Photoshop for Publishing
Color Scheme
Here we move out of the technical and into the psychological "Art of Color." Color Schemes describe how colors interrelate and communicate to a viewer. Colors seldom stand alone, and they affect and they are affected by the colors around them.
I am going to describe the "classic" color themes, what they are and how they are used. Although you can get far more detailed than I am getting here (whole thesises have been written on this subject), we are going to limit ourselves to the following schemes:
Finally, we will discuss a little bit on the Psychology of Color and Color Placement. At this point I want to say again that there is no rule which cannot be broken - but do so intelligently.
Monochromatic
Monochromatic colors are all the hues (tints and shades) of a single color. As a result, the energy is more subtle and peaceful due to a lack of color contrast. Monochromatic colors offer very little contrast and may be considered boring unless there is diversity within the design. In printing, a duotone of black and one other color results in a monochrome image. However, since a duotone may be two inks of any color, not all duotones are monochromatic.
Analogous
Analogous colors are a palette of compatible color combinations
that blend well together. They are neighbors on the color wheel. They
tend to blend harmoniously because they are related to each other. Analogous
colors have less contrast than complementary colors, and tend to lend
a sense of peace.
Complementary
Complementary colors are colors that are opposite from each other on the color wheel. They contrast, enhance and intensify each other. Using a Complementary Color Scheme will generally give you great color contrast, but can also be very "loud" unless you mute the colors. Full intensity Complementary Colors can add a sense of excitement and action. Warm colors can be used against cooler muted colors to increase a sense of depth and separation from a background.
Triadic
Triadic colors are high-contrast colors that are found by choosing three colors that are separated by 120 degrees on the color wheel. The primary (red, blue, and yellow) and secondary (purple, orange, green) colors are examples of triadic colors. It offers strong visual contrast while retaining harmony and color richness using a limited palette. There are a number of modified triadic schemes where the two of the colors are analogous and one is across the color wheel. This can also work well and offers some creative options..
Psychology of Color
It is well known that color affects mood. There is no good or bad color, and no color which is inherently ugly. The effect of colors tend is determined by their Hue, Value and Intensity, and how they interplay with the colors around them. It has been said that color is the most subjective aspect of all the arts. However, we can still make some basic assumptions. For instance, a high contrast Color Scheme might work well for a children's book or an Ad for laundry detergent, but it may not work as well for a lawyer's office or his business card. Below are some of the more common Western interpretations of individual colors, but remember that much of their meaning depends upon Value, Intensity and how they relate to the colors around them. You will find that there are multiple and even conflicting interpretations of Colors. Don't let that confuse stop you from creating effective color combinations.
- Blue represents peace, tranquility, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, cold, technology, and depression. Blue can "slow the pulse rate, lower body temperature, and reduce appetite." Blue is considered a business color because it reflects reliability.
- Black represents power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, underground, good technical color, mourning and death.
- Green represents nature, environment, health, good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune.
- Orange is considered a warm color like red, but to a lesser extent; orange expresses energy. It has luminous qualities and has been used for attention-getting purposes, such as on caution signs. Orange evokes, warmth, enthusiasm, and images such as fall leaves, pumpkins and Halloween.
- Purple represents royalty, spirituality, nobility, ceremony, mystery, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning.
- Red is the color that we pay the most attention to. It is the warmest and most energic color in the spectrum. We associate red with love, valentines, danger, desire, speed, strength, violence, anger, emergency exit signs, stop signs and blood. Red can evoke a fight-or-flight response, raise blood pressure and make the heart beat faster. Red would not be the color of choice for psychiatric wards, prisons, but oddly enough a tint of red, pink, tends to have a calming effect and is used in holding cells. Go figure...
- White is what we see when all colors come together in perfect balance. It commonly represents purity, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, babies and marriage, and winter.
- Yellow represents joy, happiness, optimism, idealism,
imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice,
betrayal, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard, spirtuality
and inspiration.
For more on how Color relates to mood see: Color Wheel Pro
Color Placement
The Colors affect each other in the mind of the viewer creates "dimension."
A rule of thumb is that cooler, more muted colors fall back, whereas warmer
and more intense colors push forward. Complimentary colors seem brighter
when placed next to each other, creating color contrast (but not necessarily
tonal contrast); and Analogous colors seem to be less vivid when put next
to each other.
By understanding this, we can create a "hierarchy" of color to guide the viewer's eye. This is achieved by Color placement, the sizes of color elements, balance and repetition and other factors. In the example to the left, look at how your eye is drawn to the fish.
Links
There are a number of On-line tools available to generate Color Schemes and Palettes. Here are a few:
For more on Color Schemes and how to use them in your design, you might want to check out the following sites:
- Color Wheel Pro's Color Theory Basics
- Sign Web's Fundamental Color Theory
- Cornell's Color, Value and Hue
- ULead's Color Theory 101
More about design principles can be found at: