Color plays such an important role in our lives whether we realizes it or not. It has the ability to influence our feelings and emotions in a way that few other mediums can. It can control our moods and thoughts. Color has the ability to make us feel happy, depressed, excited, relaxed, hungry and creative. We are faced with color choices all the time whether we realize it or not. The first crucial decision of the day usually comes in the morning when we decide what to wear. Often times we will pick our clothes out based on the color of the mood we are feeling or wish to portray that day. The colors that we choose to show the world are often a direct reflection of personality.

"An executive for a paint company received complaints from workers in a blue office that the office was too cold. When the offices were painted a warm peach, the sweaters came off even though the temperature had not changed."

 

Pantone Website Colors have a deep subliminal meanings that effects our thinking and rational. They have symbolic meaning that changes amongst cultures and countries. As a result of this, color research and planning is a vital part of the design process. Before one can even begin a design or marketing campaign they must choose the appropriate colors that are both effective to there message and also compliment each other.

Colors are a part of our pop-culture. We associate our favorite sports team by their team colors. Red Sox, White Sox, Cleveland Browns, Duke Blue Devils are among a few teams to incorporate a color into their name. Colors have become a part of our every day vocabulary; "Canary Yellow" "Carolina Blue" "John Deere Green" "Fire Engine Red".

There are the three primary colors of Red, Yellow and Blue. Then there are secondary colors of Green, Orange and Purple. Additionally there are Tertiary colors that are combinations of the first two sets. Complimentary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel and often evoke feelings of excitement. Analogous colors are those that are close to each other on the color wheel. These give a particular feeling whether it be warm and cozy or, cold and depressing.

There are many different technical aspects when it comes to working with colors. In the print world Pantone and CMYK are the color formats, while online RGB and Hexadecimal is the medium. Because of this, it is important that both the web and graphic designers work closely on the color process to make sure their colors transfer smoothly from one medium to another. A color may look one way on a particular screen but when printed out it looks totally different. It is important to come up with a color palate listing all of the different color codes that will ensure a unified color scheme throughout print and web.

 

Coming up on Part II, The Primary and Secondary colors and their effects on our emotions.