The fundamentals of understanding color theory

12 Main Colour Scheme are :-

1) Achromatic 2) Monochromatic 3) Warm colours 4) Cool Colours
5) Complementary 6) Split-Complementary 7) Double Split-Complementary
8) Analogous 9) Accented analogous 10) Triadic 11) Tetradic
12) Polychromatic

Color theory is both the science and art of using color. It explains how humans
perceive color; and the visual effects of how colors mix, match or contrast with
each other. Color theory also involves the messages colors communicate; and
the methods used to replicate color.

In color theory, colors are organized on a color wheel and grouped into 3
categories: primary colors, secondary colors and tertiary colors. More on that
later.

So why should you care about color theory as an entrepreneur? Why can’t you
just slap some red on your packaging and be done with it? It worked for Coke,
right?

Color theory will help you build your brand. And that will help you get more sales.
Let’s see how it all works.

Understanding colour :–
People decide whether or not they like a product in 90
seconds or less. 90% of that decision is based solely on
colour.
Color is perception. Our eyes see something (the sky, for example), and data
sent from our eyes to our brains tells us it’s a certain color (blue). Objects reflect
light in different combinations of wavelengths. Our brains pick up on those
wavelength combinations and translate them into the phenomenon we call color.

When you’re strolling down the soft drink aisle scanning the shelves filled with 82
million cans and bottles and trying to find your six-pack of Coke, what do you
look for? The scripted logo or that familiar red can?

People decide whether or not they like a product in 90 seconds or less. 90% of
that decision is based solely on color. So, a very important part of your branding
must focus on color.
RGB: the additive color mixing model

Additive color mixing. If you (like me) have a hard time wrapping your head around how red and green mix together
to make yellow, watch this YouTube video.

Why should you care?

Let’s say you have a very distinct brand with a bright yellow logo. If you post the
logo on Facebook, Twitter or your website and don’t use the correct color
process, your logo will appear muddy instead of that bright yellow. That’s why,
when working with files for any screen, use RGB, not CMYK.

CMYK: the subtractive color mixing model

Any color you see on a physical surface (paper, signage, packaging, etc.) uses
the subtractive color mixing model. Most people are more familiar with this
color model because it’s what we learned in kindergarten when mixing finger
paints. In this case, “subtractive” simply refers to the fact that you subtract the
light from the paper by adding more color.

Subtractive color mixing is pretty close to the paint mixing we did in grade school. This video does a great job
visualizing the “subtractive” part of it.
Traditionally, the primary colors used in subtractive process were red, yellow and
blue, as these were the colors painters mixed to get all other hues. As color
printing emerged, they were subsequently replaced with cyan, magenta, yellow
and key/black (CMYK), as this color combo enables printers to produce a wider
variety of colors on paper.

Why should you care?

You’ve decided to print a full-color brochure. If you’re investing all that money
into your marketing (printing ain’t cheap!), you expect your printer is going to get
the colors right.

Since printing uses the subtractive color mixing method, getting accurate color
reproduction can only be achieved by using CMYK. Using RGB will not only
result in inaccurate color, but a big bill from your printer when you’re forced to
ask them to reprint your entire run.

The color wheel :–

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, the best part about going back to
school in the fall was getting that new, pristine 64-count box of Crayola crayons.
The possibilities seemed endless. Until I’d inevitably lose the black crayon.

Understanding the color wheel and color harmonies (what works, what doesn’t
and how color communicates) is just as exciting as that new box of crayons. No
really.

Being able to understand the terms and processes that go along with color will
help you knowledgeably communicate your vision with your designer, printer, or
even (maybe) an Apple Store Genius.

Color wheel basics

The first color wheel was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 so it absolutely
predates your introduction to it in kindergarten. Artists and designers still use it to
develop color harmonies, mixing and palettes.
The color wheel consists of three primary colors (red, yellow, blue),
three secondary colors (colors created when primary colors are mixed: green,
orange, purple) and six tertiary colors (colors made from primary and secondary
colors, such as blue-green or red-violet).

Draw a line through the center of the wheel, and you’ll separate the warm
colors (reds, oranges, yellows) from cool colors (blues, greens, purples).

Warm colors are generally associated with energy, brightness, and action,
whereas cool colors are often identified with calm, peace, and serenity.

When you recognize that color has a temperature, you can understand how
choosing all warm or all cool colors in a logo or on your website can impact your
message.

Hue, shade, tint and tone

Let’s go back to that 64-pack of crayons from our first day of school. (Remember
“raw umber”? What is an umber anyway, and is it actually better raw than
cooked?) Anyway, you might be wondering, how we got from the twelve colors
on our original color wheel to all those crayons? That’s where tints, shades, and
tones come in.
Simply put, tints, tones and shades are variations of hues, or colors, on the color
wheel. A tint is a hue to which white has been added. For example, red + white =
pink. A shade is a hue to which black has been added. For example, red + black
= burgundy. Finally, a tone is a color to which black and white (or grey) have
been added. This darkens the original hue while making the color appear more
subtle and less intense.

Color schemes
Let’s talk schemes… (And not the kind that cartoon villains concoct. Bwahaha!)
We’re talking color schemes. Using the color wheel, designers develop a color
scheme for marketing materials.

Complementary colors
Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel—red and green, for
example.

Because there’s a sharp contrast between the two colors, they can really make
imagery pop, but overusing them can get tiresome. Think any shopping mall in
December. That being said, using a complementary color scheme in your
business marketing offers sharp contrast and clear differentiation between
images.

Analogous colors
Analogous colors sit next to one another on the color wheel—red, orange and
yellow, for example. When creating an analogous color scheme, one color will
dominate, one will support and another will accent. In business, analogous color
schemes are not only pleasing to the eye, but can effectively instruct the
consumer where and how to take action.

The Tostitos website uses an analogous color scheme. Notice the bright orange
navigation bar draws the eye to explore the site, and accent-colored links at the
bottom direct hungry consumers with the munchies to “Buy Online.”

The Tostitos website uses an analogous color scheme. Notice the bright orange
navigation bar draws the eye to explore the site, and accent-colored links at the
bottom direct hungry consumers with the munchies to “Buy Online.”
Triadic colors
Triadic colors are evenly spaced around the color wheel and tend to be very
bright and dynamic.

Using a triadic color scheme in your marketing creates visual contrast and
harmony simultaneously, making each item stand out while making the overall
image pop.

Burger King uses this color scheme quite successfully. Hey, is it lunchtime yet?

But really, why should you care about color theory?

Two words: branding and marketing.

No wait, three words: branding, marketing and sales.

With this basic knowledge about colors and color schemes, you’re prepared to
make effective branding decisions. Like what color your logo should be. Or
the emotions that colors evoke in a consumer and the psychology behind color
choices on your website.

Think it doesn’t matter? Take a look at this article on color combinations from
hell. It just hurts.

Not only can knowledge of color theory guide you in your own marketing, it can
also help you better understand what your competition is doing.

In a side-by-side comparison of three law firm web pages, you’ll notice a variety
of analogous color schemes. Blue is generally associated with dependability,
brown with masculinity, and yellow with competence and happiness. All of these
are positive associations in a field that stereotypically has negative connotations,
such as dishonesty or aggression.

Making your brand stand out and appeal to your target, plus understanding that
poor colors can mean poor sales—that’s why you should care about color theory.

Monochromatic[edit]
Main article: Monochromatic color

Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tints, tones, and shades) of a
single hue. Monochromatic color schemes are derived from a single base hue,
and extended using its shades, tones and tints (that is, a hue modified by the
addition of black, gray (black + white) and white. As a result, the energy is more
subtle and peaceful due to a lack of contrast of hue.

Complementary

Chevreul's 1855 "chromatic diagram" based on the RYB color model,

showing complementary colors and other relationships
Main article: Complementary color
For the mixing of colored light, Newton's color wheel is often used to describe
complementary colors, which are colors that cancel each other's hue to produce
an achromatic (white, gray or black) light mixture. Newton offered as a conjecture
that colors exactly opposite one another on the hue circle cancel out each other's
hue; this concept was demonstrated more thoroughly in the 19th century.
A key assumption in Newton's hue circle was that the "fiery" or maximum
saturated hues are located on the outer circumference of the circle, while
achromatic white is at the center. Then the saturation of the mixture of two
spectral hues was predicted by the straight line between them; the mixture of
three colors was predicted by the "center of gravity" or centroid of three triangle
points, and so on.
Split-Complementary
The Split-Complementary (also called 'Compound Harmony') color scheme is a
three-color combination consisting of base color and two colors that are 150
degrees and 210 degrees apart from the base color. The Split-Complementary
color scheme has the same sharp visual contrast as the complementary color
scheme but has less pressure.
Achromatic
Main article: Grey
Any color that lacks strong chromatic content is said to be
'unsaturated, achromatic, or near neutral'. Pure achromatic colors include
black, white, all grays and beiges; near neutrals include browns, tans, pastels,
and darker colors. Near neutrals can be of any hue or lightness.
Neutrals are obtained by mixing pure colors with white, black or gray, or by
mixing two complementary colors. In color theory, neutral colors are colors easily
modified by adjacent more saturated colors and they appear to take on the hue
complementary to the saturated color. Next to a bright red couch, a gray wall will
appear distinctly greenish.
Black and white have long been known to combine well with almost any other
colors; black decreases the apparent saturation or brightness of colors paired
with it, and white shows off all hues to equal effect.
Analogous
Main article: Analogous colors

Contrasting color combinations such as blue and red create visual vibrations
when placed next to each other,[7] while analogous colors such orange and red
blend together.
Analogous colors (also called Dominance Harmony) color scheme are groups
of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, with one being the
dominant color, which tends to be a primary or secondary color, and two on
either side complementing, which tend to be tertiary.
The term analogous refers to having an analogy or corresponding to something
in particular. An analogous color scheme creates a rich, monochromatic look. It’s
best used with either warm or cool colors, creating a look that has a certain
temperature as well as proper color harmony. While this is true, the scheme also
lacks contrast and is less vibrant than complementary schemes.[citation needed]
Red, reddish-orange, orange, yellow-orange is one example of a set of
analogous colors.
Accented analogous
An accented analogous complementary scheme utilizes related hues lying
adjacent on the color wheel with a hue directly opposite to these. This direct
complement becomes the accent color, used to create a dominant color grouping
of three similar colors accented with the direct complement (or the near
complement) of one of them. The complementary accent color creates an
interesting contrast against the dominant color grouping. This scheme is
frequently used to put a warm accent color with a cool analogous color palette, or
a cool accent color with a warm palette.
Triadic

Example of a triadic color scheme

The Triadic color scheme is a three-color combination consisting of base color and two
colors that are 120 degrees and 240 degrees apart from the base color.[8] Triadic color
schemes tend to be quite vibrant. Even when using pale or unsaturated versions of
hues, it offers a higher degree of contrast while also retaining the color harmony. This
scheme is trendy among artists because it provides sharp visual contrast while
maintaining balance, and color richness. The triadic scheme is not as contrasting as
the complementary scheme, but it is easier to accomplish balance and harmony with
these colors.
Tetradic
The Tetradic (also called 'Double Complementary') color scheme is considered
the richest because it uses four colors arranged into two complementary color
pairs. This scheme is hard to harmonize and requires a color to dominate or
subdue the colors; if all four colors are used in equal amounts, the color scheme
may look unbalanced.
Rectangle (Tetradic)
The Rectangle color scheme is a four-color combination consisting of a base
color and three colors that are 60 degrees, 180 degrees, and 240 degrees apart
from the base color. Rectangle color schemes work best when one color is
dominant.

Square (Tetradic)
The Square color scheme is a four-color combination consisting of a base color
and three colors that are 90 degrees apart from the base color.[10] Square color
schemes are rich in color and offer variations.
Polychromatic
Main article: Polychromatic
The term polychromatic means having several colors.
It is used to describe light that exhibits more than one color, which also means
that it contains radiation of more than one wavelength. The study of
polychromatic is particularly useful in the production of diffraction gratings.