Graphic Design: Color Theory

Name: Graphic Design: Color Theory
Author: Joe Tury

Learn how to use colors purposefully in design

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 6 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

In this lesson, you will learn how colors are created and why it is important to choose the correct colors for best results in a design. Let's look at a very basic definition of how we see color. Colors are created when different waves of light rays are either reflected off of a surface or absorbed by that service. Those reflected rays enter our eyes where rods and cones translate them and send it to the brain. Objects really don't have color. It's just the waves of light that are reflected off of them that give us color. The three primary spectrums of light are yellow, blue, and red. You can see them represented here on the color wheel. In addition, the three secondary spectrum of light are orange, violet, and green. There are six tertiary colors that are created by combining a primary with a secondary. Complimentary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. Those that are next to each other are called analogous colors. When printing, we can theoretically create all combinations of color using CMYK, which is cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. But here's where it gets a little bit complicated, in the digital world, such as your computer monitor, phone screens, digital billboards, and televisions, the primary colors are red, green, and blue, known as RGB. Notice when you're setting up a document in either Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, there is a color mode for CMYK or for RGB. For best practice, when you are creating designs for print, make sure you are in CMYK mode, and for digital formats, make sure you are in RGB mode. Colors affect us psychologically, and are the first things that we notice in a design element. That is why it is so crucial for you as a designer to choose the colors wisely. Take a look at these brands. The colors were chosen very purposefully and for a reason to help with the brand identity, and also to help elicit a response for that type of product. In the western world, red can be seen as hot and spicy in food products, while bold and courageous in other logos. Green can be seen as healthy, fresh, and relating to nature. Blue is sometimes seen as fresh, and pure, and trustworthy, and black is often used for prestige, and classic, and powerful, expensive products. Take care in creating brands and products that will be seen in other countries, as colors can signify entirely different meanings in other cultures. Let's create a new document in Illustrator. Across the top type Nature Hike, Elegant Ballroom, Business Conference, and 80's Party. Now creating, place three black squares below each subject title. Now, pick a color that you believe matches a theme for each column. For Nature Hike, green would be the obvious choice, for Elegant Ballroom, perhaps gold, silver, or black, Business Conference could be a deep blue, and 80's Party might be pink. Again, pause the video here and finish off each row. When you are finished, continue the video and compare your colors with what I come up with. There is no true correct answers, but do any of your colors match with mine? Do you feel like your color schemes represent the categories as best as possible? Perhaps you found one or more categories more difficult than the others. As you work with, and learn more about color combinations, choosing the correct colors for your design will become much more intuitive. In the next lesson, we will look at the definitions of hue, saturation value, and temperature, and color.

Beginner Provider : Joe Tury 6 Lessons · 30m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

Perhaps one of the most complex aspects of design involves using colors to subliminally convey meaning through visual messages. The human mind can associate certain colors with a variety of emotions, and designers can take full advantage of this principle. Understanding color can also prevent unintended reactions to designs—some colors do not translate accordingly across cultures, so it’s important to choose your colors wisely.

These lessons cover how color is defined and presented in a comprehensible and sensible way. You will learn the difference between colors used in print format versus those used in digital media. We’ll also explain using different color modes in your document setup to prepare artwork for the intended media. We’ll also explore the psychology of colors and how it pertains to marketing and branding.

What You'll Learn

Choose the correct color format for print versus digital media
Set up color modes in your document to prepare artwork for the intended media
Differentiate hue, saturation, and value, and understand temperature in color
Apply color choices to convey meaning and shape the presented message
Create uniform color palettes, including business and casual palettes
Explain the psychology of color as it applies to marketing and branding

Key Takeaways

Colors can subliminally convey meaning and the human mind associates certain colors with a variety of emotions, which designers can use intentionally.
Some colors do not translate the same way across cultures, so choosing colors carefully helps prevent unintended reactions to designs.
Colors used in print format differ from those used in digital media, and different color modes are used in document setup to prepare artwork for the intended media.
The psychology of color pertains to marketing and branding.
Building uniform color palettes, such as business and casual palettes, is part of effective design.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this color theory course cover?

It covers how color is defined and presented, the difference between colors used in print versus digital media, using different color modes in document setup to prepare artwork for the intended media, and the psychology of colors as it pertains to marketing and branding.

What skills will I gain from this course?

You will build skills in Color Management, Color Modes, Color Printing, Color Theory, Color Rendering, and Graphic Design.

What lessons are included?

Lessons include Importance of Color in Design; Hue, Saturation, and Value; Temperature in Color; Convey Meaning in Color Palettes; Creating a Business Color Palette; and Creating a Casual Color Palette.

Why does the course emphasize choosing colors carefully?

Because some colors do not translate accordingly across cultures, choosing colors wisely helps prevent unintended reactions to designs.