Using COLOR Bristol Community College Bristol Community College Business Creativity Sources: Non Designers Design Book

Using COLOR Why Use COLOR?  To enhance  To emphasize  To embolden  To set the emotion of your publication and because COLOR SELLS!

Using COLOR Appropriate Uses of COLOR  To add selective emphasis Red in a spreadsheet indicates negative numbers  To organize Gradients lead the eye through content Shades indicate sidebars or related info  To add impact Spot color or pie charts and other graphics

Using COLOR More Appropriate Uses  To separate content Different color magazine covers may note different volumes Varied colors on different sections in a newspaper or magazine  To create emotion Bright colors suggest optimism Dark colors suggest wealth & conservatism “Back to Nature” colors suggest holidays or seasonal themes

Using COLOR Inappropriate Uses  Color is wasted… when used to color a word or phrase in a body of the document when used as a backdrop for ordinary fonts  Thin lines, vertical rules, & small graphics are not good uses for color

Using COLOR COLOR Considerations  Color on the computer is not the same as when it’s printed  Paper affects finished color  Color works best when concentrated in only a few areas  Color can provide selective emphasis  Color organizes elements  Color is expensive

Using COLOR It’s Okay to Use COLOR…  as a reverse in headings  on logos  with business charts and graphics  as tints behind graphics to bring them alive  to separate elements on a page  as a colored background -- but not at the expense of contrast

Using COLOR Don’t Use COLOR…  out of habit  to brighten things up  scattered across the page  as a substitute for size  behind small type  for lots of text (It’s hard to read)  to print black and white photos

Using COLOR Be Careful Using COLOR  Don’t print colored text over a background of a gradient version of the same color Text readability requires contrast  Don’t print an entire document in an unusual color You lose the value of color for emphasis  Color can also be the medium Printing on colored paper changes the contrast and any color in the document

Using COLOR Types of COLOR  Process Color A mix of four colors to create the effect of full color Cyan Magenta Yellow Black [Key]  Spot Color One or more additional inks  Duotone a secondary color over black ink

Using COLOR Process COLOR Effective, but expensive

Using COLOR What is SPOT COLOR?  With spot color, you start with a black and white document and, using standard copying techniques, select words or graphics to appear in a second color such as red, blue, brown or green. Sometimes, it's also referred to as “highlight" color or "accent" color Spot color gives you the chance to add a highly professional image with little added expense

Using COLOR Add Impact with SPOT COLOR  Spot color creates a highly professional image with little added expense Example: Simple color key lines at the top or bottom of the page are an elegant design touch

Using COLOR How SPOT COLOR Adds Impact  Superior to bolding, italicizing and underlining in black & white  Used properly, spot color can help visually organize your layout by linking information and letting your reader focus on the critically important details.  Why? Instant eye-attraction of spot color draws attention to titles and vital information such as key dates or points of action

Using COLOR COLOR Communicates  Certain colors have certain connotations in publications: RED - warning or revenue losses BLUE - calming and recessive GREEN - can bolster capital projections. YELLOW - usually does not reproduce well and will get lost… but yellow on a black background is psychologically the most penetrating color combination to human perception

Using COLOR Tips for Using COLOR  Usually, large solid areas of color & gradients don't reproduce well Use the second color sparingly Too much of the color dilutes its effectiveness; it should help organize information by attracting attention to areas such as subtitles, summary statements, or sidebar pull quotes

Using COLOR How To Create Spot Color Using Digital Publishing Techniques  Create an original in whatever program you ordinarily use, such as InDesign  Utilizing the text tool, highlight the text you want to stand out, and select a spot color. If selecting a graphic, use the arrow or graphic selection tool to highlight and select color

Using COLOR How To Create Spot Color Using Traditional Copying Techniques  Spot color copies are created using black and white original masters You must create one master for each color For instance, if you want your document to be black and red, make one original with the information you'd like to have in black, and another with what you'd like to be red

Using COLOR How To Create Spot Color Using Separation  Most leading page layout programs can separate and print out these color masters automatically You can also create the masters manually by printing out two copies of a document in black and white, and then whiting-out or removing all of the elements from the page except those which will appear in that color

Using COLOR The Bottom Line  Plan carefully to use colors effectively  Be sure to get the colors you want Use Pantone or other color scales  Color is expensive

Using COLOR Resources  Visit their sites for features & demos:  Try these sites for training & techniques: