I. A Color Wheel Refresher Course
TERTIARY (OR INTERMEDIATE) COLORS
Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Red-Purple, Blue-Purple, Blue-Green and Yellow-Green.
Tertiary (or intermediate) colors conisist of a primary color combined with a secondary color.
Colors next to each other on the wheel are harmonious and go together well, for example red, red-orange, and red-violet. These colors are considered analogous.
Colors on opposite sides of the wheel, such as purple and yellow, provide contrast. These opposites are called complimentary colors. If you don't have a color wheel handy, you can use the afterimage test to find a color's compliment. Stare at a swatch of the color surrounded by white for 30 seconds, then stare at a blank piece of white paper. The complimentary color shows up in the afterimage. The compliment to a primary color is created with equal parts of the other two primary colors.
A triadic color scheme uses 3 colors, evenly spaced from each other on the wheel. (Examples: the triangle shown above; or the three primaries: red, yellow & blue) The result is a vivid 3-hue mix with good contrast..
A split complimentary color scheme also uses 3 colors: any hue and the two adjacent to its complement. (Example: red, yellow-green, and blue-green)
Colors are divided into cool and warm categories. The cool colors are green, blue and violet. Warm colors are red, orange and yellow.
A tint of a color is made by adding white. A shade is made by adding black.
The hue of an image is its basic color: red, yellow, blue or some combination of these. Saturation is the purity of that color, along a "dull-to-normal-to-vivid" spectrum. Reducing saturation of a color (making it more "dull") means adding its complementary color. To desaturate red, for example, add cyan. Lightening or darkening a saturated color desaturates that color as well.
For some fun with color and Crayola trivia, visit http://www.crayola.com/colorcensus/index.cfm?mt=colorcorner
II. The Impacts of Color
Using color in printing increases readership and information retention, according to advertising research. Consumer studies showed that advertisements with at least one color generated 43% more sales on average, and increased in-depth reading of ads by more than 60% (NAA 2003). When choosing colors for business promotions, the right color can enhance the message and mood. Below are some common associations with just a sampling of the colors in the spectrum.
III. RGB and CMYK Color
RGB is the color model that televisions and computer monitors use. It mixes colors of light in an additive color process. Example 1 shows how light from red, green and blue flashlights would appear illuminating a dark wall. The three primaries in light are red, green and blue (RGB). When all of the colors of the spectrum are combined, they add up to white light. Additive colors come directly from the light source, so they can form a purer image and represent a greater number of colors than subtractive colors can.
For some interactive experimentation with color combinations for the web, check out http://www.mundidesign.com/webct/
Subtractive color mixes colors of pigment, such as paint or ink and is used in the world of print. When learning basic color theory, students typically use the primary colors red, yellow, and blue. Printers' primary colors, however, are cyan (100% cyan = 0 red), magenta (100% magenta = 0 green) and yellow (100% yellow = 0 blue). Example 2 illustrates how these three colors mix on a piece of white paper to form black. Four-color printing typically involves four ink colors: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). Because they have an inverse relationship, increasing RGB values has the same effect as reducing CMY values and vice versa.
IV. Back Issues
If you missed previous editions of The Graphics Grapevine, and would like complimentary back issues e-mailed to you, please write to linda@kauaidesign.com
Vol. 1 No. 1, January 2004: I. What IS Graphic Design? II. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly III. Your Graphic Identity IV. Why Choose Print?
Vol. 1 No. 2, April, 2004: I. Postcard Promotions II. Type Tips: One Space Betweeen Sentences III. Type Tips: Underlining IV. White Space
Vol. 1 No. 3, July 2004: I. Making Headlines II. Type Talk III. Break Up Text With Graphic Elements IV. The Mission of Kaua`i Design Graphics
Future editions of The Graphics Grapevine will be sent to you by e-mail each quarter only if you want to receive them. If, for any reason, you’d like to remove your name from the e-mail list or add your name to the list, please e-mail: linda@kauaidesign.com
Owner of Kaua'i-based Kaua`i Design Graphics, Linda Pizzitola specializes in logos, business identity packages and print promotions. Kaua'i Designcollaborates with business owners and event promoters to bring their graphic identities to life. See samples of her work, a client list and more at http://www.kauaidesign.com. Linda can be reached by phone at (808) 822-0055.
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