Elements of Design - Color

From Jacci Howard Bear,
Your Guide to Desktop Publishing.

Color is everywhere. Every single piece in the samples you've collected so far, even if it is black and white, exhibits the element of color. Color is used to attract attention. It can be subtle or bold.

Color can be found in the paper, the text, or the graphic elements and photos. A monochromatic color scheme uses a single color, perhaps in various tints, while other layouts utilize combinations of two, three, or more colors.

Color can be used to ellicit specific emotions and reactions. Red is typically thought of as an attention-grabbing, hot color. Blues are more calming or convey stability. Some color combinations are used to create a specific identity (corporate colors, school colors) or may be used in conjunction with texture to simulate the look of other objects (the look of plain paper wrapping or neon lights, for example).

Color may provide cues for the reader.

Sometimes considered a separate element of design, value is the relative lightness or darkness of an area compared to the surrounding area. Tints of gray or red are different values of the same color. Changing values can create contrast, movement, and emphasis.

Color

Color is not essential to a good design. Black and white and shades of gray can create 'color' that is just as effective as reds, blues, and greens. However, color is an added dimension that can evoke moods and make powerful statements when used wisely.

Value

Value is present in all design. It is the lightness or darkness of an object, regardless of color. Value is relative to the background color and other items on the page.

Use value to:

Increase/Decrease Contrast
The greater the difference in value between an object and its background, the greater the contrast



Choose the value that creates the amount of contrast and effect that you want for your design. In the above examples, the lighter value recedes into the light background. The design with the greatest contrast makes the darker object more dominant.

Create Movement
Objects of the same value create a static design with all objects equal in visual importance. Introducing varying values gives the page a more dynamic appearance and creates a 'pecking order' among the objects. Some stand out while others recede.



Mix elements of different values to add visual movement to your design or to create a hierarchy of importance.

Lead the Eye
By creating a pattern of dark to light values, even when the objects are equal in shape and size, it leads the eye in the direction of dark to light.



In the above example, the first set of all dark lines are static. The middle example leads the eye in a downward direction (dark to light). Reversing the values of the lines leads the eye upward.

Use color to change the effect of value:
Color has the power to override the effects of value. In a high contrast black & white design, introducing a single, small bit of color will change the focus and balance of the design.



The eye is drawn to that spot of color even if other elements are designed to draw the eye in some other direction or the objects are otherwise equal. That's the power of color.

Technical Aspects of Color

Color Selection & Use

Perhaps the most fun and most challenging aspect of design is choosing the right colors. The right colors can bring a design to life, or destroy an otherwise excellent piece. However, color can't rescue a piece that isn't well-designed in the first place. It's not a cure-all.

Colors fall into three general categories: warm, cool, and neutral. The way we mix those colors along with attention to value, can add interest, enhance the design concept, or convey specific messages.

The first page of the supplemental material is a general overview but it also covers warm, cool, and neutral colors briefly and recaps some previous discussion of harmonizing, contrasting, and clashing color combinations. Then each subsequent page covers a single color or related colors. Learn about the emotions of each color and ways in which that color is typically used.

Color Meanings and Colors That Go Together:
Cool Color Meanings (calming): Blue, Green, Turquoise, Silver
Warm Color Meanings (exciting): Red, Pink, Yellow, Gold, Orange
Mixed Cool/Warm Color Meanings: Purple, Lavender, Green, Turquoise
Neutral Color Meanings (unifying): Brown, Beige, Ivory, Gray, Black, White