colors
TRANSCRIPT
supplement material
SECTION THREEChapter Eight:Color
Color | Using Color
Created & Designed by Mary E Hoffmann
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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
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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
VVaalluuee
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
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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
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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
#FF99FF #FF99CC #FF9999 #FF9966 #FF9933 #FF9900 #CC99FF #CC99CC #CC9999 #CC9966 #CC9933 #CC9900
#FF66FF #FF66CC #FF6699 #FF6666 #FF6633 #FF6600 #CC66FF #CC66CC #CC6699 #CC6666 #CC6633 #CC6600
#FF33CC #FF3399 #FF3366 #FF3333 #FF3300 #CC33FF #CC33CC #CC3399 #CC3366 #CC3333 #CC3300
#FF00FF #FF00CC #FF0099 #FF0066 #FF0033 #FF0000 #CC00FF #CC00CC #CC0099 #CC0066 #CC0033 #CC0000
#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
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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-
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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.
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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-
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.