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| My partner and I's experiment presentation for the group |
Sam & Daisy- High and Low Contrast Colours
- Complementary Colours
Jasper- Tone and Saturation
- Choice of Yellow
Leo- Optical Difference
- Chromatic Differences
- Is It High or Low Contrast of Exstention? How do you know?
Amy & Laura- Saturation, Hues and Tone
- Can complimentary colours work together?
Then we had to come up with a list of 10 questions as individuals on Colour Theory that we wanted to answer:
- Is White and Black classed as colours?
- Should colours be viewed in a natural light or a synthetic light when being defined?
- Is there a time or situation where complimentary colours can go together?
- Can colour printing and what's on screen collaborate together?
- What is the distinct difference between determining a Hue and a Tone?
- How does being colour blind affect the way we see colour?
- Could the colour theory wheel be extended over tertiary's to become infinite?
- Which high contrast colour pairing would not effect the readability and legibility of words?
- How do you determine which Pantone book to use in a situation, e.g.. Gloss or Matt or Tint, ect.
- Does having a different tone of a colour effect the way people perceive the colour? e.g., instead of being jealous with dark green, light green would be seen as calming
From these, we then joined as a group and discussed the questions that we had made, creating a new group of questions that reflecting the main issues/questions we had with colour as a group:
- When Contrast of Estention is balanced, is it high or low contrast?
- Does Contrast of Estention apply to non-Complimentary colours?
- Do tertiary colours have Complimentary colours?
- How does light (natural/artificial) affect the perception of colour?
- How does the Chromatic value of stock effect the printing colours?
- Does tone affect the temperature of the colour?
- Is it possible for a colour to be warm if it is desaturated?
- Can complimentary colours be used together if they are balanced?
- How would simultaneous contrasts be used (in a context)?
- How do you make gold and silver?
From this, we had to get the 5 printed graphic objects we had brought in and organise them into the amount of inks that had been used, putting them into piles on the amounts:
Then we had to try to separate the printed graphics into the type of mixing the Inks had been printed/ made by.
Optical Mixing- When 2 separate colours which are next to each other merge to appear as a different colour
Physical Mixing- The physical action of mixing the inks together to get the shade you want
We were able to find this out by looking at each of the printed graphics through a Linen Tester, which magnifies the print that your looking at so you can see the dots
- Lots of dots or completely flat- different print methods
- 4 Colour Process Guide- Do the dots create patterns? - layered ink can be seen as they slightly off-center overlap
- Formula Guide- Physically mixed colours and inks- pure flat colour
We did the same with some printed sheets which showed the different plate layers of ink that would go into creating a full colour print.
- Cost production and set up of a machine and plate (not for the inks or stocks)
- 4 colour is mixed and allows for flexibility
- Each individual colour plate is different
- Level of understanding with Printers
- Colour modes affecting the amount of plates that are used
- Complicating the results- randomly choosing colours doesn't keep it simple or cheap
Block colour is showing no dots as they are closer together whereas light colours clearly show the dots and are not as close together
- Tints- shift in dots becomes subtle- colour becomes desaturated
- optical mixing of the dots to create the tint of the colour- Dot Pitch
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| Piles with 1 Ink closest and 5+ Inks the furthest pile away |
Optical Mixing- When 2 separate colours which are next to each other merge to appear as a different colour
Physical Mixing- The physical action of mixing the inks together to get the shade you want
We were able to find this out by looking at each of the printed graphics through a Linen Tester, which magnifies the print that your looking at so you can see the dots
- Lots of dots or completely flat- different print methods
- 4 Colour Process Guide- Do the dots create patterns? - layered ink can be seen as they slightly off-center overlap
- Formula Guide- Physically mixed colours and inks- pure flat colour
We did the same with some printed sheets which showed the different plate layers of ink that would go into creating a full colour print.
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| Separate Plate and 4 Colour Plate Prints |
- 4 colour is mixed and allows for flexibility
- Each individual colour plate is different
- Level of understanding with Printers
- Colour modes affecting the amount of plates that are used
- Complicating the results- randomly choosing colours doesn't keep it simple or cheap
Block colour is showing no dots as they are closer together whereas light colours clearly show the dots and are not as close together
- Tints- shift in dots becomes subtle- colour becomes desaturated
- optical mixing of the dots to create the tint of the colour- Dot Pitch
Study Task:
From the questions we had come up with as a group, we had to swap questions with a different group. As a collective, we have to answer the other groups questions. From this, we each selected one question to try to research into and answer.
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| Questions from the other group that we have to answer |
My question is: Which Colours look best together above all?
Honestly, this question is quite subjective as it will depend on the person as to whether a particular colour combination will go together.
The first thing I thought of was the monochromatic black and white combination but that only leads to the argument of whether black and white are classed as colours in their own right.
The trouble with this question is that it will based on the situation you are in and the context for the necessary colour in order to determine what colours would be best. A palette of colours which are pale, pastel shades would look good in someone's house but might not suite a web designers interface. Same goes for fashion and advertising.
Seen as there is no determined colours that look best which can be agreed up, I can only give my own opinion and, in my opinion, I find that colours made up in the Analogous Colour schemes work the best together as they have a natural connection based on the similarities they share.
Study Task:
From the 10 individual questions that we came up with, we now have to try and find the answers to our questions.
1. Is White and Black classed as colours
White is considered the addition of Colour as it is the inclusion of all colours whereas Black is considered the absence of Colour. They are classed as neutrals.
Red, Blue and Yellow when mixed together produce a version of the colour Black as do many colours when they have been mixed together as they get darker. The only time when there is a definite Black is in a Black Hole as any other black that is created is just a version of the Black and not as Black as it can go.
2. Should colours be viewed in a natural light or a synthetic light when being defined?
This problem is called Metamerism as colours shift when put in a different lighting state.
As shown in the diagram, the same colour can look different in different lighting states. Natural light is very inconsistent as it is constantly changing and isn't the same whereas artificial light never changes and is very consistent therefore colours should be viewed using the same synthetic, artificial light.
3. Is there a time or situation where complimentary colours can go together?
Complimentary colours don't work as they clash together due to the created highly dramatic visual. They usually look good if they are just for small pops of colour to emphasise an item of importance.
It is advisable that you avoid large amounts of complimentary colours as a basis for the work you are producing or use them for text as they are illegible and affect readability.
A way of being able to work around this is by using near-complimentary colours or muted complimentary which use muted versions of the complimentary colours or indirect complimentary so that the clash between the colours is much more subtle
4. Can colour printing and what's on screen collaborate together?
By using the different colour modes of RGB and CMYK, you can print out exactly what you have on screen but it can effect the way the image comes out in print. However, there isn't a way that has been invented where you can go straight from screen to print without having to check or change which of these you are working from.
RGB is used for on screen work as the colours work from light whereas CMYK is used for inks as it is made from pigments.
The photographic examples highlight the differences between the colour values of the printing process and screen. RGB uses light so it is much brighter, particularly on screen. CMYK on the other hand uses inks which can only be mixed so much as they are not pure and have a smaller contrasting range than whats on screen so therefore the imagery does become duller and murkier, with some colours affected more than others.
If this is the case then you may need to adjust the colouration or change the colours you working with. It helps if you have used a Pantone specific colour so you can instantly change it to what it was without trying to find it again.
5. What is the distinct difference between determining a Hue and a Tone?
A hue is the colour in its purest form, with no change to the appearance or physicality of the colour, e.g.. it hasn't been de-saturated. It s the basic name of the colour.
A tone is when a colour has been mixed to produce a lighter or darker shade of the hue, usually having been mixed with a black or white. In other words, its the gradients of the hue.
6. How does being colour blind affect the way we see colour?
Someone who is colour blind has difficulty seeing the primary colours of Red, Blue and Green (RGB variation) and has an inability to distinguish between colours. These diagrams present a simulation of how colour presents itself to those lacking in the retinal photoreceptors of particular colours:
This means that those who has a form of colour blindness cannot see the elements of that particular colour within the colour they are looking at, thereby distorting the shade of the colour to the effected person.
7. Could the colour theory wheel be extended over tertiary's to become infinite?
Yes, Every colour has a secondary colour therefore this means that the colour wheel continues to expand every time a new colour is added.
As shown in the diagram, the more colours that are mixed between the primary's and secondary's means that the colour wheel continues to get larger thereby surpassing the idea of tertiary's and moving onto larger and larger groups of colours.
8. Which high contrast colour pairing would not effect the readability and legibility of words?
The purpose of a high contrast colour pairing is to emphasize a point so it is mainly for something small and therefore not really designed for body copy.
A study was carried out by a Dr. Lauren Scharff of the Austin State University, Texas where she carried out a survey, determined to measure the readability and legibility of different background/text combinations. As shown by the results, black and white were the most popular and successful but in regards to finding a high contrast pairing that was most successful, it seems to be that any bright coloured text with a white background seems to be the easiest to read. Despite this, this doesn't mean that the colour choice wouldn't, in some way, effect the words readability or legibility.
9. How do you determine which Pantone book to use in a situation, e.g.. Solid, Process, Coated, Uncoated, Matt or Tint, ect.
Coated, Uncoated and Matt is reference to the paper stock you are using and how the ink will appear when printed on the stock. The swatch book for these are printed in the stock you would use so that you can see how that colour would look.
Coated is glossy for shiny stock paper. A way to look at it is that the paper has been treated before hand so it is made less absorbent of the ink. This is indicated by the C next to the Pantone number. The ink appears more vibrant as it doesn't absorb.
Uncoated is for paper which hasn't been treated and is more absorbent of the ink. This is indicated by the U next to the Pantone number.
Darker shades of Uncoated and Coated don't appear close in shade whereas lighter shades appear very closely in shade.
Solid is reference to the spot colours used by Pantone whereas Process is reference to the colours that are mixed with CMYK.
Tint is reference to a colour being less than 100% of the hue thereby meaning that it has been de-saturated.
10. Does having a different tone of a colour effect the way people perceive the colour? e.g., instead of being jealous with dark green, light green would be seen as calming
This seems to be the case. Just in the way that colour hues have different emotions, the same could be said for the different tones of a colour as well as colour connotations becoming attached.
Within the article, "Colour and Emotion: What does Each Hue Mean?" by Carrie Cousins, she provides examples of varying shades of colours and emotions that they provide as well as an analysis.
For example, the main hue of Green is seen as a colour of nature, energy, spiritual balance and harmony
Light Green encourages harmony and cheerfulness which aids a peaceful and calming quality.
Dark Green exhibits the qualities of ambition, concentration and prosperity yet it can also involve jealousy.
Honestly, this question is quite subjective as it will depend on the person as to whether a particular colour combination will go together.
The first thing I thought of was the monochromatic black and white combination but that only leads to the argument of whether black and white are classed as colours in their own right.
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"Color Harmonies"
Tiger Color (2012) "Color Harmonies" [Internet] Available from http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/color-theory/color-harmonies.htm (Accessed 27th January 2013)
These colours wheels show the different colour scheme variations that can be used when arranging particular colour schemes to use:
Complimentary: Complimentary colours don't go together in regards to the full saturation but using saturated, muted shades, like pastel colours, can make there connection more subtle.
Triad: Triad variations use 3 colours linked by being in the shape of a triangle. What makes this work is the ideal that the colours are evenly balanced by letting one colour dominate and have the other 2 colours for decoration and emphasis
Analogous: Using 3 colours which are next to each other on the colour wheel thereby meaning that they have the same tonal values and hues.
Split Complementary: Instead of having 2 direct complementary colours, it uses some of the adjacent colours in order to create more of a subtle contrast without the visual ostentatiousness of using just the complementaries.
Rectangle: Uses 2 complimentary pairings which usually involves warm colours and cold colours in order to play them against each other
Square: Similar to the Rectangle yet just provides another variation
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Seen as there is no determined colours that look best which can be agreed up, I can only give my own opinion and, in my opinion, I find that colours made up in the Analogous Colour schemes work the best together as they have a natural connection based on the similarities they share.
Study Task:
From the 10 individual questions that we came up with, we now have to try and find the answers to our questions.
1. Is White and Black classed as colours
White is considered the addition of Colour as it is the inclusion of all colours whereas Black is considered the absence of Colour. They are classed as neutrals.
Red, Blue and Yellow when mixed together produce a version of the colour Black as do many colours when they have been mixed together as they get darker. The only time when there is a definite Black is in a Black Hole as any other black that is created is just a version of the Black and not as Black as it can go.
2. Should colours be viewed in a natural light or a synthetic light when being defined?
This problem is called Metamerism as colours shift when put in a different lighting state.
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"Perception Variables" by Adobe Technical Guides
Adobe Technical Guides "Perception Variables" [Internet] Available from http://dba.med.sc.edu/price/irf/Adobe_tg/color/variables.html (Accessed 7th February 2013)
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3. Is there a time or situation where complimentary colours can go together?
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| Cousins, C. (2012) "Principles of Colour and the Colour Wheel" [Weblog] 28th February Codrops Available from tympanus.net/codrops/2012/02/28/principles-of-color-and-the-color-wheel/ (Accessed 8th February 2013) |
It is advisable that you avoid large amounts of complimentary colours as a basis for the work you are producing or use them for text as they are illegible and affect readability.
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| "Muted Complements and Near Complementary" (2012) by Gil Dekel Dekel, G. (2012) "The Colour Wheel" [Weblog] 10th April Poetic Mind Available from http://www.poeticmind.co.uk/research/the-colour-wheel/ (Accessed 8th February 2013) |
4. Can colour printing and what's on screen collaborate together?
By using the different colour modes of RGB and CMYK, you can print out exactly what you have on screen but it can effect the way the image comes out in print. However, there isn't a way that has been invented where you can go straight from screen to print without having to check or change which of these you are working from.
RGB is used for on screen work as the colours work from light whereas CMYK is used for inks as it is made from pigments.
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"Why Printing is CMYK" by Graeme Cookson
Cookson, G. "Why Printing is CMYK" [Internet] Available from http://shutha.org/node/815 (Accessed 8th February 2013)
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If this is the case then you may need to adjust the colouration or change the colours you working with. It helps if you have used a Pantone specific colour so you can instantly change it to what it was without trying to find it again.
5. What is the distinct difference between determining a Hue and a Tone?
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| Diagram of Differences between Colour Types Froshay, W. (2012) "Colour Definitions Simplified" [Weblog] 27th December Blog Post Blogger Available from http://froshay.blogspot.co.uk (Acesseed 6th February 2013) |
A tone is when a colour has been mixed to produce a lighter or darker shade of the hue, usually having been mixed with a black or white. In other words, its the gradients of the hue.
6. How does being colour blind affect the way we see colour?
Someone who is colour blind has difficulty seeing the primary colours of Red, Blue and Green (RGB variation) and has an inability to distinguish between colours. These diagrams present a simulation of how colour presents itself to those lacking in the retinal photoreceptors of particular colours:
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| Normal |
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| Deuteranope (Absence of Green ) |
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| Protanope (Absence of Red) |
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| Tritanope (Absence of Blue) ColorMatters "What is Color Blindness?" [Internet] Available from http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-vision/what-is-color-blindness (Accessed 6th February 2013) |
7. Could the colour theory wheel be extended over tertiary's to become infinite?
Yes, Every colour has a secondary colour therefore this means that the colour wheel continues to expand every time a new colour is added.
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"Analogous Design Palettes from Different Sections of the Hue Circle"
MacEvoy, B. (2007) "Handprint: Color Harmony & Color Design" [Internet] Available from http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/tech13.html (Accessed 7th February 2013)
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8. Which high contrast colour pairing would not effect the readability and legibility of words?
The purpose of a high contrast colour pairing is to emphasize a point so it is mainly for something small and therefore not really designed for body copy.
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"Experiment Findings/ Results" (1996) by Dr. Lauren Scharff
Scharff, L. (1996) "Color Test" [Internet Available from http://www.laurenscharff.com/research/survreslts.html (Accessed 8th February 2013)
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9. How do you determine which Pantone book to use in a situation, e.g.. Solid, Process, Coated, Uncoated, Matt or Tint, ect.
Coated, Uncoated and Matt is reference to the paper stock you are using and how the ink will appear when printed on the stock. The swatch book for these are printed in the stock you would use so that you can see how that colour would look.
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"Pantone Swatches- Coated vs Uncoated" by Pantone
Universal Printing "Choosing Inks For Colour Printing- Coated vs Uncoated" [Internet] Available from http://info.universalprinting.com/blog/bid/51807/Choosing-Inks-for-Color-Printing-Coated-vs-Uncoated (Accessed 7th February 2013)
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Uncoated is for paper which hasn't been treated and is more absorbent of the ink. This is indicated by the U next to the Pantone number.
Darker shades of Uncoated and Coated don't appear close in shade whereas lighter shades appear very closely in shade.
Solid is reference to the spot colours used by Pantone whereas Process is reference to the colours that are mixed with CMYK.
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| Pantone "Graphics- PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM" [Internet] Available from http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=19970&ca=1 (Accessed 7th February 2013) |
10. Does having a different tone of a colour effect the way people perceive the colour? e.g., instead of being jealous with dark green, light green would be seen as calming
This seems to be the case. Just in the way that colour hues have different emotions, the same could be said for the different tones of a colour as well as colour connotations becoming attached.
Within the article, "Colour and Emotion: What does Each Hue Mean?" by Carrie Cousins, she provides examples of varying shades of colours and emotions that they provide as well as an analysis.
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| Cousins, C. (2012) "Colour and Emotion: What does Each Hue Mean?"[Weblog] 3rd April Codrops Available from http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/04/03/color-and-emotion-what-does-each-hue-mean/ (Accesssed 7th February 2013) |
Light Green encourages harmony and cheerfulness which aids a peaceful and calming quality.
Dark Green exhibits the qualities of ambition, concentration and prosperity yet it can also involve jealousy.
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