Imagine a world without color.
It’s nearly impossible to visualize. Color lights our days and alters our moods. As the first thing you notice and the last thing you forget, color is a visual cue that engages our eye and connects us with the things we love.
When you want to add zest to your next design, taking a spin on the color wheel can bring inspiration to kickstart a new concept. Here are four ways to combine color in attractive, appealing ways.
Monochromatic
Monochromatic color schemes use only one color in varying tints, tones, and shades.
This scheme emphasizes a very specific color family (think blush, rose, fire engine red, and maroon), making it very effective for capturing the psychological impact of one hue. Monochromatic schemes can be dramatic in special settings, such as costuming a stage or making a design seem more spacious.
Monochrome color schemes have a calming effect, exuding a clean, timeless, elegant appearance.
Analagous
Because of their proximity on the color wheel, neighboring (or analogous) hues please the eye and bring harmony to the mix.
To use analogous colors, choose a primary, secondary, and tertiary combination from the same quarter of the color wheel. Or add flair by reaching just a bit outside of the compact triad and grabbing another adjoining color to bring contrast and intensity.
Complementary
Complementary colors are hues that lie directly across the color wheel from each other, and these colors complete each other in a visually satisfying way (like a lime green leaf on a ruby red strawberry).
Coupled complementary colors exhibit natural balances, like warm and cool, neutral and dynamic, or calm and bold. When these colors are placed together, they appear more intense, sophisticated, or vibrant.
Triads
A scheme of triads uses three equidistant hues on the wheel.
Try primary combos (such as red, blue, and yellow) or secondary tones (orange, green, and purple) to create an arresting focal point in your design. Lighten or gray triad tones to create graceful or unusual combinations like fuchsia, terra cotta, and deep lichen green.
Tetrads
Tetrads utilize four equidistant hues from the color wheel (or two sets of complementary colors) to produce an exceptional result.
In brighter versions, a lively paisley teardrop might take shape. In more subtle variations, a pastel floral quilt or a rich jewel-toned poster can bring motion and depth.
Color Outside the Lines
Color is an absolute powerhouse for print marketing, so don’t rush past the color selection process!
Climb out of your comfort zone and color outside the lines as you play with the possibilities.
