowing how to use colors in relationship to order and pro-

portion will create a desired mood, communicate ideas and

elicit a response from your desired audience. Color har-

mony focuses on the relationship between hues and com-

plements. Colors are described by their relative positions

around the color wheel. When a design is not harmonious

it could bring on a response of being boring or chaotic.

Using color harmony will make your design visual interest-

ing and create a sense of order.

Color | Using Color

Complementary Colors Make a Powerful Combina-


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Many things can determine how colors will appear from the

light that is reflected or absorbed, to the colors that are in

close proximity and to the interpretation of the colors by the

viewer. There are many color schemes to choose from

and as a designer you will have to determine which color

scheme is best for your design.

Color | Using Color

Warm and Cool Colors

It is important to have a basic understanding of colors and

different color schemes. It is also important to know how

colors are used to evoke emotional responses, how differ-

ent cultures interpret colors and how colors interact with

each other. Making the right choice when choosing a color

will help to convey the right tone, message, and evoke the

desired response in a brochure, newsletter, ad, Web site or

other publication. It is important to remember that colors are

a form of non-verbal communication that can create a phys-

ical and emotional reaction from your viewer.

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Warm colors are associated with objects that emit heat or

objects that are hot to touch such as the yellow in the sun

and the red-orange flames in a fire. Red, pink, yellow and

orange are all colors associated with warmth. Warm colors

are more energetic, vivid, outgoing, aggressive and send a

message that demands our attention. They are frequently

used to grab the viewer’s attention; red and yellow are used


Color | Using Color

Warm Colors

vance in space, use a warm color to allow an element in

your design to stand out. Warm colors can be comforting

and welcoming. In nature warm colors are found in a beau-

tiful sunset, flowers, butterflies and the warmth from the sun.

It is important to understand the psychological effects of

warm colors and when to use them within your design.

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Cool colors are associated with objects that are cool to

touch such as the water in the ocean or an ice covered

pond. Blue, green and violet are all cool colors. At one end

of the spectrum, cool colors can represent comfort and nur-

turing and have a calming effect. They can make a person

feel more relaxed and restful and are frequently used in the

medical setting for this reason. At the other end of the spec-

trum, a cool color would be cold, such as a fully saturated

blue, and give the impression of being dominating and im-

personal. As a designer, you should be careful not to over-

use cool colors or your design my seem cold or impersonal.

Cool colors that are in nature are soothing and tend to have

in traffic signs to grab our attention and warn us of danger.

As a designer you may want to use warm colors to convey

different emotions. Warm colors can represent danger; use

warm colors to show anger and violence. They also ad-


Color | Using Color

a calming effect. They have the addition of yellow that cre-

ates a yellow-green, green and blue green color. They re-

mind us of spring and make us feel renewed and refreshed.

They have a tendency to recede on the page and appear

smaller and will not overpower the main content or message

in your design. For this reason, cool colors are a good

choice to use as background colors in your design. If your

design has too many cool colors you can use a touch of red

or orange to give your make your design more vivid look.

Cool Colors

Warm and Cool Colors:1. Warm Colors:

• Red, pink, yellow and orange• Appear hot to touch or emit heat• Are energetic, vivid, outgoing,

aggressive and represent danger• Demands our attention• Allows elements to come forward

2. Cool Colors: • Blue, green and violet • Appear cool to touch • Can comfort and nurture or be

dominating and impersonal. • Can create feelings of renewing

and refreshing. • Tendency to recede on the page

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The monochromatic color theme is one color family in vari-

ous values or intensities. This color theme uses a variation

of lightness and saturation of a single color creating a har-

monious and unified feeling. The effect can be both elegant

and soothing. If the values of one color are very close the

Color | Using Color

Examples of Monochromatic Color Schemes Examples of an Analogous Color Scheme

image will lack contrast. If you want to achieve more con-

trast in your image, use a wider range of values.

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Analogous colors are those colors that are adjacent to each

other on the color wheel. What makes these colors harmo-

nious is the fact that they are related to each other. They

share a common color such as red shares red-violet on one

side and red-orange on the other. One color is usually the

dominant color and the other colors are used for enrich-

ment. This color theme is similar to the monochromic color

theme but looks richer because it has a greater variety of

values and tones. Use an analogous color theme to express

a feeling of harmony and tranquility.


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Complementary colors are those colors that are directly op-

posite each other in the color wheel. In the complementary

color theme contrast is high creating a vibrant look espe-

cially when the colors are fully saturated. The colors almost

seem to vibrate when placed together. The color red will ap-

Color | Using Color

Complementary Color Scheme

pear redder when place with its complementary color green.

Complementary color schemes work well when you need

something to stand out in your design, but care must be

used not to overdo the effect. Complementary colors are

not recommended to use with text since it can make the text

very difficult to read.

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The split-complementary color scheme is related to the

complementary scheme, but instead of using the color di-

rectly opposite on the color wheel, the split-complementary

color scheme uses the two colors that are adjacent to its

complement. This color scheme will retain a strong visual

appearance but will not have the same dramatic tension as

the complementary color theme. Careful consideration

should be used with these colors, some color combinations

still create a vibration when placed together. The spit-com-

plementary color theme is a popular color scheme used in

layouts because of its expressive effects.


Color | Using Color

Split-Complementary Color Scheme

Triadic Color Scheme

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The triadic color scheme is any three colors that are equally

spaced around the color wheel. A combination of any three

colors that form a triad on the color wheel can be used in

this color scheme. The primary colors, secondary colors

and the tertiary colors are all triadic color schemes. This

scheme is popular because it offers a strong visual contrast

but retains it balance and color richness. The triadic scheme

offers a more harmonious appearance than the comple-

mentary schemes.

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The double tetradic complementary scheme uses four col-

ors arranged into two complementary color pairs. The com-


Color | Using Color

Double-Triadic Complementary Color Scheme

plementary pairs are those colors that are direct opposites

on the color wheel. This color scheme more color variety

than any other scheme and is consider the richest of all the

schemes because of this.

The double tetradic complementary scheme is hard to bal-

ance and harmonize if all the colors are used in equal

amounts in the layout. To help balance your design, choose

a dominant color and stay away from pure colors in equal

amounts.

Colors Schemes:1. Monochromatic Color Theme:

• One color family in various values or intensities.

2. Analogous Color Scheme: • Colors that are adjacent to eachother on the color wheel.

3. Complementary Color Scheme: • Colors that are directly oppositeeach other in the color wheel.

4. Split-Complementary Color Scheme: • Uses the two colors that are adjacent to its complement.

5. Triadic Color Scheme: • Any three colors that are equallyspaced around the color wheel.

6. Double Tetradic Color Scheme: • Uses four colors arranged into two complementary color pairs.

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The way we perceive colors is very subjective. We respond

to colors on both a subconscious and emotional level. The

way we respond to a color may also depend upon the situ-

ation in which it is used. One persons’ reaction to a color

may be quite different from another. This can be related to

our personal preference or our cultural background. Our cul-

tural background and traditions will influence our reactions

to colors. Colors have different meanings in various cul-

tures. A color that makes one culture happy may make an-

other culture depressed.

Colors can influence our emotions and actions. The study of

color and how it affects individuals has intrigued us for gen-

erations. Colors have hidden meanings and symbolism.

Symbolism in color has developed over centuries of history,

religion, tradition and superstition. Some phrases we may

be familiar with are feeling blue, seeing red and green with

envy. Over a period of time humans have identified with dif-

ferent colors and their meanings. Researchers have found

Color | Using Color

that there are some color effects that have universal mean-

ing. As a designer, we need to examine colors and what

they symbolized, to give us a better understanding as to

how our audience will perceive certain colors and their

meanings.

Red-Powerful as a Design Element


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Red is a very emotionally intense color. Physiological the

color red will enhance our metabolism; increase our blood

pressure, pulse and flow of adrenaline. Red is a hot color

and is associated with fire, violence and war. Red is also

associated with anger, power and danger. Stop signs and

lights are red to warn drivers of dangerous intersections.

In other cultures the color red has different meanings. In

China red represents happiness, prosperity and good luck.

In the East brides wear red wedding dresses while in South

Africa red is worn to represent mourning. Many national

flags use the color red. Red is associated with communism,

Russia the Bolsheviks used a red flag when they overthrew

the Tsar.

In design, red is used to attract the consumer. Red can be

seen as passionate, provocative, exciting and dynamic. Red

is also associated with strength, desire and love. Red is

considered the sexiest of all colors and is used as a seduc-

Color | Using Color

tive tool in the marketplace. Using red in small amounts can

be more effective than large amounts in grabbing your au-

dience’s attention. Red brings text and images to the fore-

ground. As an accent red will stimulate people to make

quick decisions and is a perfect choice of color to use in a

wide variety of advertising ads.

Red-Frequently Used in Logos


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The color pink is the soft side of red and is seen as delicate

and playful. Pink that is vivid or a hot may share the same

high energy and spirit as red to represent hot passion and

romance. Pink is associated with such things as bubble

gum, cotton candy, little girls and babies. The color pink rep-

resents tenderness, love, playfulness and caring.

Color | Using Color

In the United States the color pink represents little girls. Pink

is thought of as a feminine and delicate color and denotes

a childish-innocence. The color pink is used in advertise-

ment to represent a flirtatious personality and the purity of

girls. Multiple shades of the color pink can be used to main-

tain the soft, delicate, and playful nature of the color. Pink

can give a rosy glow to any skin tone and represent a

healthier look. It is an excellent choice to use for health care

products, cosmetics products, salon, spas or any packaging

of products related to these areas.

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Orange is a vibrant color that is associated with autumn’s fo-

liage or the radiant sunsets. It symbolizes the energy and

warmth from the sun. Orange represents pumpkins and

Halloween. Orange is a happy and playful color with an al-

most childlike quality. Orange contains some of the aggres-

sion and drama of red and the cheerfulness and good

humor of yellow. Use the color orange to represent enthu-Pink-Frequently used to Represent Little Girls


Color | Using Color

Orange Rose-Symbolizes Passion and Excite-

siasm, happiness, fascination, creativity, determination, at-

traction, success, encouragement and stimulation.

As a warm color, orange stimulates the autonomic nervous

system and can increase the appetite. Restaurants will use

orange for instant appetite appeasement. Orange is used

frequently in many types of food service including the pack-

aging of food products. It is thought to have an invigorating

effect and stimulates mental activity. It is a color that is well

accepted among children and young people and is a great

color to use for children’s toys, games and inexpensive nov-

elty products for the young at heart.

Lighter shades of orange such as peach, apricot, coral and

melon are softer more pleasant shades. They appeal to the

more sophisticated age group and are used in the upscale

market place. This color is often seen in makeup salons,

beauty spas and packaging of beauty products. Orange is

a very visible color, used in small amounts, it can be a great

color to use when you want important elements in your de-

sign to be noticed.

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The color yellow represents sunshine, warmth and light. It

is thought of as a cheerful and energetic color and repre-

sents happiness. On the other hand yellow can be thought

of as the color of cowardice and deceit. In Egypt the color

yellow is used for mourning, in Japan yellow represents


Color | Using Color

Yellow-Stands Out

courage and in India yellow represents peace. To some

people yellow symbolizes wisdom and joy. Because it is a

highly visible color, yellow is used for hazard signs, emer-

gency vehicles, and safety equipment.

Yellow is an eye-catching color and for that reason it is an

excellent color to use for point of purchases and displays.

Some shades of yellow can be describes as delicious such

as those shades of yellow used in custard or banana cream

pie. For this reason, yellow is frequently used in food serv-

ices areas for linens and tabletops. The color yellow and

black are an excellent color combination to use for signage

and packaging of products to make them stand out on the

market shelves.

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Brown is a warm neutral color and represents both whole-

someness and earthiness. It is found mostly in the earth,

mountains, trees and stone. The color brown is associated

with such terms as stability, organic, natural, nature, earthly,

honesty, dependable, health and wholesomeness.

In recent years brown has earned greater visibility due to

the numerous designer coffee shops that showcase richly

brewed espresso coffee. Brown is an important color in the

food industry. We can correlate the color brown to rice,

grains, cereals, and breads that are all brown and represent

a healthy, wholesome and organic lifestyle. The color brown

can have an opposite meaning and represent delicious and


Color | Using Color

enticing foods like candy, icecream and soda that could pos-

sible lead to an unhealthy life style and obesity.

Since the color brown is regarded as an earthly it is thought

of in terms of reliability. The color brown can also represent

integrity and hard work. Use brown in your designs to help

your customers to believe in the company's trustworthiness,

dependability and honesty. Using the color brown will add

credibility to an advertising message. Many men favor the

color brown and consider it a safe color that represents in-

telligence, reassurance, and trust. If your audience is mostly

men, brown might be a good color choice to use within your

design.

Brown-Used to Represent Unhealthy Foods Leading to Obesity

Brown-Earthly and Wholesome Side

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The color blue is strongly associated with the sky and water;

it is a color that is constantly in our lives. Because of this,

blue is seen as loyal, trustworthy, constant, reliable, de-

pendable and committed. The color blue is associated with

terms like peaceful, restful and orderly. The cool, calming

effect of blue can help us sleep at night and is a good choice


Color | Using Color

Blue-tranquility, calmness and serenity

for a bedroom color. We feel soothed and replenish when

we view the blue sky, lakes or oceans.

Blue can give us feelings of tranquility, calmness and seren-

ity and is one of the best colors to use for medical products,

hospitals and relaxation spas. Blue has been show to slow

a person's heart rate and can reduce ones appetite, be-

cause of this is not a good color to choose for a restaurant.

Blue is also a color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality

and symbolizes the Virgin Mary. Blue can be related to

strong emotions of sadness where the expressions feeling

blue or getting the blues represents the extreme effects of

the calm feelings associated with the color blue.

When designing, the color blue is a good choice for a busi-

ness to help build customer loyalty. Blue will represent the

company as strong, loyal, trustworthy and dependable. Blue

is also considered a corporate color and is associated with

intelligence, stability, unity and conservatism. Blue is a color

that is worn by mail carrier, policeman and security guards

and can be used to represent figures of authority.


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The color green symbolizes nature, fertility and life. Green

is a color that is abundant in nature and signifies growth.

Green has a calming and restful effect and is often used in

home design. Many people have plants in their home to

bring the color green into their surroundings. Green is also

thought to relieve stress; many work places incorporate

Color | Using Color

Green-Vegetable Colors Works Well for Healthy Food

green into the environment. Green can also represents tran-

quility, good luck, health and jealousy. Such phases about

green are green thumb, green with envy and greenhorn.

Green is the traditional color of peace. Use the color green

when you want to represents balance, harmony, tranquility

and stability within your design.

There are so many green hues; this makes the color green

a very flexible color. It can be warm in the yellow-green side

of the color wheel and cool in the blue-green side. Lime

green can be used if you want an element in your design to

stand out. A light green will give your design the feeling of

spring and being refreshed. Combining green with blue will

represent water. A vivid yellow-green is not recommended

to use in healthcare, dinning areas, boats or airplanes since

this color is associated with nausea and illness. The best

color greens to use in relationship to food are the colors of

vegetables like broccoli, spinach and lettuce. These colors

of green will work well for food services, dinning areas and

packages that support a healthy living style.


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The color purple can be sensual, spiritual, elegant and mys-

terious. The deeper royal purple is viewed as regal and ma-

jestic and is associated with royalty, wealth and prosperity.

It has been traditionally associated with royalty in many cul-

tures. In Thailand widows in mourning of their husbands

wear purple and in the U.S. military, a purple heart is

awarded to a soldier wounded or killed in battle. Purple is

associated with good judgment and for those people seek-

ing spiritual fulfillment, making it a good color choice to use

in meditation.

Using the color purple can be both unique and powerful in

your designs. Because the color purple grabs attention, it

is often used for packaging, point of purchase as well as

signage. It is very effective to use in projects to give a sense

of luxury and wealth. A bright purple can be fun, playful and

exciting, and is a great color to use to represent a child. A

light purple can give feelings of romance, calmness and

peacefulness. In nature light purples are found in the laven-

Color | Using Color

Purple-Magestic, Spiritual, Mysterious and Sen-

der, orchid, lilac, and violet flowers that are delicate and

considered precious. To show a softer, more sentimental

and nostalgic feeling associated with gentility and refine-

ment use this lighter color purple. The purple color found in

grapes and berry's can be very effective to use in food-ser-

vice applications. The color purple is also connected to cre-

ativity, eccentricity and unpredictability and is associated

with imagination and inspiration.


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The color white symbolizes purity, innocence, virginity,

cleanliness and neutrality. When we think of white we think

of clouds, Heaven and angels. It is considered the color of

perfection in both balance and harmony. White represents

safety, strength and cleanliness. White is associated with

hospitals, doctors, nurses and dentists. In many countries

brides wear the color white, white daisies are a symbol of

Color | Using Color

White-Simple, Elegant and Peaceful

love and white is associated with heroism and goodness.

The color white is thought to heal the body, mind and spirit

at different levels.

It is a misconception to think that the color white is boring or

predictable. White is a very simple, elegant and peaceful

color. You may think the color white color is not appealing to

your audience, but some of the best graphic designs and

websites use white. Using the color white can make your

work appear clean and simple. White is great to use in Web-

sites for a font color, background color, link and images..

White in your design can represent a new beginning, en-

thusiasm, spiritual insights, inspiration and clarity of pur-

pose. White works well for contrast in any graphic design

project. Pure white is a symbol of absolute minimalism

against which any color may contrast. Because it has a

sense of clarity and cleanliness, it is a good color to use for

personal hygiene products and infant’s products. Off white

is more friendly and creamy whites are delicious, excellent

for dinning areas and food packaging products.


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Black is the absence of all colors and has many conflicting

connotations. It has both a negative and positive meaning.

The color black can represent authority, power, mystery,

death, poverty and sophisticated. Black can be thought of

with fear or it can represent strength and authority. It can

be formal and elegant as when attending a black tie dinner.

Black can be serious, conventional or conservative. In

Western countries black is the color of mourning and death

and in China black is the color to represent happiness.

Over the years the positive associations with black have out

weighted the negative ones. If you want to present your de-

sign as highly stylized and with sophistication, use the color

black. The color black can convey elegance and add a

touch of mystery to your design. The consumer sees black

as powerful, dramatic, elegant and very expensive. People

identify with black limos, polish granite and expensive black

leather. Use black for consumer products whenever power,

potency, longevity and weight is implied. Black will always

Color | Using Color

Black-Powerful, Dynamic and Elegant

seem to weigh more than any other color. Using too much

black can evoke too strong emotions and be overwhelming.

Use other colors against black, this will make them appear

brighter and still maintain the feeling of power and strength.

Black is the extreme contrast to white, making them a per-

fect opposite. Black and white are a classic combination of

strength, clarity power and purity.

Date post:	22-Oct-2014
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