COLOUR THEORY

TGJ 3MCommunications Technology

Importance of Colour

• Colour is used to compliment all elements and tie them together.

• Use colours that create harmony in your design.• Colour can create emotion and leave a lasting

impression.

Primary Colours

• Red, Blue and Yellow

• They are the building blocks used to create all other colours.

Secondary Colours

• Violet, Green and Orange

• When two of the Primary colours are mixed together, a Secondary colour is made.

Tertiary Colours

• Mixing the Primary and Secondary colours produces Tertiary colours.

Colour Schemes

• Follow certain “paths” within the colour wheel to create a colour scheme.

• You want to find a visually appealing set of colours that agree with each other.

• Keep it simple – limit the number of colours in your design.

Complimentary Colours

• Directly across from one another on the colour wheel.

• Complimentary colours create visual electricity.

Split-Complimentary Colours

• The two colours on either side of the complimentary colour.

Triad Colours

• These colours form a triangle within the colour wheel.

• The twelve colors include the three primaries, three secondaries and two sets of three tertiaries.  

Analogous Colours

• Three colours that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and create serene and comfortable designs.

• Often found in nature i.e. sunset or ocean.

• Pleasing to the eye.

RGB Colour

• RGB (red, green, blue) is used for computer display.• The RGB color model is an additive color model in

which red, green, and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three additive primary colors, red, green, and blue.

RGB Colour

• RGB (red, green, blue) is used for computer display.• Each pixel displayed on the screen has a red, green

and blue component.• The combination of these, make up millions of

possible colours!

CMYK Colour

• Colours used in all commercial printing (magazines, brochures, etc.), they are also known as Process colours.

• Inks are:

CMYK Colour

• It is layers of these CMYK colours that make up the printed image below.

CMYK Colour

• Tiny dots of cyan, magenta, yellow and black transparent ink are laid on top of one another to create an image.

CMYK Colour

CMYK Colour

• Specify different values of CMYK to create a colour.

Spot Colour

• Spot colours are created without screens or dots and is a single ink colour.

• It can be an addition to one of the process colours.

• Is usually a customized “Pantone” colour. Most often used in combination with Black to highlight certain elements of the design.

Colours Tips

• People more likely to remember a word or phrase in colour.• Mix black and white images with colour for dramatic effect.• Extract a dominant colour from any photos in your design.• Stick with 2-3 colours and add variety with shades of the

same colour.

Colour Tips

• Work with one colour family in a design to have a consistent look and feel.

• Two colours plus black are the most easily interpreted colour schemes.

• Look through magazines, brochures for trends and colour scheme ideas.

Colours Create Emotion!

• Colours can quickly express the mood and feeling of a design so consider colour choices carefully.

• What mood are you trying to convey? Daring? Reserved? Friendliness? Sophistication? Stability?

Colours Create Emotion!

• Red – passion, power, daring, boldness, assertiveness, love, sexuality

• Orange – welcome, playful, warmth, fun• Yellow – friendliness, happiness, warmth, optimism,

sunny• Green – money, growth, abundance, safety, health,

freshness, relaxation• Blue – reliability, stability, dependability, leadership,

trust, truth, coolness

Colours Create Emotion!

• Purple – fashion, intellect, wealth, regal, sophistication, spirituality

• Pink – sweetness, femininity, sensitivity, softness

• Brown – earthiness, organic, natural, friendliness, welcoming

• Grey – security, stability, character, calmness, reserved

Colours Create Emotion!

• White – cleanness, purity, hope, openness, freshness, youthfulness

• Black – elegance, power, darkness, premium, reserved, mystery

• Gold – luxury, richness, prestige, refined, expensive• Silver – purity, precision, prestige

Colours Create Emotion!

DID YOU KNOW:•Green, brown, orange and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant. Reference:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html#ixzz2NRLSxucF