From Jacci Howard Bear,
Your Guide to Desktop Publishing.
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Colors are more than a combination of red and blue or yellow and black. They are non-verbal communication. Colors have symbolism and color meanings that go beyond ink. As you design brochures, logos, and Web sites, it is helpful to keep in mind how the eye and the mind perceive certain colors and the color meanings we associate with each color.

Physical and Cultural Color Reactions
Sometimes colors create a physical reaction (red has been shown to raise blood pressure) and at other times it is a cultural reaction (in the U.S. white is for weddings, in some Eastern cultures, white is the color for mourning and funerals). Colors follow trends as well. Avocado, a shade of green, is synomous with the 60s and 70s in the minds of some consumers.

Color Relationships
In addition to understanding color meanings, it helps with mixing and matching colors to know the relationship of adjacent, complementary, and clashing colors. The subject is more fully explained in this Color Basics article. But below is a brief synopis:

• Adjacent or harmonizing colors appear next to each other on the color wheel. Harmonizing colors often work well together but if too close in value they can appear washed out or not have enough contrast.

• Complementary colors are separated by another color on the color wheel. Complementary colors printed side by side can cause visual vibration making them a less than desirable combination. However, separate them on the page with other colors and they can work together.

• Clashing or contrasting colors are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Despite the name, colors that clash are not always a bad combination if used carefully. They provide great contrast and high visibility.

On each of the cool, warm, mixed, and neutral pages are links to profiles of specific groups of colors with descriptions of their nature, cultural color meanings, how to use each color in design work, and which colors work best together.

On the next few pages we'll explore the color meanings of four different groups of colors.

• Cool Color Meanings (calming): Blue, Green, Turquoise, Silver
• Warm Color Meanings (exciting): Red, Pink, Yellow, Gold, Orange
• Mixed Cool/Warm Color Meanings: Purple, Lavender, Green, Turquoise
• Neutral Color Meanings (unifying): Brown, Beige, Ivory, Gray, Black, White

Or, jump directly to each of these colors to explore their nature, cultural color meaning, language, and which colors work well together.

• Blue Color Meanings
• Green Color Meanings
• Turquoise Color Meanings
• Silver Color Meanings
• Red Color Meanings
• Pink Color Meanings
• Yellow Color Meanings
• Gold Color Meanings
• Orange Color Meanings
• Purple Color Meanings
• Lavender Color Meanings
• Black Color Meanings
• Gray Color Meanings
• White Color Meanings
• Ivory Color Meanings
• Brown Color Meanings
• Beige Color Meanings

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