Rules of Color in Print Design

Color can make or break an advertisement, whether a newspaper ad, postcard, or other form of printed marketing tools. Too much color overwhelms your message, while too little will not capture enough attention. The wrong color scheme can hide or disrupt the flow of your message and style. Another item to remember is that color on a computer screen appears differently than printed on a commercial printer. Avoid these common color flaws by following the rules below.

The Right Amount
Many designs have two or four color schemes. Smaller layouts such as for business card or postcard printing need to use only two colors while larger designs such as brochures can allow for four colors. Make sure to use white space so as not to over do your colour scheme. Also, organize the shades. For instance, use a white background, black fonts, a red header box background, and a blue tips box background.

The Right Shade
Choosing which two or four colors to use can be challenging. The perfect combination of colors should guide readers to the most important aspects of your layout first. While black and red capture attention easiest and blue and yellow are more subtle, each may produce different results when combined with other colors. Play around with the palette of your project until the most important information stands out the most. Also keep in mind your message and style. Use the right colors: orange for fun, green for growth, yellow for happiness.

The Right Appearance
The default color scheme on a computer is RGB because these colors (red, green, and blue) are the primary colours of light. Since a computer screen operates with light, colors appear more vivid on the monitor with RGB. The problem occurs in the transfer to paper, which is why color printing companies use CMYK. Cyan, magenta, and yellow (with black thrown in for a darker black) are the primary colors of ink; therefore, printed images appear more vivid and smooth. Your design program should have the option to choose colors from the CMYK scheme. Just remember that your proof printed on paper will appear differently than on the screen.

So with these tips in mind, get to work creating that perfect mail out and use color to make your print design stand out from the rest.

Author Info:

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of the developments in color printing, postcard printing industries.