Color Theory

Use of color

  1. Select a color scheme based on a prominent image.
  2. Use a color wheel, which shows primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
    1. Shade: a color that is darker than the original
    2. Tint: a color that is lighter than the original
    3. Tone: a color with less saturation than the original
    4. https://www.canva.com/colors/color-wheel/

Basic Color Schemes

  1. Monochromatic: Uses shades, tints, or tones of the same color
  2. Analogous: Uses a main color and the two colors next to it on the color wheel
  3. Complementary: Uses two colors opposite one another on the color wheel. One is main, the other is complement
  4. Split: Uses a main color, the color opposite it on the color wheel, and the two colors next to the complement
  5. Triadic: Uses three colors that are equidistant on the color wheel
  6. Tetradic: Uses four colors that are commentary pairs

Implementing a Color Scheme

  1. One color is normally dominant, and the others are used as accents
  2. Generally also use neutral colors like white, off-white, gray, black, or brown

Accessibility and Color

  1. Many people cannot see color. There are many tools to help evaluate this!

Target Audience

  1. Various groups are thought to prefer different color schemes
  2. Younger audiences are thought to like brighter color
  3. People in late teens/ early 20s like darker backgrounds
  4. Neutral white backgrounds are good for wider appeal—add splashes of color as needed
  5. Older audiences tend to prefer lighter backgrounds with large dark text