Colors are one of the prime elements in the world of graphic design and printing. In the visual and graphic arts, Color Theory is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual effects of a particular color combination. The study of color is critical in our line of business because we print with lots of colors every day. Having a logical structure for color and how to apply it depending on the context where it’s being used, is necessary to achieve harmony.
Nowadays, the color theory has multiple definitions, concepts, and applications, but there are three basic categories of color theory that are the most useful: the color wheel, color harmony, and the context of how colors are used.
The Color Wheel
Color theory was originally formulated in terms of the three primary colors; red, yellow and blue. These colors were believed capable of mixing into all other colors. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then, scientists and artists have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept and presently any color wheel that presents a logically arranged sequence of pure hues can be accepted.
Primary Colors: Red, yellow and blue. In traditional color theory (used in paint and pigments), primary colors are the three pigment colors that cannot be mixed or formed by any combination of colors. All other colors are derived from these.
Secondary Colors: Green, orange, and purple. These are the colors formed by mixing two primary colors.
Tertiary Colors: Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green. These are formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color.
The Importance of Color Harmony in Advertising
Harmony can be defined as a pleasant arrangement of parts, and it applies to everything. In a visual context, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and creates an inner sense of order and balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it is either boring or chaotic. The human brain will reject under or overstimulating information, as well as what it cannot organize; what it cannot understand.
In the advertising and marketing, we are required to present a logical structure to achieve harmony and deliver visual interest and a sense of order to the viewer –your potential clients!
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