All About Color

check it out online at www.belyea.com/svc/all_about_color.pdf

Who am I?

I got the bluesExpEriEncE and Emotions through color

PASSION

JOY

DePreSSION

HArMONY

CreATIVITY

PeACe

MOUrNING

It’s a bird, it’s a plane...What is color?

Color is a perceptual sensation created in the human mind in response to certain wavelengths of electromagnetic energy that constitute the visible spectrum of light. Human perception of and response to these wavelenghts is affected by many factors including physiology, psychology, language, and culture.

› Color Design Workbook (Suggested reading for this class)

The quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object, usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light.

› Dictionary.com

A phenomenon of light (as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects.

› Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

Time to go all techy on yaha tEchnical look at color and thE

alWays popular visual spectrum

Technical DetailsdEfinition

Color is basically just a bunch of different wavelengths.

Humans can distinguish between these wavelengths and therefore we see the world in bright, beautiful color.

These wavelenghts come in all sorts of shapes and size, long wavelengths appear to us as red, while short wavelengths are violet.

Technical DetailsthE human color spacE

Our eyes have three types of color receptors: Red, Green and Blue. Therefore, everything we see is reduced to these colors or combinations of them.

Technical DetailsVisual spEctrum

The Visual Spectrum is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye.

Ultraviolet and Infrared fall outside of the Visual Spectrum.

Technical DetailsBlack Vs. WhitE

White = All colors Black = No colors

So what’s it all mean?color dEfinEd for thE graphic dEsignEr

There are 3 primary color systems that the designer needs to be aware of:

Additive or Pure Light Primaries (RGB)

Subtractive or Printer’s Primaries (CMY)

Subtractive or Artist’s Primaries (RYB)

Color in the Design Worldcolor systEms

Color in the Design WorldrgB color systEm

Additive or Pure Light Primaries (RGB)

RGB is Red, Green and Blue.

Since these 3 colors make up the Human Color Space, this color system is the most pure and has the most brightness or intesity. When these colors overlap, they create Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and White. White is acheived by seeing all colors.

This system is called Additive.

Color in the Design Worldcmy color systEm

Subtractive or Printer’s Primaries (CMY)

CMY is Cyan, Magenta and Yellow.

This system has physical properties that absorb color. For instance, the sensation of color is when the paper absorbs all wavelenghts except those that the eyes perceive. When these colors overlap, they create Red, Blue, Green and Black.

That is why this is called a Subtractive system, because it subtracts wavelengths.

Color in the Design WorldryB color systEm

Subtractive or Artist’s Primaries (RYB)

RYB is Red, Yellow and Blue.

RYB is the most common color system in art classes and is the basis for most color theory. This color system is similar to CMY where when all colors combined create black. When overlapped, they create Orange, Green and Purple.

This is also a Subtractive system.

The wheels on the color wheel go round and round

you guEssEd it! thE color WhEEl

The Color Wheel12 stEp color WhEEl

RYB Color Wheel

Color wheels can vary from the simple to the complex.

This 12 step model is a good middle ground.


Primary Colors

Red

Yellow

Blue


Secondary Colors

Purple

Orange

Green


Tertiary Colors

Purple red

Red orange

Orange yellow

Yellow green

Green blue

Blue purple

My a-capella group was sweet!color harmoniEs

Color HarmoniescomplEmEntary

Complementary

Colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel.

These colors have the most contrast and will excite the eye.

Color Harmoniessplit complEmEntary

Split Complementary

Three colors where one color is accompanied by two colors equadistant from its compliment.

Less contrast than complimentary colors, creating a more sophisticated look.

Color HarmoniesdouBlE complEmEntary

Double Complementary

A combination of two pairs of complimentary colors.

Using equal amounts of these four colors will be pretty intense and jarring.

Color Harmoniesanalogous

Analogous

Two or more colors spaced equally from each other.

Since they all have similar light wavelenghts, this color scheme is easy on the eyes.

Color Harmoniestriadic

Triadic

Three colors that are spaced evenly around the color wheel.

Some of these combinations can seem garish, while others are quite nice.

Color Harmoniesmonochromatic

Monochromatic

Made of shades or tints of the same color.

Low contrast and very pleasing to the eye.

The nitty-grittypropErtiEs of color

Properties of ColorhuE

Hue

The description of the dominant wavelength of a color.

Hue is also called the name of a color.

Blue-Purple

Blue

Light Blue

Properties of Colorsaturation

Saturation

A measure of the purity of the hue determined by the amount of gray it contains.

The more gray the color, the lower the saturation.

Saturation is also called chroma.

High Saturation

Mid Saturation

Low Saturation

Properties of ColorBrightnEss

Brightness

The amount of light reflected by a color.

The more light reflected, the whiter the color (white is all light reflected).

Brightness is also called value.

High Brightness

Mid Brightness

Low Brightness

Part Deux

Battle royalecmyk Vs. rgB

CMYK vs. rGBWhich systEm do you usE?

CMYK = Print RGB = Monitor

Baby steps to the printerinks

Inkscmyk

Inksspot

Layin’ it downhoW to gEt ink on papEr

Getting Ink on Paperprinting procEssEs

Engraving Very nice

Thermography Cheap engraving

Reprographics Copying stuff

Digital Printing Cheap, quick, bad

Letterpress Beautiful, classic

Screen Think posters & t-shirts

Flexography Like letterpress, but flexible

Offset The one, the only

Getting Ink on PaperlEttErprEss printing

Getting Ink on PaperscrEEn printing

Getting Ink on PaperoffsEt printing

Getting Ink on PaperoffsEt printing

WATeR INK

PLATe

OFFSeT

PAPeR

IMPReSSION

You’re almost therecontrolling color on prEss

Controlling Color on PressWays to control color

Paper Choice

Dot Pattern

Ink Draw Down

Loose Color Proofs

Composed Proofs

Press Check

Controlling Color on PresspapEr choicE

Paper

One of the most important decisions to make when choosing a paper is whether the paper is Uncoated or Coated.

Controlling Color on Pressdot pattErn

Dot Pattern

Conventional offset print-ing lays down dots is a grid pattern, increasing and decreasing the size of dots to control density and color.

Stocastic printing uses a random dot placement and a random dot size.

Controlling Color on Pressink draW doWns

Ink Draw Downs

Used when printing with spot colors, this is like seeing a small sample of wall paint before you paint your house.

Controlling Color on PressloosE color proofs

Loose Color Proofs

This is great for preview-ing color before you send your files to the printer.

It allows you to check builds, reverses and skin tones.

Controlling Color on PresscomposEd proofs

Composed Proofs

Last chance to make any changes before you go on press.

Once on press your options will be limited, so be very diligent when reviewing your composed proofs.

Controlling Color on PressprEss chEck

Press Check

Your last chance to fine tune your final product.

Trust your press people, they know more than you. Tell them what you desire, and they will make it happen.

FinpracticE makEs prEfEct… color

resourcescolorlovers.com

kuler.adobe.labs.com

mydesignprimer.com

svcseatt le.com

A majority of the photos in this presentation were from flickr.com, and used without permission. l am making no money off of this, so please don’t sue me. Thanks, Nick.