DTP

• BA2 Corporate Communication

Colour physiology: association
and effect
• Colour psychology is concerned
with experiencing colour, the
archetypical images, possible
associations, as well as effects,
impression and emotions
• Archetypical images come from
the so called collective
unconscious (the philosopher c.
Jung coined the concept)
 Envy
1 2 3
Fear
Respect
Tolerance
4 5 6
Violence
Steal
Courage
7 8 9
Honour
Pride

10 11 12 Victim
Strangers
Friends
• These are the experiences and
associations which people (from a
particular culture group) apparently
have in common, without consciously
reflecting on them
• For example the following criteria of
archetypes are applied to the six
elementary colours (cited by
Gerritsen)
• Red: the blazing force of fire, symbol
of blood, war and violence, symbolic
force for the ego
• Green: the elemental force of fertility
which allows the scattered seeds to
germinate, symbol of peace and well
being, symbolic colour of rest
• Blue: the colour for the power of
infinity, the sky and the whole
firmament, of thought and
meditation, symbolic colour of
space and eternity
• Yellow: the force of the natural
order of time, sun, moon and
stars, symbol of the power of God,
symbolic power radiance, time and
the transience of time
• Black: the oppressive power of
darkness, symbol of death and
transience, symbol of grief
• White: the dazzling light of the sprit,
triumphing over death, the white ash
when fire is extinguished, the
stillness of snow that has covered
the winter wood, symbol of purity, of
the unsullied.
 Colour psychology
cf. Turtschi
Effective
Movement
Efficient
Arousal
Calculating Playful
Activation
Economical Neither here
Heat
nor there
Not
definitive
Extroverted
Expanding
Comes
towards me
Jumps at Introverted
me Withdrawn
Outgoing Meditative
Meditation
Towards Towards the
activity Inner peace
outside
Calm
 Colour associations
• Associations may be highlighted
through the use of colour
combinations
• Convert moods (exciting, calming,
light, gloomy) or sensations (warm,
cool, fresh, stagnating) into colour
collages
 Heller colour
combinations/association

Aggression Old fashioned Aromatic

 Primary and secondary
colours
• All colours that are
mixed from less than
100% from 2 primary
colours are called
secondary colours
• They comprise
practically of all those
colours between the
primary colours on One of the three
the chromatic circle colours - red,
yellow, and blue -
that cannot be
created by mixing
other colours.
 Yellow Magenta
0%C 0%c 0%c 0%c 0%c
0%M 50%M 100%M 100%M 100%M
100%Y 100%Y 100%Y 50%Y 0%Y

Magenta Cyan
0%c 50%C 100%C 100%C 100%C
100%M 100%M 100%M 50%M 0%M
0%Y 0%Y 0%Y 0%Y 0%Y

Cyan Yellow
50%C
100%C 100%C 100%C 0%C
0%M
0%M 0%M 0%M 0%M
100%Y
0%Y 50%Y 100%Y 100%Y
 Tertiary colours
• Tertiary colours are a result of blends
containing all three primary colours
(C, Y and M)
• Tertiary colours with a higher
proportion of primary colours are
darker – lower prop. lighter
C
Y
M
K
 C 36% C 32% C 32%

M 20% M 16% M 22%

Y 30% Y 31% Y 44%

K0 K0 K0

C 39%
C 51%
C 43%
M 39%
M 41%
M 42%
Y 76%
Y 83%
Y 83%
K 9%
K 19%
K 9%

C 55%
C 23% C 22%
M 50%
M 19% M 20%
Y 77%
Y 34% Y 35%
K 33%
K 0% K 0%
Instant complementary colour
scheme
 Colour and legibility

Black type on a yellow background has the

best impact from a distance.

The impact of distance and proximity apply to

different kinds of information, Distance is
important for...
...information like street signs: for short
messages that are commonly known.

Distance impact has no bearing on longer

texts of unknown information. These always
have to be read in proximity. Here colour can
appear disruptive.

The smaller the lightness contrast of type and

background, the lower the legibility.
The more colourful a text (or background) the harder it is to

read and the less important the information appears to be.