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Going Ape Wild with Color -- Too Much of a Good Thing?
Remember when color used to cost a lot? It was a big budget decision just to add a one-color process to your brochures and direct mail, let alone doing four-color glossy handouts. Of course all that's changed now with the new and very affordable color printers. These days at Idea Cafe, when we're getting ready for a presentation, we don't think twice about printing out our colorful Web pages on our Hewlett-Packard DeskJets.
But can you have too much of a good thing? Can you just splash color all over the place and expect it to connect with your target customers better than boring black and white? Not necessarily, according to leading graphic designers. They say less is more, and knowing how to use color is as important as being able to use it in the first place.
"Color is not easy," says graphic artist Wyly Cunningham. "The same rules for color apply that apply for font: maximum impact, minimum clutter. Usually using only two colors is the best, one for logo, one for text -- usually primary and dark. It's a big trend to go hog wild on color. Go with color schemes that reflect a mood, not a whim."
The designers at Hewlett-Packard have come up with some guidelines for using color to create the greatest impact -- without overdoing it:
Get attention.
Color can highlight short, important messages. Like the dates of your sale, the amount of your invoice. But be careful not to highlight too many words. Then, how do we know what's truly important?Distinguish.
Remember playing Monopoly? Every row of properties has its own color. You can use color the same way. When giving instructions, put the first stage in one color, the second in another, and so on. In Idea Cafe's Biz Communications Zone, we use a splash of different colors to distinguish the different sections -- check out the left-hand column.Spark an Emotional Response.
Warm colors, like red, make people excited. Cool colors, such as blue, calm them down. Light, bright colors cheer us up. Dark colors are more serious. How do you want people to respond to your materials? Experiment with different colors and show them to associates. Ask them how your documents make them feel. The way they respond emotionally has a direct effect on how they regard your biz.For more color-savvy tips like these, take a look at Hewlett-Packard's CD ROM, Ready, Set, Create, available free with many of their color printers.
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