Design: Color Theory

Color Theory

- There are Primary (Red, Yellow, Blue), Secondary (Orange, Green, Purple), and Tertiary ( etc.)

- ROYGBIV is the visible color spectrumSubtractive (Pigmented Generated) color model has primary colors as RYB, and Light Generated color model has primary colors as RGB

Secondary and Tertiary

- Dark color recedes, light color advances (guideline, not entirely true)

- Purple isn’t real

Primary Colors

- if you mix RBG on the light generated spectrum you should get white

Color Mixing

- RGB

- RGY

- CMYK (printer colors)

Color Modes

- Monochrome

*Tints, shades, and tones of a single hue

- Grey Scale

* Black and white only

- Web Safe RBG

* Hexadecimal compatible

Color Modification

- Tints

* Add white to a pure hue

- Shades

* Add black to a pure hue

- Tones

* add grey to a pure hue

Color Harmony

- Complementary (across the color wheel from each other and work well together)

- Split Complementary (colors on each side of a color across the wheel from another color)

- Analogous (Next to each other on the color wheel)

- Triad, Tetratic, and Quadrilateral (draw an equilateral shape inside the color wheel and choose the colors on the corner

Color Properties

- Cool

- Warm

- Bright

- Dark

- Saturated

- Desaturated

Color Intensity

- Color intensity changes in relation to its surrounding color

Color Association

- There are Universal Color Associations and Cultural/ Psychological Color Association

Why Color Matters

- 73% of purchasing decisions are now made in store

- Catching the shopper’s eye and conveying information effectively are critical to successful sales

- Color increases brand recognition by up to 80%

Color Affects: Appetite

- Blue is a rare occurrence in nature

- We have no appetite response to blue food

Color Affects: The Mind

- Pink is a tranquilizing color that drains your energy

- Used in prison, holding cells, opposing team locker rooms