Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
in a design, the more complex managing this color in an effective, harmonious way
becomes. Always remind yourself what your intention is when using color. Is it to
emphasize or deemphasize? Is it to create a subtle—or not-so-subtle—theme across
the presentation? Is it to help create flow and hierarchy, enhancing the viewers'
understanding? Are you just trying to get an emotional response from the viewer? You
have many things to think about with color usage.
Most people have a basic understanding of color, but many people lack the vocabulary
for talking about color, particularly talking about what aspects work and which ones do
not. Although the length of this topic does not allow for a deep or technical exploration of
color, understanding the basics and the difference between hue, value, and saturation
are important and will help you look at the graphics around you in a different way.
Learning the fundamental terms helps you work with color better and incorporate it
effectively into your presentations.
Identify hues
Hue
is the true or pure color, independent of its value and saturation. Hue is the identity
of the color. The hue is what we describe when we say a color is orange, orange-red,
green, or yellow-green, and so on. Think of the hue as the position the color occupies on
the color wheel. The color wheel is a circular representation of hue.
The artist's color wheel has been used for centuries. While we use the RGB color
scheme with its red, green, and blue, primaries in the digital world of presentations, it is
still helpful to be familiar with the basic color wheel. In the simple color wheel here, you
can see 12 hues—three primary, three secondary, and six tertiary colors—that form the
basics. The 12 basic hues in the color wheel actually form a continuous blend resulting in
thousands of different possible hues (although most people can only name perhaps 12
to 20 different hues).
