DesignAlso called: "color harmony", "color combinations"
Color theory helps designers create accessible, appealing, and purposeful color schemes.
Color models
- RGB: Additive (screens) - Red, Green, Blue.
- CMYK: Subtractive (print) - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black.
- HSL: Hue, Saturation, Lightness (intuitive for designers).
- Hex: Web standard (#FF5733).
Color harmonies
- Complementary: Opposite on color wheel (high contrast).
- Analogous: Adjacent colors (harmonious, low contrast).
- Triadic: Three evenly spaced colors.
- Monochromatic: Shades of single hue.
Accessibility
- WCAG contrast ratios: 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text.
- Consider colorblindness (8% of men, 0.5% of women).
- Don't rely on color alone to convey information.
Psychological associations
- Red: Urgency, danger, passion.
- Blue: Trust, calm, professionalism.
- Green: Growth, nature, success.
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