Colour Theory

What’s the point?

Colour Wheel By Sir Isaac Newton

Hue: the name of a colour

Brightness: the absolute value of a colour

Achromatic Colour Wheel

Saturation: the amount of hue in a given object, independent of value

Additive Colour refers to the requirement to add primary colours to create white (physical light). To create all the spectral hues, we must mix the additive primary colours of red, green and blue. Digital media uses additive colour (ie. computers and tv).

Primary hues: Red, Green and Blue

Secondary hues: Yellow, Cyan and Magenta

Primary + Secondary + Tertiary hues = Additive Colour Wheel

Subtractive Colour refers to the requirement to subtract primary colours to create white (reflective light). To create all the spectral hues, we must mix different colour pigments and dyes together. Analog media uses subtractive colour (ie. paintings, newspapers).

Primary hues: Red, Yellow and Blue

Secondary hues: Orange, Violet and Green

Primary + Secondary + Tertiary hues = Subtractive Colour Wheel

Tint and Shade: Tint refers to the amount of white we add to a hue. Shade refers to the amount of black we add to a hue

Colour Harmonies: different sets of colour combinations that work well together. Complementary Triadic Analogous Monochromatic

Monochromatic Harmonies refer to variations on one hue. Variation is created using saturation and brightness.

Analogous Harmonies are based on the combination of several hues located adjacent to each other on the colour wheel.

Yellow Analogous: Yellow is analogous with yellow orange and yellow green.

Blue Analogous: Blue is analogous with blue green and indigo.

Red Analogous: Red is analogous with violet and red orange.

Cool vs Warm: The colour wheel can be divided into two analogous groups of hues - warm and cool.

Complementary Harmonies are created using colours that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel.

Split Complementaries consist of three hues: the principle hue,and the two hues directly adjacent to the complementary hue.

Triad Harmonies are created from three hues spaced an equidistance around the colour wheel.

OUCH MY EYES

Some good sites dealing with colour: Claudia Cortes’ Color in MotionColor in Motion Poynter’s Institute’s Color Contrast and Dimension in News DesignColor Contrast and Dimension in News Design Adobe’s Kuler Application Colour Lovers

“Building Blocks” essential to good graphic design:  Shape and Form  Spatial Awareness (layout and grid systems)  Typography: understanding what type is and how to work with it  Dynamics, Emphasis and Contrast  Using Colour as a powerful tool rather than just decoration e.g. emotive: to arouse intense feelings in viewer

CMYK cyan, magenta, yellow and black

RGB

encourage viewer to move through information Content taken from: Lipton’s The Practical Guide to Information Design How to apply colour meaningfully: show differences show similarities emphasize something play something down convey meanings - inherent, assigned, or both

Using Colour in Packaging Design There is no question that colour is the most emotional and also the most subjective aspect in package design. Consumers are passionate about colour. Colour on a package (e.g. background, illustrations, text) plays a part in the communication of your product. The challenge with packaging design is that the choice of colours need to relate to a wide variety of consumers. Designers can not choose colours on a personal basis because the colour perceptions of consumers is too diverse.

Colour can identify a particular brand (e.g. red Kit Kat chocolate bar, can of Coke) Bright colours tend to communicate lightness, festivity, relaxation and joy. Darker, richer colours suggest a more serious frame of mind. Colour can help identify the colour of the product inside the product (e.g. Sunlight dish soap) Green, a colour unacceptable for food packaging is now a standard colour for health-oriented products. Bright, lively colours are often used on cereal packages, because cereals are usually consumed in the morning, a time associated with brightness. White or light coloured packages suggest attributes such as diet, light, salt-free or low-calorie. Gray and black on packages usually are reserved for high-tech consumer products (e.g. digital cameras). Deep, rich colours suggest good taste, and appetite appeal (e.g. gourmet chocolates.) Pastel shades, as well as black and gold are often utilized on packages associated with fashion and elegance. Some generalizations that can draw intellectual/emotional feedback from consumers:

Consumers have become so accustomed to colour cues that identify certain product categories that they respond to these cues almost automatically. A prime example would be soft drinks, where red cans and labels signify most colas, green stands for ginger ales, yellow for tonic water, and blue for seltzer. Colour Typecasting

While it is not impossible to break out of this colour ‘typecast’, try designing a green package colour scheme for a new cola. Colour Typecasting

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