Color Theory 关于颜色
只知道遵守规则的人是创造不了历史的;你只有了解规则才能跳出规则之外。
传统平面设计的3个C:Composition (构图) Components(构成因素) Concept(概念)
Composition (构图):一个设计的构成因素如何在视觉上结合安排,构图中包括放置,组合,排列,视觉流动,以及布局上的空间区分;对应web我更愿意概括为架构和布局,架构是三维空间的考虑,布局大多数一个单独页面的框架处理。
Components(构成因素):设计中使用的视觉元素:图片,图画,排版,刻线,装饰,边缘和背景;对应web就是各种常见交互控件和视觉元素
Concept(概念):主题,内涵,信息和风格方面的抽象归纳。转化为web就是这个产品网站的定位,功能是其具体表现。
好了,切入正题,汇总一下设计中的颜色应用。
传统三原色 红 黄 蓝 混合后可以生成常见的 橙 绿 紫 ,真正的中性色只有黑 白 灰;
色彩的特有四种属性:色相 色值 饱和度和色温;
由于电脑屏幕的显示原理更多时候我们用所谓的RGB颜色,就是红绿蓝三原色;采用的是16进制,就是咱们常见的类似#FF66AA,由数字0-9和A-F组成,A-F相当于10以后的,F=16;
#FFFFFF纯白 因为混合了所有的颜色 #000000纯黑 即没有颜色;
三对数中,数值最高的就是该颜色的主色相,红色绿色还是蓝色;
Web安全色是由数字0加上其他十六进制组成,其他十六进制必须是3的倍数:3 6 9 C F,而且必须以成对出现;
其实所谓的安全色,就是保证一个颜色在不同机器和浏览器上面都可以被识别;这里有所有的安全色列表
了解了以上,配色就比较简单了;
在安全色的基础上更改 比如 #FF3366,每次按顺序更改饱和度提高20%,#FF6666;
所有的灰色都是三个相同的数对,比如#3A3A3A;
最后要说的就是色彩的心理认知,这个每个人都会有一些感觉的,比如红色代表热情,勇敢,强烈的情感等,自己都能感知的;
配色方案的考虑一个网站一般只用一种主色,配以一到两种的附加色;主体的风格可以考虑单色,互补色和冷暖色的配色方案,具体操作,实践积累。
所有还是要好色一点,很多网站的配色生活中你都能发现。
有本专门的书叫web 视觉设计,里面有详细地介绍设计中的颜色;书不怎么值,感觉骗人的;关于颜色的资料网上有的是,随处搜搜都差不多,关键还是应用,调色配色是练出来的,感受出来的。
下面是一些英文资料

Color Models
Depending on your background and your purpose, you will view primary colors differently. There are three generally accepted models: RGB (red, green, blue), CMY (cyan, magenta, and yellow), and RYB (red, blue, yellow).
Primary color models can be divided into two categories: additive and subtractive.
The additive primary colors are obtained by light: red, green and blue (RGB). When combined, these colors create white. Scientists in the late 19th century established that color perception is best described in terms of the primary additive colors RGB because it is based on the human perception of colors.
The subtractive primary colors are obtained by the subtraction of light: cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY). They form the basis of printing colors and combine to form black, the K in CMYK. The second set of subtractive primary colors is: red, yellow and blue (RYB). This model is primarily used in art and design education, particularly painting. According to Johannes Itten, a Swiss color and art theorist, the primary use of this color wheel is for mixing pigments.
Color Model Application:
RGB: Photography, video/film and design.
CMYK: Print design.
RYB: Art, painting and design.
RGB and RYB Confused?
In regards to design, the purpose of the color wheel is to aid the creation of visually harmonious color schemes not to confuse you. I would recommend using the RGB model because it reflects human color perception correctly. Of course, you can experiment with both types of the color wheel.
Now that we’ve covered the various color models and their uses, we can proceed with confidence. We will be using the RGB color model.
RGB Color Model

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors

In the RGB (additive) color model, the Primary colors are: red, green, blue.
The Secondary colors: cyan, magenta and yellow, are formed by the sum of two primary colors of equal intensity.
Lastly we have (six) Tertiary colors, which are comprised of mixing half primary color and half secondary color: orange, yellow-green (lime), cyan-green, cyan-blue, blue-magenta (purple), red-magenta (pink).
The additive and subtractive sets of tertiary colors RGB and CMY are exactly the same, just on different points of the wheel.
“The color wheel not only helps understand the relationship of different colors but also the classification of colors. It also provides a quick reference to the primary, secondary and tertiary hues.” – Mark Boulton
Color Harmonies

Monochromatic
Monochrome selections are simply one color from the color wheel.
Complementary
Complementary color schemes use colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.
Split-complementary
The split-complementary color scheme is a variation of the complementary color scheme. In addition to the base color, it uses two colors adjacent to its complement.
Analogous
Analogous color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Analogous schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
Accented Analogic
Accented analogic color schemes are combinations of analogous and complementary color schemes. In addition to colors that are adjacent to each other, it uses a complementary accent at its opposite.
Triad
A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel.
Tetrad (double complementary)
The tetradic or double complementary color scheme uses four colors arranged into two complementary pairs.
Square
The square color scheme is similar to the tetradic, but with all four colors evenly spaced around the color wheel.

Warm and Cool Colors
The color wheel can be divided into warm and cool colors. Warm colors are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space. Cool colors give an impression of calm, and create a soothing impression. White, black and grey are considered to be neutral.
Term Definitions
Let’s take a look at the meanings of a few color-related words. These words can often confuse and be erroneously substituted for one another. This following list of definitions will help us proceed unambiguously. All definitions are taken, of course, from The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Hue
The attribute of colors that permits them to be classed as red, yellow, green, blue, or any intermediate between any contiguous pair of these colors.
Saturation
A chromatic purity; freedom from dilution with white.
Brightness
The attribute of light-source colors by which emitted light is ordered continuously from light to dark in correlation with its intensity.
Tint
A variation of color produced by adding white to it and characterized by low saturation with relatively high lightness.
Tone
The color quality or value; a tint or shade of color; the color that appreciably modifies a hue or white or black.
Shade
A color produced by a pigment or dye mixture having some black in it.
Chroma
A quality of color combining hue and saturation.
Hue, Saturation and Brightness

Hue
In practical terms, hue refers to a specific tone of color. It is not another name for color as color can have saturation and brightness as well. For instance, colors with the same hue are distinguished with adjectives referring to their lightness and/or chroma, such as with “light green” or “pastel blue”.
Saturation
Saturation is the intensity of a hue from grey. At maximum saturation a color would contain no grey at all. At minimum saturation, a color would contain mostly grey.
Brightness
Brightness refers to how much white or black is contained within a color.

The image below (left) of Photoshop’s Color Picker shows the saturation and brightness of the cyan hue. The saturation is increased by dragging the picker horizontally towards the right of the box and decreased towards the left. Brightness is increased by dragging vertically towards the top of the box and decreased towards the bottom. The hundred percent mark of a hue’s saturation and brightness is the upper-right corner.
Examples for hue, saturation, and brightness are best shown in the hue/saturation adjustment layer. Each of the three is affected separately and the display sliders intuitively show the principles referenced above. See the example below (right).

The meaning of color
Warm Colors

Warm colors include red, orange, and yellow, and variations of those three colors. These are the colors of fire, of fall leaves, and of sunsets and sunrises, and are generally energizing, passionate, and positive.
Red and yellow are both primary colors, with orange falling in the middle, which means warm colors are all truly warm and aren’t created by combining a warm color with a cool color. Use warm colors in your designs to reflect passion, happiness, enthusiasm, and energy.
Red (Primary Color)

Red is a very hot color. It’s associated with fire, violence, and warfare. It’s also associated with love and passion. In history, it’s been associated with both the Devil and Cupid. Red can actually have a physical effect on people, raising blood pressure and respiration rates. It’s been shown to enhance human metabolism, too.
Red can be associated with anger, but is also associated with importance (think of the red carpet at awards shows and celebrity events). Red also indicates danger (the reason stop lights and signs are red, and that most warning labels are red).
Outside the western world, red has different associations. For example, in China, red is the color of prosperity and happiness. It can also be used to attract good luck. In other eastern cultures, red is worn by brides on their wedding days. In South Africa, however, red is the color of mourning. Red is also associated with communism. Red has become the color associated with AIDS awareness in Africa due to the popularity of the [RED] campaign.
In design, red can be a powerful accent color. It can have an overwhelming effect if it’s used too much in designs, especially in its purest form. It’s a great color to use when power or passion want to be portrayed in the design. Red can be very versatile, though, with brighter versions being more energetic and darker shades being more powerful and elegant.
Examples
The dark shades of red in this design give a powerful and elegant feel to the site.
The true red accents stand out against the dark black background, and give a powerful and high-end feeling to the site.
The very bright red accents on this site give a sense of energy and movement.
The dark red on this site, because it’s combined with grunge elements, seems more like the color of blood.
Dark red, when combined with white and gray, gives a very elegant and professional impression.
Orange (Secondary Color)

Orange is a very vibrant and energetic color. In its muted forms, it can be associated with the earth and with autumn. Because of its association with the changing seasons, orange can represent change and movement in general.
Because orange is associated with the fruit of the same name, it can be associated with health and vitality. In designs, orange commands attention without being as overpowering as red. It’s often considered more friendly and inviting, and less in-your-face.
Examples
The bright orange box draws attention to its contents, even with the other bright red elements on the page.
Orange is used here in its most obvious incarnation, to represent fire.
The dark orange, when set against the lime green, almost acts as a neutral and grounding color here.
Orange is used here to give a friendly and inviting impression.
The orange accents here add a lot of visual interest and bring attention to the call to action.
Yellow (Primary Color)

Yellow is often considered the brightest and most energizing of the warm colors. It’s associated with happiness and sunshine. Yellow can also be associated with deceit and cowardice, though (calling someone yellow is calling them a coward).
Yellow is also associated with hope, as can be seen in some countries when yellow ribbons are displayed by families who have loved ones at war. Yellow is also associated with danger, though not as strongly as red.
In some countries, yellow has very different connotations. In Egypt, for example, yellow is for mourning. In Japan, it represents courage, and in India it’s a color for merchants.
In your designs, bright yellow can lend a sense of happiness and cheerfulness. Softer yellows are commonly used as a gender-neutral color for babies (rather than blue or pink) and young children. Light yellows also give a more calm feeling of happiness than bright yellows. Dark yellows and gold-hued yellows can sometimes look antique and be used in designs where a sense of permanence is desired.
Examples
The bright yellow header and graphics used throughout this site give a sense of energy and positivity.
The light yellow is used almost as a neutral in the header here, and combined with the hand-drawn illustrations gives a very cheerful impresison.
The bright yellow accents bring attention to the most important parts of this site.
The bright yellow sunflower reminds visitors of summer on this site, and combined with the antique-yellow background, it gives a homey and established feeling.
The bright yellow header here adds a bit of extra energy to this design.
Cool Colors

Cool colors include green, blue, and purple, are often more subdued than warm colors. They are the colors of night, of water, of nature, and are usually calming, relaxing, and somewhat reserved.
Blue is the only primary color within the cool spectrum, which means the other colors are created by combining blue with a warm color (yellow for green and red for purple). Greens take on some of the attributes of yellow, and purple takes on some of the attributes of red. Use cool colors in your designs to give a sense of calm or professionalism.
Green (Secondary Color)

Green is a very down-to-earth color. It can represent new beginnings and growth. It also signifies renewal and abundance. Alternatively, green can also represent envy or jealousy, and a lack of experience.
Green has many of the same calming attributes that blue has, but it also incorporates some of the energy of yellow. In design, green can have a balancing and harmonizing effect, and is very stable. It’s appropriate for designs related to wealth, stability, renewal, and nature. Brighter greens are more energizing and vibrant, while olive greens are more representative of the natural world. Dark greens are the most stable and representative of affluence.
Examples
The extremely muted greens of this site give it a very down-to-earth and natural feeling.
The bright green header of this site mixed with the leaf motif gives it a very natural and vibrant feeling.
The more olive-toned green of this site gives it a natural feeling, which is very appropriate for the content.
The brighter, more retro-looking greens of this site give it a very fresh, energized feeling.
Another olive green site with a very natural feeling.
Blue (Primary Color)

Blue is often associated with sadness in the English language. Blue is also used extensively to represent calmness and responsibility. Light blues can be refreshing and friendly. Dark blues are more strong and reliable. Blue is also associated with peace, and has spiritual and religious connotations in many cultures and traditions (for example, the Virgin Mary is generally depicted wearing blue robes).
The meaning of blue is widely affected depending on the exact shade and hue. In design, the exact shade of blue you select will have a huge impact on how your designs are perceived. Light blues are often relaxed and calming. Bright blues can be energizing and refreshing. Dark blues are excellent for corporate sites or designs where strength and reliability are important.
Examples
The dark blues give this a feeling of reliability, while the brighter and lighter blues keep it from feeling staid.
The dark blue gives this a site a professional feeling, especially when combined with the white background. But the lighter blue accents add a bit more interest.
The bright, sky blue of this site gives it a young and hip feeling, which is emphasized by the reddish accents.
This site combines a range of blues, which gives it a refreshing feeling overall.
The light, muted blue of this site gives a very relaxed and calm impression.
Purple (Secondary Color)

Purple was long associated with royalty. It’s a combination of red and blue, and takes on some attributes of both. It’s associated with creativity and imagination, too.
In Thailand, purple is the color of mourning for widows. Dark purples are traditionally associated with wealth and royalty, while lighter purples (like lavendar) are considered more romantic.
In design, dark purples can give a sense wealth and luxury. Light purples are softer and are associated with spring and romance.
The dark shade used here evokes the royal heritage of purple, which is very appropriate for the Asprey luxury goods brand.
The light and medium purples here work well to convey a sense of creativity.
The brighter, more reddish purple of this site gives it both a rich and energetic look.
The dark purple background here adds to the creative feeling of the overall site.
The dark purple accents on this site give a sense of luxury and refinement.
Neutrals

Neutral colors often serve as the backdrop in design. They’re commonly combined with brighter accent colors. But they can also be used on their own in designs, and can create very sophisticated layouts. The meanings and impressions of neutral colors are much more affected by the colors that surround them than are warm and cool colors.
Black

Black is the strongest of the neutral colors. On the positive side, it’s commonly associated with power, elegance, and formality. On the negative side, it can be associated with evil, death, and mystery. Black is the traditional color of mourning in many Western countries. It’s also associated with rebellion in some cultures, and is associated with Halloween and the occult.
Black is commonly used in edgier designs, as well as in very elegant designs. It can be either conservative or modern, traditional or unconventional, depending on the colors it’s combined with. In design, black is commonly used for typography and other functional parts, because of it’s neutrality. Black can make it easier to convey a sense of sophistication and mystery in a design.
Examples
The black accents, mixed with the brighter colors and very dark brown background add an edgier look to the overall design.
Black, when mixed with icy blues, looks colder.
The black here, mixed with dark grays and lime green, and an overall grungy theme, adds to the edginess of the design.
The black accents here add an extra layer of sophistication and modernity to the site.
The strong black accents on this site add to the overall sophistication of the design.
White

White is at the opposite end of the spectrum from black, but like black, it can work well with just about any other color. White is often associated with purity, cleanliness, and virtue. In the West, white is commonly worn by brides on their wedding day. It’s also associated with the health care industry, especially with doctors, nurses and dentists. White is associated with goodness, and angels are often depicted in white.
In design, white is generally considered a neutral backdrop that lets other colors in a design have a larger voice. It can help to convey cleanliness and simplicity, though, and is popular in minimalist designs. White in designs can also portray either winter or summer, depending on the other design motifs and colors that surround it.
Examples
The white on the Fuelhaus site is used to contrast against the electric blue.
White backgrounds are very popular on minimalistic sites, and provide great contrast to black typography.
Here, white is used as an accent color, which lightens the overall effect of the site.
White combined with gray gives a soft and clean feeling to this design.
Again, white used as a background lightens the whole design.
Gray

Gray is a neutral color, generally considered on the cool end of the color spectrum. It can sometimes be considered moody or depressing. Light grays can be used in place of white in some designs, and dark grays can be used in place of black.
Gray is generally conservative and formal, but can also be modern. It is sometimes considered a color of mourning. It’s commonly used in corporate designs, where formality and professionalism are key. It can be a very sophisticated color. Pure grays are shades of black, though other grays may have blue or brown hues mixed in. In design, gray backgrounds are very common, as is gray typography.
Examples
Light gray gives a very subdued and quiet feeling to this design.
The light gray background here adds to the modern feeling created by the typography.
The cooler gray on this site gives a modern, sophisticated feel to the site.
The dark gray backround and lighter gray typography lend a decidedly modern look to this design.
The wide spectrum of gray shades used in this design combine to give a sophisticated and professional look to the site.
Brown

Brown is associated with the earth, wood, and stone. It’s a completely natural color and a warm neutral. Brown can be associated with dependability and reliability, with steadfastness, and with earthiness. It can also be considered dull.
In design, brown is commonly used as a background color. It’s also seen in wood textures and sometimes in stone textures. It helps bring a feeling of warmth and wholesomeness to designs. It’s sometimes used in its darkest forms as a replacement for black, either in backgrounds or typography.
Examples
The grayish-brown here lends a sense of responsibility and dependability.
The orangish-brown here gives a very earthy and dependable feeling.
The dark brown used in the background here lends an earthy and steadfast look to the overall layout, and lets the brigher colors in the design really get to stand out.
Woodgrain is a popular use of brown, and in this case the warm brown adds some friendliness to an otherwise minimalist site.
The grayish-brown background here lends a feeling of stability and down-to-earthness.
Beige and Tan

Beige is somewhat unique in the color spectrum, as it can take on cool or warm tones depending on the colors surrounding it. It has the warmth of brown and the coolness of white, and, like brown, is sometimes seen as dull. It’s a conservative color in most instances, and is usually reserved for backgrounds. It can also symbolize piety.
Beige in design is generally used in backgrounds, and is commonly seen in backgrounds with a paper texture. It will take on the characteristics of colors around it, meaning it has little effect in itself on the final impression a design gives when used with other colors.
Examples
The light tan background here feels young and fresh because of the bright colors around it.
The light tan background here lends a more conservative and elegant feeling to the overall design.
The yellowish tan background is made even warmer by the orange and brown accents throughout this site’s design.
Tan is popularly used as a paper-bag texture, and in its more grayish form as a concrete or stone texture.
The beige header background and other accents on the site lend a refined and traditional feeling to the overall design.
Cream and Ivory

Ivory and cream are sophisticated colors, with some of the warmth of brown and a lot of the coolness of white. They’re generally quiet, and can often evoke a sense of history. Ivory is a calm color, with some of the pureness associated with white, though it’s a bit warmer.
In design, ivory can lend a sense of elegance and calm to a site. When combined with earthy colors like peach or brown, it can take on an earthy quality. It can also be used to lighten darker colors, without the stark contrast of using white.
Examples
The ivory background here has a warm quality that’s tempered by some of the cooler colors on the site.
The grayish-cream background here is made warmer by the orangish-brown accents.
The cream background adds a sense of understated elegance this site would otherwise be lacking.
The cream background here reinforces the antique theme that runs throughout the design’s graphics.
The ivory combined with other light colors and jewely tones makes this site have a very elegant overall appearance.
In Brief…
While the information contained here might seem just a bit overwhelming, color theory is as much about the feeling a particular shade evokes than anything else. But here’s a quick reference guide for the common meanings of the colors discussed above:
- Red: Passion, Love, Anger
- Orange: Energy, Happiness, Vitality
- Yellow: Happiness, Hope, Deceit
- Green: New Beginnings, Abundance, Nature
- Blue: Calm, Responsible, Sadness
- Purple: Creativity, Royalty, Wealth
- Black: Mystery, Elegance, Evil
- Gray: Moody, Conservative, Formality
- White: Purity, Cleanliness, Virtue
- Brown: Nature, Wholesomeness, Dependability
- Tan or Beige: Conservative, Piety, Dull
- Cream or Ivory: Calm, Elegant, Purity
Further Resources-this is so nice
- Color Meanings
A very thorough guide from About.com on color meanings. - Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning
Another excellent guide to color meanings. - Color
Wikipedia’s entry on color.




























































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