Color Theory 101

Color THeory 101:

A guide to rules and terms.

Understanding color

Color is perception. Our eyes see something (the sky, for example),
and data sent from our eyes to our brains tells us it’s a certain color
(blue). Objects reflect light in different combinations of wavelengths.
Our brains pick up on those wavelength combinations and translate
them into the phenomenon we call color.

People decide whether or not they

like a product in 90 seconds or less.
90% of that decision is based solely
on color.

What is color theory?

Color theory is the basis for the primary rules and guidelines that
surround color and its use in creating aesthetically pleasing visuals.
By understanding color theory basics, you can begin to parse the
logical structure of color for yourself to create and use color
palettes more strategically. The result means evoking a particular
emotion, vibe, or aesthetic.

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RGB
The additive color mixing model

Humans see colors in light waves. The

additive color mixing model allows you to
create colors by mixing red, green and
blue light sources of various intensities.
The more light you add, the brighter the
color mix becomes. If you mix all three
colors of light, you get pure, white light.

Importance:

If you post the logo on Facebook, Twitter

or your website and don’t use the correct
color process, your logo will appear muddy
instead of that bright yellow. That’s why,
when working with files for any screen, use
RGB, not CMYK.

CMYK
The subtractive color mixing model

Any color you see on a physical surface

(paper, signage, packaging, etc.) uses the
subtractive color mixing model. Most
people are more familiar with this color
model because it’s what we learned in
kindergarten when mixing finger paints. In
this case, “subtractive” simply refers to the
fact that you subtract the light from the
paper by adding more color.

Importance:

Since printing uses the subtractive color

mixing method, getting accurate color
reproduction can only be achieved by
using CMYK. Using RGB will not only result
in inaccurate color, but a big bill from your
printer when you’re forced to ask them to
reprint your entire run.

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COLOR
COMBINATIONS

Complementary
Two colors that are on opposite sides of the color wheel. This combi-
nation provides a high contrast and high impact color combination
together, these colors will appear brighter and more prominent.

Monochromatic
Three shades, tones and tints of one base color. Provides a subtle and
conservative color combination. This is a versatile color combination
that is easy to apply to design projects for a harmonious look.

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Analogous
Three colors that are side by side on the color wheel. This color
combination is versatile, but can be overwhelming. To balance an
analogous color scheme, choose one dominant color, and use the
others as accents.

Triadic
Three colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel. This provides
a high contrast color scheme, but less so than the complementary
color combination making it more versatile. This combination creates
bold, vibrant color palettes.

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Tetradic
Four colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel. Tetradic color
schemes are bold and work best if you let one color be dominant, and
use the others as accents. The more colors you have in your palette, the
more difficult it is to balance.

PRIMARY, SECONDARY
AND TERTIARY COLORS

Primary colors in the Secondary colors are Tertiary colors are

RGB color wheel are colors that result from colors made by
the colors that, added mixing two primary combining a
together, create pure colors. There are three secondary color with a
white light. These secondary colors. Cyan, primary color. There
colors are red, green magenta and yellow are six tertiary colors.
and blue. Orange, chartreuse
green, spring green,
azure, violet and rose.

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WARM & COOL COLORS

The warmth or coolness of a color is also known as its color temperature.

The color combinations found on a color wheel often have a balance of
warm and cool colors.

Warm colors are the colors from red through to yellow. These colors are
said to bring to mind warmth, like the sun.

Cool colors are the colors from blue to green and purple. These colors are
said to bring to mind coolness, like water.

SHADES, TINTS AND TONES

You can create shades, tints and tones of a color by adding black, grey and
white to a base hue.

Shade
A shade is created by adding black to a base hue, darkening the color. This
creates a deeper, richer color. Shades can be quite dramatic and can be
overpowering.

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Tint
A tint is created by adding white to a base hue, lightening the color. This
can make a color less intense, and is useful when balancing more vivid
color combinations.

Tones
A tone is created by combining black and white or grey with a base hue.
Like tints, tones are subtler versions of the original color. Tones are less
likely to look pastel, and can reveal complexities not apparent in the base
color.

HUE, SATURATION AND

LUMINANCE

A hue is basically any color on the color wheel. When you are using a
color wheel or a color picker, you can adjust the saturation and
luminance of a hue.

Saturation is the intensity or purity of the color.

Luminance is the amount of brightness or light in a color.

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COLOR
PSYCHOLOGY

Color theory 101 9

Color Theory 101

The Digital Designer

@the_digitaldesigner

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