Colors and graphics- computer color basics

Color Temperature

One attribute that exists across the entire spectrum is the notion of color temperature. Which color faucet gives you hot water? What color do you associate with ice? Why? The answers are obvious, and are enforced by both culture and nature.

Chromatic Value

The measure of the lightness or darkness of a color is known as its chromatic value. Adding white to a color creates a tint of that color. Likewise, a shade is produced by adding black to a given color.

Color Theory 101

To take our foundational knowledge of color any further, we’ll need to gain a grounding in some of the more technical concepts associated with the subject, such as how colors are formed and how they can be categorized.

The colors displayed on your computer screen (that is, the colors we’ll be using in our website designs) are based on an additive color model. In an additive color model, colors are displayed in percentages of red, green, and blue (RGB) light. If we turn all three of these colors on full blast, we’ll have white light. If we turn red and green all the way up, but switch off blue, we have yellow.

Red, Yellow, and Blue, or CMYK

I’m constantly amazed by the lack of respect that exists for the red, yellow, and blue primary color wheel. I’ve heard people call it invalid, archaic, and a kindergarten tool. It’s true that the red, yellow, and blue color wheel is not a scientifically accurate model of the perception of light. Many people want to eliminate the red, yellow, and blue color wheel from art curricula, and establish the CMYK color wheel, shown below, as the universal color model. Note that the secondary colors in the CMYK color wheel are red, green, and blue, meaning that we could use the CMYK to illustrate both additive (using light) and subtractive (on paper) color.

The Scheme of Things

Currently, we know enough about colors to talk about their values, intensities, psychological associations, temperatures, and locations on the traditional color wheel. That’s all well and good, but how do we find multiple colors that work together? This is where color schemes come in handy. Color schemes are the basic formulae for creating harmonious and effective color combinations. Six classic color schemes exist:

• monochromatic
• analogous
• complementary
• split complementary
• triadic
• tetradic (also called double complementary)

Creating a Palette

“A palette?” you might ask. “Isn’t that the same as a color scheme?” Well, yes and no. A color scheme will only give you two, three, or four colors to work with. Although a limited palette can be beautiful, you’re probably going to need a few more colors to design your website. It’s better to nail down this process while you’re thinking in the language of color, rather than pick ancillary colors at random as you need them for your layout. The number of colors you’ll need will depend on the complexity of your design. I like to start off with at least five or six solid color choices before I even think about applying them to my layout.

Hexadecimal Notation

Since this is the stage in which we become specific about each color we’re choosing, we’re going to need a standard way to refer to the colors in our palette. You probably already know about hexadecimal RGB color values, but if you don’t, here’s the quick drive-through version of the theory.