Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
primary colors of the additive system are combined in equal amounts, they create pure
white light. Figure 2-8 shows how the primary colors red, green, and blue can be mixed
in various combinations to create the secondary colors cyan, magenta, and yellow, and
how the primary colors can be combined equally to create white.
Figure 2-8
RGB color system
primary colors
(red, green, blue)
complementary colors
(cyan, magenta, yellow)
colors combine to
make white light
Web sites are a digital media designed to be viewed on monitors. A monitor combines
hundreds of thousands of pixels (tiny dots of light that glow in different color intensities)
to create images. Because monitors work with light, they use the additive RGB color
system. When creating or saving graphics for the Web, you should use RGB color.
Color is a good tool for emphasizing information, such as differentiating headlines
from body text, or for drawing the eye to a specifi c area of the page. Color can also be
used to distinguish segments of the Web site. For example, you can use a different color
for each major category.
Choosing a color palette can be diffi cult. There is no precise scientifi c method to
ensure that you will choose the perfect colors. This is why most design teams include
a graphic artist who is trained in color theory. However, even without extensive color
training, you can select attractive and effective colors for a Web site. Keep in mind the
following basic color concepts and strategies:
•
Keep it simple.
With color choice, more is defi nitely not better. Everyone has seen a
Web site that looks as if it erupted from a rainbow. Too many competing colors cause
the eye to race around the page, leaving the user dazed and confused.
•
Include three to six colors per site.
You will use these same colors for all of the site's
elements, including the text, background, links, logo, buttons, navigation bar, and
graphics. Black and white count as colors when selecting a palette.
•
Consider the mood you want to create.
Colors create a mood. Studies show that
colors have certain psychological effects on people. For example, blue is calming, red
is hot or intense. Think about what your target audience might associate with a color
when choosing a palette for a Web site.
•
Keep the target audience in mind.
Different cultures do not always have the same
psychological associations with specifi c colors. For example, people in the United
States associate white with purity and red with danger, whereas some countries associ-
ate white with death and red with marriage. If a Web site has a global or foreign target
audience, you might need to research the customs and symbols of the target culture(s).
Photographic images can
contain many thousands
of colors. These do not
count as part of the color
palette.
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