You can’t talk about graphic design without talking about color. Color is one of the prime elements of branding and also generally in graphic design that is needed to achieve a complete design for logos, poster design, banners, and billboards. it is very important to know how to use color in graphics design so to help you stand out.
When we look around us we see colors EVERYWHERE, why?- because the color itself is a part of life.
It subconsciously influences how you feel(emotions), how you react to something( when you see that traffic light indicate red, you stop and wait until it turns green before you move), seeing that girl in the club in a red dress tells you that she’s sexy). it is important to understand how color psychology affects us as humans.
It is also crucial to use color and use it correctly in graphic design. Because it can make or break your design. This is why you should know how to use color in graphic design.
Color theory in graphic design
In order to be able to understand how color works and how it can be used as a tool to manipulate human psychology or set the mood for a particular design project, you will need to know the principles first.
As a graphic designer, you will need to have an in-depth understanding of the color theory and the relationship between various colors, how and why they do or do not work well with each other. Understanding these rules is by getting yourself familiar with the colour theory in graphic design which helps build your confidence when using colors.
It is the secret behind every appealing painting, catchy artwork, brand design, logo design, poster design and so many others that you see every day.
A good starting point for knowing how to use color in graphic design is by taking a time travel back to history when the renowned physics scientist -Sir Isaac Newton explained color.
Believe me or not, I traveled back in time with my Rian Johnson’s ‘Looper RT 21. I reached for my iPhone to make videos of Sir Issac Newton’s research inside his room but my iPhone wasn’t functioning. I was really pissed I couldn’t but after reading this article here, I’m sure you could get a picture of how it went.
I hope you do believe my story, lol. let’s read on
Newton’s color theory
Originally formed by renowned physicist Isaac Newton in the late 17th century. Newton also pioneered other scientific research like the law of gravity and calculus. However, Newton’s colour theory in graphic design is one of his dominant findings that has helped shape our view on how we see and explain colors from then henceforth.
Newton’s color theory in graphic design believes that the seven colors are the basic building block of light and white light is made up of those seven colors. The same color we see on the seven colors of the rainbow is the same color found in his experiment.
We could go further to say that beyond these seven basic colors are various that could only be seen when expanded further other, the colors we simply see are colors visible to the human eye spectrum – Violet, Blue, Cyan, Green, Orange, Yellow, Red.
Because of this, digital screen devices like TVs, computers, and projectors depend on the basis of the RGB color principle of additive color (white being the primary color source through which other colors are generated) to be able to generate and display visuals.
On the other hand, we have the CMYK color mode(subtractive color model). C(cyan) M(magenta) Y(yellow) K(key). This color model uses four colors to stimulate the range of colors the human eyes can see.
CMYK color mode is the best option for any project design that will be physically printed, not viewed on a screen. If you need to recreate your design with ink or paint, the CMYK color mode will give you more accurate results.
Now we have talked about color theory and how it should be applied. Now we should look at how these colors achieve their effectiveness with the various color schemes.
Color scheme:
Complementary color
The complementary color scheme uses two colors that are directly opposite to each other on the color wheel to create a color palette that works amazingly well in design. This is the easiest and most common color combination used by graphic designers for their project design.
They can be used to create easy contrast or make each other appear vivid to the eye. Additionally, complementary colors are crucial when applying the 60 30 10 color concept in your design.
Graphic designers and artists see this color scheme as easy to work with because the color combination is far easier to select and also does well contrasting between two opposing colors.
Split complementary
The split complementary takes up three total colors on the color wheel, one color(primary) that compliments the two opposite colors(secondary and accent) on the other side of the color wheel which sits adjacent to each other just like the complementary color scheme.
Some persons said they prefer to use the split complementary because it does very well when it comes to contrasting which helps individual colors stand out from each other.
The analogous color scheme has a pale transition of one color to another but the split complementary gives a vibrant color harmony as a result of distant color variation on the wheel.
Analogous color
This color scheme is easier than it sounds and is one of the most used color schemes in graphic design because of its usage simplicity.
An analogous color scheme is simply the usage of three colors closely sitting next to each other on the color wheel, this color harmony is visually appealing because of the lack of tension. The selected colors need to be equally balanced.
Unfortunately, the analogous color scheme doesn’t really have a vivid contrast but has a calm visual color harmony. You should choose one color to lead with, choose a second color to support the contrast, and a third color as an accent.
Triadic color
A triadic color scheme is somehow similar to the analogous color scheme, but this time they aren’t placed immediately next to each other rather they are colors evenly spaced out from each other on the color wheel.
Think of the triadic color scheme as when a triangular shape is placed on the color wheel with its three-point angles pointing at the three colors which are spaced out evenly from each other on the color wheel.
This color scheme is a better contrasting choice than an analogous color scheme. It chooses three vibrant colors that stand out from each other thereby creating a visually appealing color harmony.
Tetradic
The tetradic color scheme uses four hues or colors – a base color and three other colors that are equally distant from each other. This is sometimes referred to as the “double-complementary” color because the four colors when set out individually, they simply sit opposite each other on the color.
This can also be imagined by pacing a rectangular shape on the color wheel, the four angles of the rectangle points directly at the opposite sides of the color wheel.
Amongst all the above-mentioned color schemes, this color scheme creates extra room for more color variation.
Also, you should also have in mind to carefully balance these colors to avoid causing an unpleasant color mixture because the color in graphic design can be overwhelming.
Monochromatic
The monochromatic color scheme is the use of one color from the color wheel and by adding tints, tones, and shades, various color variations are created which help to create a more interesting color harmony.
This color scheme in graphic design is an easy-to-use color scheme, unlike the other scheme variations of primary and secondary are combined to create an interesting artwork or brand design.
This scheme is safer because when an excessive amount of color is used on a design it crushes the visual appeal of the artwork. With monochromatic you need to apply tints, tones, and shades, this way your artwork or graphic design projects achieve highlights, mid-tones, and shadows.
Meaning of color in graphic design
Color is one of the most influential graphic design elements that breathe life into any work of art and understanding how to use color to achieve a design purpose is a sure way you can use to get in the mind of the viewer and control their emotions when certain colors are shown to them.
You could use color in graphic design to control emotion toward a particular poster design, evoke certain emotions or drive toward a product or service your brand is rendering.
Even in our real-life society, it is used to place restrictions on a crime scene using the yellow police crime scene tape.
However, all colors are visually the same in every part of the world -yellow is yellow, red is red, and blue is blue but they connote different interpretations from various societies especially non-western societies.
For example, white in western culture represents peace, purity, and innocence. But in the eastern culture, it means death or an evil supernatural event. We will be going further explaining other colors in graphic design, their meaning, and how they influence our human psychology.
Color in graphic design: White
White Is one of the world’s most culturally complex colors that is attributed with so many meanings and interpretations. Seen as a color that has more of a positive meaning than a negative meaning, white could mean purity, cleanliness, innocence, virginity, and peace.
In graphic design, white is used to create a sense of space just like the whitespace or negative space which allows other elements on the artboard to get in the spotlight so they get noticed and this is usually done using white as the background color.
The minimalist graphic design approach uses the white color in graphic design to promote simplicity and clarity thereby helping the focal elements in the design be seen first. White helps to promote design professionalism that requires class and maturity.
Contrary to the positive connotation of white in western culture, eastern folks have a totally different idea behind the meaning of what stands for.
Culture varies so does the color vary in meaning too. White in the eastern culture stands for death, impurity, sorcery, darkness, and every evil-related phenomenon occurrences. At a traditional Chinese wedding, the couple doesn’t put on a white dress just like the westerner does. They wear red dresses!
Color in graphic design: Black
Black is the opposite of white in the color spectrum and has the color hex code “000000” which means no color can be made out of black. Black connotes a very strong color meaning when used in design especially designs that are minimalist in style or designs trying to depict horror.
It could be used to indicate a design style of class or luxury when used as the primary color for a minimalist design that has very few elements(text, shape, text, image). It basically has the same luxurious function as its opposing color white.
Black naturally gives a negative feeling to an observer from the western world. If i could keep you in a dark room with no light on, you would definitely freak out, wouldn’t you? So using black color in graphic design is associated with fear, evil, Halloween, and the occult. Paramountly black means death.
We always see this in the movies, where the grim reaper wears a black robe as he represents the spirit of death.
On the other positive side, black could mean luxury, elitism, class, and sophistication. All these attributes depend on the accent color paired with black as the primary color, few colors that help promote these attributes are gold and white which are mostly accent colors applied on texts, shapes, or pictures.
Color in graphic design: Red
Red is among the family of warm colors. it is used to depict danger, anger, war, and energy. Also seen as the right color in graphic design that is used to indicate emotions e.g. love, anger, and sensuality. Red has a very large contextual usage depending on the circumstance or event surrounding it at a particular time or place.
Santa Claus is a popularly known benevolent human figure that brings gift brings gifts to children when they are fast asleep always puts on a red robe that is complemented with white as an accent color, and has been accepted into society as a good human figure.
But a serial killer characterized by a red suit outfit could appear dangerous to everyone.
Red is definitely a color of action or warning about an action or message to users, which is why UI designers use red to indicate a warning to users when picking an option on their app that is irreversible.
It is also used as a color in graphic design posters and flyers to indicate a very important message as a focal point or make the reader spring into taking action. However, one should be careful when making use of the color red as a tool of action, or point of interest.
Always limit its general usage in the design environment by applying it in very few areas or just one area.
Color in graphic design: Blue
This color is the most popularly used color in graphic design which has both positive and negative meanings attached to it. The color blue in its cool and calm nature represents peace, stability, and serenity. While on the other side it could represent coldness, depression, sadness, horror, and fear.
Various religions and culture around the world possess their specific meaning of what blue defines. In Iran blue indicates the color mourning a deceased and is also associated with the spirit of death.
So many brands make use of blue in their brand elements especially logos, because of the positive attributes associated with it. In business, blue could mean security, trust, stability, responsibility, loyalty, and authority.
Because of this, financial institutions like chase bank uses blue on their logo design to ensure trust in its customer.
Color in graphic design: Yellow
When we see yellow we get an emotional stimulation that gives us an appetizing or joyful feeling. It is a color that is naturally instilled in us and can be associated with the sun.
It is a color that represents joyfulness, playfulness, and fun that has an essence that strongly resonates with children. Because of this, you find children’s toys made with yellow among other brighter colors.
On the other hand, yellow means strength, energy, good taste, creativity, intellect, and adventure.
Various big brands make use of yellow as their brand color because of its playful, energetic, and attention-grabbing ability. Every color should be used accordingly based on the type of audience that is been targeted.
For a food brand like MacDonald, the catchy yellow which makes you feel hungry is a symbol of what effect color can take on humans on a subconscious level, and how we react to it justifies its meaning in a particular context.
Color in graphic design: Orange
Orange can be drawn from so many creations of nature, it is the second color of a rainbow and also the color of sunset. Orange is the product of mixing yellow and red. It is a color everyone associates with ripen fruit and this is mainly related to the orange fruit which also serves vitamin C to our health.
With its energetic attribute which makes us feel ambitiously strengthened and pumped to achieve whatever goal we are after, this is the reason why energy drinks like Lucozade boost energy drinks are orange.
Proven as a powerful color that has the ability to trigger the human psychology to be hungry or have a huge appetite which is why food and drink brands like Fanta make use of orange as their brand color.
Orange like every other color on the color wheel has its own negative attributions. Orange is a color that could mean positively to westerners viz- joyfulness, energy, happiness, and fun. But it could mean negatively to a person from the other side of the world.
When using color in graphic design, you should be fully aware of the various meanings every color possesses to avoid sending the wrong message to the audience.
Color in graphic design: Pink
Pink is a color that is mainly tagged with the feminine gender, especially in the western world. It could be associated with sensuality, intercourse, and also timidity.
Pink is an ambiguous color. It has various meanings associated with diverse cultures and also an individual’s environmental upbringing also affects this color. In South Korea, pink symbolizes trust and authenticity, in Japan pink is the color of the cherry blossom, Japan’s unofficial flower.
Pink could represent timidity, childishness, or as a color used for sweets, products-cakes, candies, and ice creams. For this reason, brands make use of pink to stimulate customers to expect a sense of sweet taste toward a product before purchase.
Pink has a similar romantic or sensual effect as red. With pink, the effect is mild and doesn’t have a more aggressive effect than red.
There are many shades and tints of pink: Candy, orchid, Barbie, baby pink, flamingo, salmon, hot, French, fiery, shocking, rose, lace, deep, baker Miller pink, cherry blossom, champagne, puce, quartz, dusty.
Color in graphic design: Purple
Purple is a rare color very few could afford in the old days, the Egyptians, Roman empires, and other royalties are the only ones who could afford this color because it was very expensive to make.
It’s a color that sits between red and blue making it a color that balances the energy each of these colors possesses. You aren’t mistaken if you call it transitional color.
Making use of this color in graphic design can be very effective especially when it comes to brand physical products. Using purple as your brand logo color has to be carefully crosschecked because it is associated with both negative and positive impressions.
On one side, it could mean corruption, horror, mourning, or emotions. While at the other side it could mean royalty, wealth, creativity, spirituality, mysterious.
But never worry about using it as your brand color or including it as one of the colors in your color palettes, just make sure the products or services you are rendering aligns with what purple should connect with.
Successful brands make use of purple on their logo and they are thriving.
Color in graphic design: Brown
Every color has its own interpretation which could also be called color symbolism and how these colors influence human psychology is crucial.
It is what drives you to buy a product on the product rack even if you haven’t used the product before. Color in graphic design essential element that has to do with how it influences our emotions,s and brown is one color that does that effectively.
Brown has a sense of reliability, dependability, and nurturance. This is the reason why brands like UPS, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, and others make use of it.
Brown is a tangible color in the color spectrum. Making it the perfect choice when we want to refer to various things of nature namely; animal fur, human skin, and wood.
It doesn’t end there, you can easily resonate with the color because of its connection with food: we could easily associate brown with the sweet taste in cakes, the warm feeling when sipping your coffee in the morning, the sweet nectar we get when eating chocolate which is proven BY scientist to elevate mood and also the production of pleasure hormones such as serotonin.
Color terminologies
Using color in graphic design requires one to be familiar with various terms that are used to describe how color works.
Balance
The one step in using Color correctly is by obeying the rule of balance, when the color you are using in your design isn’t balanced, then you have already failed even before you started.
Try to point out the colors correctly so they don’t contest with each other. if they are going to complement each other, then you should do it rightfully.
Adjusting color values is one way of doing this but the colors that are picked to complement each other are a crucial factor. You need to watch out for that too.
Contrast
When using contrast you should also think about balance, because they both work hand in hand.
When you want to achieve contrast professionally in the graphic design job your client has given you, you should think of using colors that do complement each other and not colors that fight for attention.
The wrong color choice could cause your client’s eyes to strain or irritate them.
Examples of complementary colors are yellow and black, white and black, and blue and white.
Monochrome Rules
To create a monochrome color design, just pick one spot color and then adjust the saturation values. With this, you can achieve nice color variations in your design project.
Emotion
Colors affect us consciously and subconsciously. You should know the message the color you are using in your design is sending out to the viewers.
You don’t want to give out the wrong tone or message in your design by using colors that don’t fit in with the brand or company.
So when picking colors, you need to pick them carefully, always make sure that it is the right brand color and that it stands right for what the brand is into. Graphic designers should know the importance of color in graphic design and how the meaning cuts across various cultural backgrounds.
Color is ambiguous and can mean something totally different from various regions of the world, so, please when choosing a color for an international client, always research the cultural background of their colors, what color works and which don’t work.
Legibility
Legibility is a key factor in color, legibility is the ability of the viewer to be able to read and understand the message a graphic design content is trying to send without stress.
In the aspect of color, it is the ability to read the content without the two colors, which is the background and foreground conflicting. Legibility is achieved when there is enough contrast between the background color and text in the foreground or any other graphic element in the design.
Applying these tips in your graphic design work will surely help you level up your graphic design skill and also guide you on how to use color in graphics design.
FAQ
Importance of color in graphic design
Color is important as every other element in graphic design, I’m talking about elements like shapes, text, and patterns.
Without the application of color to our design, the design tends to turn out lifeless, we cant effectively send out the intended message to the audience.
Color in graphic design is an element that increases or decreases tension, causes excitement, and also gives a mild feeling to an exhausted person, without color in graphic design, our design would appear boring.
Color is part of life look around you, nothing is black and white, it’s all made up of color.
How is color used in design
Color is used to draw attention toward essential information or message in graphic design, it can be used to tell stories and make highlight important items in artworks or designs.
With various colors, human psychology subconsciously reacts based on the effect of each color on the color wheel, the colour theory in graphic design helps us understand these colors work.
Is color a visual element
Color is the visual element in painting and is one of the most important elements in graphics which has countless possibilities and cuts across various cultural meanings, it’s culturally ambiguous and may have different interpretations based on individual or environmental experience.
The color we see is a result of white light striking an object and bouncing it back to our eyes, the brain interprets it to the color we all know- red, green, blue, yellow, and orange. Color is made up of three properties: hue, saturation, and value.
What is accent color in graphic design
An accent is a color that acts as a supplementary color to the base which adds a little but effective contrast to the design and is always used in a smaller amount than the primary or base color. An accent should always contrast with the main color to avoid dull or boring color combinations.
Example of accent color combination in graphic design
Green-yellow color combo, then you make light green your dominant color, a few more green shades are subdominant and yellow is the accent tone. yellow and orange should be the primary colors and black can be used in small amounts as supplementary colors.