Color your world properly
One of my passions is color theory. I was surprised to see that in the months that I have had my blog, I’ve only talked about it twice! So, I’ve decided to correct this grave injustice to this very fascinating field.
Color… I believe there are three things that set the tone for your piece: typography, color and the images you choose for your piece. In the coming weeks, I will be talking about color theory and what affects color choice.
Do’s of choosing appropriate colors for your layout
- Choose colors that are appropriate for your concept
- Always know who you are designing for (your audience) and choose colors geared towards them
- Select colors that are in accordance to the brand of the company you are designing for
- Always pull colors from company logos into your design
- Select colors that promote readability
- Choose colors that offer enough contrast
- Try designing the piece in limited colors (1 or 2 colors) then in full color
- Check out color uses in other designs in the same industry
- Use colors to organize information by category
- Establish your visual hierarchy with your color choice
Don’ts of color selection
- Don’t use “similar yet different” colors
- Don’t imitate color trends, they will date your work
- Don’t use too many colors as it will distract from your message
- Don’t ignore company colors, incorporate them
- Don’t choose colors without thinking of who your audience is, what look you are going for and what industry you are designing for.
Tips for further study
- Color symbolism in various cultures
- Study color use in art and graphic design history
- Visit a printer and visit paper trade shows (get samples). Study how paper, varnishes and printing technology change the colors you choose.
C O N C L U S I O N
One thing to always remember: what you see on the screen is not necessarily what you get when it’s printed.
And for online users, what is seen on one monitor will not appear the same on another.
For further reading: see my previous post on color to see how you choose colors.
Finally, remember, sometimes less really is more.
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