Our world is filled with so many amazing colors. The tiniest shift in light or dark creates a whole new experience. And in the world of color theory, every increment matters.
Which is probably why the class drove me mad. That, and I had to paint abstract art (yuck). While trial and error isn’t my preferred method, it’s sort of how I roll with color. Especially in the case of digital, I test multiple shades and tints before I settle on “the one.” Even when the process seems a little random, there is a process for narrowing down the right colors. Here’s a crash course in what you need from color theory.
But First, Some Terminology…
- Hue – color (easy)
- Saturation – the amount of pure color. It’s the difference between grayscale and full-color.
- Value – the lightness (tint) or darkness (shade) of a color. If you add more white, the value is lighter. More black, and it’s darker.
- Bezold effect – same color appears different depending on color adjacent to it (something to think about)
- RGB – color system for digital; all digital materials should be RGB
- CMYK – color system for printing; all media meant for printing should be saved in CMYK (there is a color difference between RGB and CMYK due to how the colors are mixed)
Meanings of Colors
Every hue has a meaning or feeling it creates. Sometimes it’s dictated by culture or what companies use it, other times it’s how the color affects our perception. Here’s some of the associations I learned while at SCAD:
- Red – vitality, strength, warmth, assertion, anger, impatience
- Pink – calm, nurture, kind, unselfish love
- Orange – joy, security, creativity
- Yellow – happy, optimism, mental stimulation
- Green – harmony, peace, sincerity, generosity
- Turquoise – mental calm, concentration, confidence
- Blue – hope, faith, flexibility, loyal, spacious
- Indigo/violet – inspiration, intuition, spirituality, purification
- White – purify, isolation, space, peace
- Black – protection, restriction
- Gray – separation, loneliness, self-criticism
- Silver – change, balance, sensitivity
- Gold – wisdom, abundance, idealism
- Brown – nurture, earth, retreat
Now, you might read some of these and think the adjectives are way off. Pretty sure everyone has an opinion about every single color in the rainbow. But having a starting point of perceptions for color goes a long way in narrowing down which ones you’ll actually use. The other thing to consider is how these meanings change when you put different colors together.
Color Pairing
Color pairing methods are the base of every palette. What I normally do is pick one or two colors that work best for the project and then quickly see what each pairing method creates. You can either use Adobe Color or approximate with a drawing program and a color wheel diagram like the one below. Note that this wheel has tertiary colors (blue-green, yellow-orange); I usually stick to primary and secondary, but if my main color is something in between, then this wheel helps with visualizing the pairs.
- Monochromatic – Using one hue, change the saturation (brightness) and/or value (amount of dark and light). You’ll get a palette of say dark green and light green.
- Analogous – Using one hue, selecting the colors to their left and right (blue=violet and green).
- Complementary – Using on hue, select the color opposite of it (green and red, violet and yellow).
- Split Complementary – Using one hue, select the colors adjacent to the complement (green=orange and violet).
- Triadic – Using one hue, create an equidistant triangle to find the other two (red, yellow, blue).
There are other pairing techniques that painters have used, such as the system proposed by Frank Morley Fletcher in Colour Control (it’s where I got the above diagram for palette plotting). The methods above are good basics to know, but you can bend the rules where the need arises. I usually work within these bounds though; no need to fix what works well.
Crafting a Palette
Onto the good stuff. As I said, my usual method requires some trial and error. I start with a couple colors I like, run them through a few pairings, and then test them together on a sample of whatever graphic I’m creating. It’s hard to tell what will work well until you actually apply it to your work. Inevitably, I mix and match my palettes with different colors, applying them in different ways and finishing with a completely new palette.
I always try to have one light color and one dark color. If I was to change my graphic to black and white, I want to see clear contrasts. The harder the contrast, the easier it is to read text or spot a highlighted image. The softer the contrast, the harder it is to read.
As mentioned earlier, our world is full of color. And I’m not the only one to recognize it. Many people have already taken pictures of buildings and landscapes and turned them into beautiful palettes. Adobe Color has a whole page you can explore, but I collect a Pinterest board of colors that’s easy to bring into any coloring program and eyedrop colors. Takes some guess work out, but not completely.
User Friendly Color
Growing up, our neighbor was color blind. Didn’t mention it much, so it never crossed my mind that his experience was different from mine. Same with a more recent acquaintance who explained his color blindness as not being able to see as many degrees of certain colors (for him, green and red). Because I’m not color blind, it didn’t quite process in my head that the pretty colors I wanted to use might not be seen easily by everyone.
Luckily, there are a few tools that can help with accessibility. Adobe Color has a feature where you insert the colors you want to use on top of each other and it tests the value contrast (sort of like what I said earlier). If the contrast is strong enough, it’ll pass the test. I played with the feature when crafting my site. Not everyone may get to see the yellow, but I prioritized high contrast so no matter what’s seen, you can still read. And that’s the goal; everyone should be able to understand the message of the graphic.
Final Thoughts: Try Everything
The word theory means an unproved assumption or speculation. It’s an idea that’s frequently tested. Color theory isn’t law; it’s continually evolving and transitioning. Just when one color scheme seems just right, another pops up that’s even better. That’s color for you.
Never settle for the first or third attempt. And if you do, it had better be after testing the eighth and tenth. There are many quick ways to narrow down an awesome palette, but there’s never one answer to the perfect combo. Keep playing with color and letting the world’s magnificent rainbow inspire you.
