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color

H OW T O C R E AT E PA L E T T E S

mario garcia

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Lots of colorIf readers were to hand their editors a wish list, it would probably

have color printed in big caps, each letter in a different hue.

The publication of today uses color to communicate, to energize

the canvas, to attract the eye, to move it from here to there, and,

ultimately, to leave an impression, ephemeral as it may be.

Color, however, is not only an aesthetic component; its use is

ruled by optical perceptions that border on the scientific, and by

symbolic ones that have more to do with culture and environment.

Assigning color to a page, to the cover of a book, or to a website

screen requires consideration of both.Three important characteris-

tics of color are movement, temperature, and symbolism.

Movement: Some colors—red and yellow for example—move for-

ward on the page, grabbing readers by the lapel and pulling them

in. Blue and gray, on the other hand, are flatter, emphasizing less

motion.

Temperature: Some colors are hot or warm, other are cool or cold.

Content dictates what to use, but so does culture.

Symbolism: Designers and editors know very well the passions

that certain colors can evoke; fervent sports fans would not forgive

a sports editor who painted a page with the rival team’s color. It

could be a costly accident.

pure design

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Where color is king: A DallasMorning News story, where color tells the story.