OUGD404 - The Use of Colour in Graphic Design

OUGD404

The use of Colour in Graphic design

Colour theory is a central feature of graphic design. Colour influence feeling and mood, and when used correctly can be considered a sensation rather than just a difference in appearance.

When using colour in graphic design certain principles of colour theory should be followed. This includes the correct use of the colour wheel. The colour wheel allows you to see the relationship between different colours. There are 3 primary colours, red, blue and yellow. When mixed together these create secondary colours. When a primary colour is mixed with a secondary colour this creates a tertiary colour. Complementary colours are two colour which sit opposite to each other on the colour wheel, such as blue-purple and orange. They provide maximum contrast. Analogous colours are next to or near to each other on the colour wheel, such as blues and blue-greens. They have low contrast but work well together because they have common undertones. All colours produced can be traced back to theses 12 colours, these colours can be altered to create tints and shades. Lighter versions of colour are formed by adding white and are called tints. Darker versions are formed by adding black and are called shades. Monochromatic colours are colours with variations in tint and shade such as green, light green and dark green. Although there is very little variety in these colours, they can be used to create a simple, clean and elegant colour scheme with minimum contrast.

Colour has 3 properties: hue, saturation and value.

Hue refers to where a particular colour exists in the colour spectrum. Saturation is how rich a colour is. Neon colour is very rich in colour whereas pastel colours will be desaturated and not very rich. Value refers to how bright a colour is. This is often expressed as a percentage with 0% being completely black and 100% being the brightest that colour can be.

Colours are often associated with different temperature. For example, blues and greys are associates with colder climates, whereas, reds and oranges are considered to be hotter colours and can be attributed to flames. Colour communicates temperature. Colour can also communicate feelings and moods.

•      Red – Action, adventure, aggressiveness, love, and strength.

•      Blue – Trustworthy, confident, calmness, success, dignity, and security.

•      Green – Health, wealth, luxury, nature, and tranquility.

•      Yellow – Attention, caution, curiosity, happiness, and positivity.

•      Orange – Affordability, drive, energy, youthfulness, and enthusiasm.

•      Pink – Femininity, gentleness, gratitude, romance, and appreciation.

•      Black – Simplicity, mystery, and tradition.

Colour can be used to speed up visual searches. Colour coding conveys information quickly. This is often used in wayfinding and in maps such as the London Underground Mapping System, in this example a colour makes it easier to visually follow the path of a rail line among a large amount of other information and distraction.

Colour is also used to convey structure in technical documentation and textbooks. For example each chapter may have its own colour to make them easily distingusable. Colour can be used to establish identity within branding, advertising and marketing, for example: Easy jet use the colour orange to refelect the affordability of the airline. Apple use a lot of white in their branding to signify purity and perfection.