Design Basics Index. Copyright O 2004 by Jim Krause. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved.

No other part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by HOW Design Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. (800) 289-0963. First edition.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Krause, Jim, 1962Design basics index : a graphic designer's guide to designing effective compositions, selecting dynamic components, developing creative concepts / by Jim Krause. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 1-58180-501-2 1. Graphic arts--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.

About the Author Jim Krause has worked as a designer in the Pacific Northwest since the 1980's. He has produced awardwinning work for clients large and small, including Microsoft, McDonald's, Washington State Apples, Bell Helicopter, Paccar/Kenworth and Seattle Public Schools. Jim is also the author and designer of four other titles available from HOW Design Books: Idea Index, Layout Index, Color Index and Creative Sparks.

As always, a thank you to my best fiend and son, Evan.

Editor: Amy Schell Cover and Interior Design: Jim Krause Production Coordinator: Mark Griffin

Books can provide us with the terms and definitions that make communication about color possible. They can teach us practical theories surrounding the mixing of hues, the buildingof harmonious schemes and the technical aspects that a designer must deal with when translating color ideas to print or electronic media. The rest of our color education happens on a more instinctual level during a lifetime of observation, enjoyment and hands-on practice. It's the combination of our book-learning and the intuition we gain through observational and hands-on experience that endows us with the color-sense that we can then apply to all of our works of art. Below are two practical suggestions to augment the color-related information and exercises ahead: 1) Turn the computer off once in a while and spend time with watercolors, acrylics, oils or colored pencils. Paint and draw from life and imagination.See what happens when colors are mixed on a palette. Observe the effects that occur when these and other hues are placed next to each other within a painting. Develop palettes and methods of working that convey a variety of moods and effects.

2) Look around! Look at your environment, natural and otherwise: what's really going on out there (near and far) in terms of color? Visit art galleries and take note of what the Great Ones have done-and are doing-with color.
you are not already fluent in the vocabulary of color, the informaon in this chapter will help build a foundation. The intellectual tudy of color helps open our eyes to its subtleties and awaken instincts that can be used In our artistic work and play.

The Col Wheel

1' color^
DEFINITIONS
RED

Hue, Saturation and Value

The color wheel is a simple and effective way to present concepts and terms related to the st , and use of color.
The PRIMARY COLORS-blue, red and yellow-occupy the three foundational spokes of the color wheel. Other colors are created through blends of the primary colors. Positioned halfway between each of the three primaries are the SECONDARY COLORS: orange, green and violet.
TERTIARY colors are created when primary colors are

Colors of infinite variety can be treated altering the effects of three variables: hue, saturation and value.
HUE: another name for color-often used in a broader sense to include indistinct shades as well as pure, easily-named colors.

SATURATION: the purity of a hue. A hue that is in its most intense, literal form, is considered fully saturated. A hue that is mixed with its complement, black, grey or a neutral tone becomes muted, less saturated.
VALUE: a measurement of how dark or light a hue

mixed with adjacent secondary colors. Tertiary colors are sometimes referred to as Intermediary colors. COMPLEMENTARY COLORS are those that are direct opposites on the color wheel. Violet and yellow, for example.

appears relative to black and white. A good way to judge relative value is to deeply squint your eyes when looking at a comparison. Try this with the color wheel on the opposite page-note how the yellow hue becomes obviously much lighter than the blue or violet hues when viewed in this way. Value relationships are crucial when working with color. There is a saying among painters, "If the value is wrong, the color can't be right."

PROCESS COLOR P R I N T I N G

A. The four process colors

As designers workingin print media, it is very Important to understand how our color choices are translated to ink-on-paper. Here then, is a crash course (otud cn e n i through page 212).

E. Selecting colon

BLACK (k)

B. Tints
CYAN (c) , 90%
60%

Most color printing is done by using the four process colors of ink (A). Each of these inks is printed n from a separate i k tray on the printing press and combined directly on the paper. Process colors can be printed in tints, ranging from 0% to solid (B). T i are achieved by varying the density of tiny dots used in the printing (see the enlargement at the bottom of the opposite page). Process inks are nearly transparent, so when one or more are combined, a new hue results (C).Furthermore, both tints and solids can be combined between one or more process colors (D). An extremely broad range of hues can be achieved in thisway using process colors.
,

match printed results, it is wise for the designer who works with printed color to keep a process color guide handy (E). These guides provide a reality-check for designers whose digitally created art is destined for print media. Each page of a process color guide shows the onpaper results of various mixes between the CMYK inks.

100c, 0m, 40y, 0k

4 c 00m,0y, k 01 , 0
0c, 40m,0 y 0k 10,

An example: The palette for the illustration at left is shown with the CMYK formulasthat the designer used to create it.
Note: Whlle jobs destined for process color prlntlng are designed around CMYK inks, pleces that will be shown in a purely electronic environment (web pages, etc.) are usually designed around the, light-based red, green and blue hues of the RGB palette. RGB colon are explained on page 213.

20%
10%

Combining CMYK
S
0y

100m

D. Combining solids

and tints

Take a look at the notation at the bottom of (D): this is how a designer specifies colors for process printing (also known as CMYK printing). The number represents the percentage of ink being applied; the letter refers to the ink color itself.
c = cyan; m = magenta; y = yellow; k = black

40c,20m, 10, 0 k 0y

Since the colors you see on your computer monitor will not perfectly

SPOT COLOR

AND R G B

A. Spot Colors

Another common way of printing in color is through the use of spot colors. Whereas CMYK colors are achieved through the mixing of process color inks as they are applied to paper, spot colors are custom, premixed inks (A).
Colors

C. RGB colors
RED ( r ) GREEN (g) BLUE (b)

A third language of color that must be understood by the modern designer is the on-screen color vocabulary of RGB (C). All the colors you see on your computer monitor are made up of solids, tints and mixtures of three hues: red, green and blue. Unlike CMYK colors (which are made of physical, liquid inks), RGB colors are defined through a lightbased spectrum of hues. Therefore, when all three solid RGB colors are combined, white results (D). Absence of all three RGB hues means a blank, black monitor. RGB tints are measured on a scale of 0 to 255. At the high end of each color's scale are its purest hues. The lower the number, the darker the hue (all the way to 0, black). It takes a combination of two or more RGB hues to create lighter tones (E).
Note: Every monitor displays color differently. There is no absolute way to control how your work wlll appear on another person's computer screen. Digital designs and illustrations should be tested on a variety of platforms before flnalization. And remember that while CMYK-based colors can be representedon a computer monitor, RGB files can NOT be used for printing (since, after all, printing presses print with Ink, not light).

Think of a quart of spot color ink the same way you would a quart of house paint--its pigment has been selected from a color chart and premixed prior to application. Spot colors, like process colors, can be printed in tints ranging from 0% to 100% (solid). And, just as a process color guide is used to select CMYK colors, spot color guides are used to select these hues. Pantone's color guides (B) are used more than any other. Spot colors are ideal for jobs such as stationery and flyers. Since these pieces often require only two or three colors of ink, it is more cost-efficient to print them using spot colors rather than the four process inks that would be needed to achieve similar results.

D. Combining RGB solids

E. Combining RGB tints

I
were to be printed with spot colors, It would be referred to as a two-color job (black is considered a color on the prlnting press).

As a designer, it is crucial t communicate clearly with prin ing professionals to determine the best production strategies t apply to any given job.

C R E A T I N G PALETTES

Monochromatic color schemes are created from a single base hue, and any number of lighter or darker tints (value adjustments) of that hue. Printjobs that use only one color of ink are, naturally, limited to this type of palette.

Monochromatic
schemes can also be created by using more and less saturated versions of a base color.

lads are created fromany three hues equally spaced around the color wheel. Varied degrees of saturation can be used withineach of the three colors to achieve a more sophisticated color scheme. Be sure to experiment wlth the amount that each color Is featured wlthin a design or Illustrationregardless of what type of palette is being used.

Analogous palettes are created when any three adjacent hues are used together. A variation of this type of threemember palette Is built by using every other color as you move amund the wheel from a chosen starting hue.

Complementarycolor schemes are created when any color Is pairedwith Its complement Here, two complementary hues are used along wlth black Experiment with Introducing black or grayed tones Into a complementary scheme. Changlng the saturation and/or value of one of the complementary hues might be necessary in order to avoid a vibrating effect between the colors. (See the last sample, page 217.)

Split-Complements are naturally infused with the energy that am arises when w r and cool hues are combined. Tocreate a splitcomplement palette, begin with one hue, and combineIt with the two colors on either side of Its complement. In thls sample, the orange hue has been lightenedto avoida vibratingeffect between It and the bluegreen-again, see the final sample on page 217.

EXPLORING VARIATIONS

Whether you are workingon a layout or illustration,explore variationsIn the hue, saturation and value of one or more of the colon wlthin the scheme you are considering. Often, you will be surprised to discover new associations that are more interestingand effective than than before. Here, we take a look at variations that have been applied to each of the

Complementary variation. Compare the look of this Illustration with the complementary palette example on the previouspage. A slightlyquieter effect has been achieved by using a gray tone as a dividing color rather than solid black.

illustrations from the previous spread. Use the strategies featured here as the basis for explorationsof own. your When you come across effective color combos In print or electronic media, take note! Make an effort to figureout the thinking that the designer used to create that palette.

Monochromaticvariationi n thls
sample, the saturation of two of the blue hues has been heavily muted. Compare thls sample with the more saturated verslon on page 214.

C m l m nayvari ti n.Here, the o p etr e ao complementary scheme of before has been given a complete make over. The colon have been reassigned to smaller roles, the blue muted and lightened and a host of neutral grey values has been incorporatedIn place of Ute solid Mack.

Tid r avariation.Here, the orange

Split variationWhile the red and orange hues from thls palette have been left alone, the blue has been expanded Into several monochromatlc variations. Generally, if a base color works well
w i t ha scheme, Its mnochromatin ic cousins can also be safely used.

Each of the hues in thls Illustrationhave been heavilymuted-all except for the color withinthe pieces of candy. A single Intense hue withina palette of muted tones attracts notice, even If it Is used sparingly.

,
I

Here's one that's best to avoid: complementary colors of identical or similar value. The complementary blue and orange hues in thls scheme are very close in value. This results In an unpleasant, "vibrati n g edge between them.

B O R R O W I N G COLOR

When building a layout around a , particular photo or illustration, one of the best ways to create a palette that will complement the image is to borrow colors directly

Many graphics software programs offer tools for takingcolor samples from withinImages. Seek hues that both work well together and also relate effectively to the overall theme of the design. Each of the palettes wed In the four poster designs featured on this spread were created using colors drawn fromthe Image above.

BUDGETING COLOR

A designer working within a tight print budget is not bound to lackluster results. Strong design does not need a full palette of colors to convey its message.

A three-color design for a stationery package. Plenty of inksfor a

EXERCISE
Logo varial Needed: ai created f o r one of the Shaoe Wor et o (pages 124-151), v c r

A well-chosen color of ink can be flooded over a surface, featured in any number of lighter tints or combinedwithoneortwo other inks for costeffective impact.
Remember to consider paper choices other than white bond for your projects.

strong presentation withina modest budget.

typography t y u oor create a logo design.

icon

to

A two-color design that looks more like three. Here, tintsof the orange ink have been used to create a lighter orange hue. Tints be used to can visually expand a limprintbudget.

Use the ideas presented o n this spread as the basis for making the most out of limited printing resources. And again, consult with a print professional to determine how t o best prepare your artwork t o achieve the effects you desire.

Another two color deslgn, thls one taking advantage of the paper in the background to introduce white into the scheme of the logo. When limited to a single color of ink, you can expand Its hue into a monochromatic palette of related tints. Be sure to choose a color that Is dark enough to allow for a wide variation of values.

Now, imagine that this logo has been accepted by a client, and that they are asking for four versions of the design to cover all of their media needs: 1) black-on-white; 2) two-color (spot colors); 3) three color (spot colors); and 4) full color (cmyk version of spot colors). Remember: black counts as a color when i t comes to printing. Also keep in mind that tints of any color may be freely used.

STAR

B n e g i d n e d g c i on palette for the full co version of your logo. spot colors your choices and translate to cmyk colors using your software. Next, remove one color and make the necessary adjustments to come up with a three-color version (this time, leave the colors in spot mode).Ther remove another color and readjust the remaining two hues to create the twocolor version of your design Lastly, create a logo that uses only black ink again

THEMATIC PALETTES

EXERCISE:
Image has a tremen dous effect on the look and feel of its Color trends.
100c
50c

70m Om

0y

0k
Ok

Primary colors lend a feeling of simplicity and directness.

combinationsof hues are often sought when a

This spread provides an ideaof the many directions that can be pursued when lookingfor effective color combinations.
Software makes experimentation among palettes easy
and relatively palnless.If you are using

progressive theme is
desired.

Needed: a few up-todate, well-designed magazines (buy them, check them out from a library or look through copies at a newsstand). If you want to keep up with current trends in color, you have to give them your nearly constant attention. Do this: collect a stack of contemporary magazines and LOOK at the colors and schemes being used.

Bright secondary colors b e conveyaction and excitement.

the to ate your lllustratlon advantage of Its

can be use to givea piecea natural, invitingfeel.

Also do this: LOOK at what's going on other forms of current media (movies, fashion, home decor, the avant garde to the corporate. What's going on right n o w ? When you see palettes that appeal to you, try to grasp the thinking behind them. Ask yourself, how are the colors in this scheme related to each other? Do the palettes follow any of the formulas discussed on pages Could a palette such as this be useful for any of my current or future projects? Color trends shift constantly; repeat this exercise often!

Fw raods n e ae s f ei g

hues of violet, blue, have been used to security.

A color can be made to really "pop" when partnered with extremely muted

hues.