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DTP

BA2 Corporate Communication

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Colour physiology: association

and effect Colour psychology is concerned

with experiencing colour, the

archetypical images, possibleassociations, as well as effects,impression and emotions

Archetypical images come fromthe so called collectiveunconscious (the philosopher c.Jung coined the concept)

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1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12

Envy

Fear

Respect

Tolerance

Violence

Steal

Courage

Honour

Pride

Victim

Strangers

Friends

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These are the experiences andassociations which people (from aparticular culture group) apparently

have in common, without consciouslyreflecting on them

For example the following criteria of

archetypes are applied to the sixelementary colours (cited byGerritsen)

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Red: the blazing force of fire, symbolof blood, war and violence, symbolic

force for the ego Green: the elemental force of fertility

which allows the scattered seeds togerminate, symbol of peace and well

being, symbolic colour of rest

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Blue: the colour for the power ofinfinity, the sky and the whole

firmament, of thought andmeditation, symbolic colour ofspace and eternity

Yellow: the force of the natural

order of time, sun, moon andstars, symbol of the power ofGod, symbolic power radiance,time and the transience of time

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Black: the oppressive power ofdarkness, symbol of death andtransience, symbol of grief

White: the dazzling light of the sprit,triumphing over death, the white ashwhen fire is extinguished, the

stillness of snow that has coveredthe winter wood, symbol of purity, ofthe unsullied.

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Effective

Efficient

Calculating

Economical

Extroverted

Expanding

Comestowards me

Jumps atme

Outgoing

Towardsactivity

Meditation

Inner peace

Calm

Introverted

Withdrawn

Meditative

Towards theoutside

Playful

Neither herenor there

Notdefinitive

Movement

Arousal

Activation

Heat

Colour psychologycf. Turtschi

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Colour associations

Associations may be highlightedthrough the use of colourcombinations

Convert moods (exciting, calming,light, gloomy) or sensations (warm,cool, fresh, stagnating) into colour

collages

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Heller colour

combinations/association

Aggression Old fashioned Aromatic

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Primary and secondary

colours All colours that aremixed from lessthan 100% from 2

primary colours arecalled secondarycolours

They comprise

practically of allthose coloursbetween theprimary colours on

the chromatic circle

One of the threecolours - red,yellow, and blue -that cannot becreated by mixing

other colours.

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Magenta

0%c100%M

0%Y

Cyan100%C

0%M0%Y

Yellow0%C0%M

100%Y

0%c100%M50%Y

100%C50%M

0%Y

50%C0%M

100%Y

0%c100%M100%Y

100%C100%M

0%Y

100%C0%M

100%Y

0%c50%M

100%Y

50%C100%M

0%Y

100%C0%M50%Y

Magenta0%c

100%M0%Y

Cyan100%C

0%M0%Y

Yellow

0%C0%M

100%Y

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Tertiary colours

Tertiary colours are a result of blendscontaining all three primary colours(C, Y and M)

Tertiary colours with a higherproportion of primary colours aredarker lower prop. lighter

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C

Y

M

K

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C 36%

M 20%

Y 30%

K 0

C 32%

M 16%

Y 31%

K 0

C 32%

M 22%

Y 44%

K 0

C 51%

M 41%

Y 83%

K 19%

C 39%

M 39%

Y 76%

K 9%

C 43%

M 42%

Y 83%

K 9%

C 55%

M 50%

Y 77%

K 33%

C 23%

M 19%

Y 34%

K 0%

C 22%

M 20%

Y 35%

K 0%

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Instant complementary colour

scheme

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Colour and legibility

Black type on a yellow background has thebest impact from a distance.

The impact of distance and proximity apply to

different kinds of information, Distance isimportant for...

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...information like street signs: for short

messages that are commonly known.

Distance impact has no bearing on longer

texts of unknown information. These alwayshave to be read in proximity. Here colour canappear disruptive.

The smaller the lightness contrast of type andbackground, the lower the legibility.

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The more colourful a text (or background) the harder it is to

read and the less important the information appears to be.