Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
What Happens Now? Type in Color
Chromatic color—differences in hues, such as red, orange, and violet—has a dynamic
effect on typography. Chromatic color can greatly enhance the textural qualities of
type—its boldness, lightness, openness, density, and apparent location in “three-dimen-
sional” space (called “typographic color”)—reinforcing these qualities as they already
exist in black and white by adding the optical effect of a true color. As we have seen,
different hues appear at different locations in space; cool colors appear to recede, while
warmer colors appear to advance. Applying a warm color to a type element that is
large and important will enhance its contrast against other type elements. The relative
value of colors, their darkness or lightness, is an aspect of chromatic color that demands
great care in regard to how it affects type—especially its legibility—for example, when
colored type sits on a colored background. As their values approach each other, the con-
trast between type and background diminishes, and the type becomes less legible. All
the qualities of chromatic color have a pronounced effect on hierarchy because of the
way they affect the apparent spatial depth and prominence of the typographic elements
to which colors are applied. Color presents the possibility of altering the meaning or
psychological effect of words by introducing a layer of meaning that is independent
of—yet becomes integral to—the words themselves.
