Color in design is vitally important, it is an instant attention-grabber, sets moods and can even influence our emotions. Color can make designs come alive, or it can break a design. A new color combination can add innovation to a seemingly dull design and can completely transform a look from season to season, or theme to theme. But using colors that don’t work well together, using too many colors, or even not enough could drive people away before they have a chance to connect with your products.
As our society becomes more visual than ever the proper use of color is becoming more important and can often be the sole reason someone purchases your products. Given this it's important to understand how colors work and where to find inspiration. It can be hard to know where to start when choosing colors for your products so we have put together some basic color rules and tips to keep your products looking fresh.
Understanding Color.
Understanding basic color theory is a good place to start. It can be a little daunting and technical but will help you understand the basics of color relationships. To be great at anything, you first have to know the rules, so here is a basic overview.
Color Wheel.
How to pick Colors (Color Harmonies). The easiest way to select a color combinations or palettes is using the color wheel and applying the principles of analogous, complementary, monochromatic and triad color harmonies.
Color Models. We describe colors using color models. There are literally millions of colors and naming them all and remembering the names is impossible, that’s is why color models or standards were invented to help us describe colors.
The RGB Model. By far the most “popular” additive color model. Each color is described as set of Red, Green and Blue values on a scale from 0 to 255.
The CMYK Model. This is standard subtractive, printing color model. Each color is represented by a corresponding value of cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks, on a scale from 0% to 100%.
The HSB Model. This color model is based on RGB but is better suited to artists and designers. Each color is described as a combination of Hue, Saturation and Brightness values which allows for quick and intuitive color choices.
How to choose a color palette.
Understanding the theory behind colors is one thing. Choosing a successful color palette is another. Start with what you know. If you have an established business, start with colors that are your best sellers and then introduce new colors. Consider seasonal trends. Understanding color trends gives you great insight into what's coming down the pipe, helping you create designs that are commercially relevant and exciting. Also consider what kind of emotional response you want people to have or what theme or story you are telling.
Think about the color harmonies, usually when deciding on a color palette you’ll begin with the dominant color. Then start to layer your palette. Darker colors tend to be seen first and carry more visual weight, then work your way back to lighter colors. Be careful about using too many colors, too many colors can compete and cause eye fatigue and confuse your customers. Introduce new risky trend colors in small quantity's to test the market first.
Where to find color inspiration.
Inspiration is everywhere, it can be found in the outdoors, by studying different design fields, understanding your customers and competitive market and by staying informed with forecasted color and fashion trends. To help you on your colour journey here are some of the trusted resources used at Download T-shirt Designs.
Pantone are the design industry leaders when it comes to color. Pantone provides the latest in color trends across all forms of graphic arts, fashion and Interiors, paint & plastics. Pantone is a physical color index and the perfect tool for any designer or business crafting products that are printed. Using physical color swatch's allows you to know exactly how your color will look when it’s on paper or fabric saving you time and guess work.
Pinterest holds an impressive amount of color palettes created by designers and creatives all around the globe. Simply search by color, season or theme for instant color inspiration. Follow our Colour Ideas or Colour Trend Boards on Pinterest for inspiring color palettes.
Color Websites, from bright Pantone swatches to colorful idea boards, dedicated color websites and blogs can be a great way to experience unique color combinations you might not have thought to try otherwise. Try sites such as Design Seeds, Color Collective, COLOURlovers or Colrd for instant color palette inspiration.
Turn something ordinary into something extraordinary with color.
