Book Description

The best-selling author of Idea Index and Layout Index returns with an all-new title! Color Index provides more than one thousand color combinations and formulas--guaranteed to help graphic artists solve design dilemmas and create effective images for both print and the Web.

From progressive colors to natural tones, Color Index makes choosing hues for any job easier! Designers will start working with color in exciting new ways and create original, eye-catching designs that pop off the page. It's all the inspiration they need to explore and experiment with color as never before!

Just like the other clever little design books in this series, Color Index is portable, packed with inspiration, and neatly packaged in a colorful, sturdy vinyl jacket. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Indeed a great book!
This book has just the right size and cover, it makes a statement that less is more, just by looking at the size...inside you find so many triggers for your imagination and it is very true that you can not help but smile when you read it! However I do not have any other color book to compare with, but I can say allready that this is the only one that I need.

I think his initiative to have cut out masks (1 black, 1 white) at the end, used to separate the colors is really excellent as well!

Except for showing RGB, CMYK and HEX values it has a great little example on how to use colored backgrounds that complement a photo or illustration. At least I find it very useful to be reminded of that every now and then!

For it is well-known that engaging the reader, student in the process of learning is indeed the best way to keep focus on what is going on - shows the authors insight in psychology as well.
In addition to saying the book's size is great I have to say that the prize is great too..

Fantastic reference book for color combinations
While I reserve the 5 stars for only the most amazing of books, 4 is a top notch rating! I would give a 4.5, but there are no half points. This book has a great binding with a vinyl cover and will last years on your desktop next to your dictionary and thesaurus. It's a mini-format which I like for reference manuals.

The author presents the color schemes well and they will help any designer. This would be a 5 star book if not for the fact that you can't lookup combinations by color code. I wanted to "add" to a website based on the primary color(s) and the only way to find this color in use was to sort through the pages to see if I could find it. And it would have been nice to have a mini-CD with this book, but that might be asking a bit much considering the price.

Great color combos for all!
This is a wonderful book to keep as a reference for any type of graphic design project. The small, but extremely useful, book size allows you to keep the book handy on your desk at all times. Whether you use the book for color inspiration or to pull color combinations (up to 4 colors) from, it's a great tool. The color listings are in CMYK and RGB including a small section of Browser Safe colors in the back of the book.

Not a Professional, but Helped a Lot
Although not a professional, this guide helped me with understanding color how to deal with printers in that medium. Thanks!

Look at the pictures, but don't read the copy
This book provides a designer with a fabulous resource for generating color schemes/combinations quickly and easily. In that respect, it inspires.

However, the author provides recipes (CMYK and RGB values) "checked for accuracy", never stating on what media those values may be valid. He then excuses himself by saying that "the potential for error exists". The implication that a set of CMYK values is in any way "accurate" beyond the inks and papers used for this particular publication is so, eh, mid-1990s. A true, but technically more challenging statement of the color values should have been made with device independent Lab values. Then anyone with Adobe Photoshop, for example, could reproduce the samples on his or her own media. This is, in fact, what Pantone does.

And aspiring web designers beware! The author clearly has little but old and second-hand knowledge of the facts of color on the web. He describes the anachronistic "browser safe" colors as if most computer users still had old 8-bit (256 color) monitors, and as if there was ever color consistency across them. In those bad old days we fought dithering (the "speckles") in solid fills by choosing from amongst the 216 colors Macs and PC monitors had in common.

Those days, except for some dusty intranets here and there, are gone. deceased. expired. However, neither then nor now could we count on consistency on our viewers' monitors--unless we can strongarm our audience into calibrating and profiling them.

These particular rants aside (the writer sighs benignly), the color examples are truly wonderful, useful, and inspiring.

In short, fabulous for samples, but not for accuracy of data. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Excellent Resource
I teach digital media and design to grade eleven and twelve students. This is the only book on Color that my students responded to with enthusiasm. The book covers color theory very basically. However, it does an excellent job of covering the more important topics of the meaning and psychology of colors and color combinations. The author uses good examples for each section and the book can be used as a learning tool or a resource you can use again and again. My students found the many pantone color combination swatches very useful in helping setup the color schemes for their designs. My students and I recommend this book highly, You might say this review is 5 stars taken 80 times.

Could have been a lot better
The work by the now defunct arm of Cheskin research, the Color Research Insititute is much more insightful than anything in this book. Unofrtunatley the scientific research undertaken by this insititute is not available to the General Public and is only available through Cheskin.

The color schemes and patterns shown in this book may have been all the rage a few years ago but they definitly do not age very well and are way too bright and gaudy.

The author unfortunatley does not give examples of color schemes that work well and have stood the test of time such as Coca Colas color scheme and IBM's "Big Blue" which is a type of blue which has a very powerful effect on the subconscous mind of the viewer and this color alone was shown to actually increase the sales of IBM products once it was widely implemented in their adevertising campaign.

This book comes across as a marketing tool for the author pitched at large corporate clients, its deliberate attempt not to give any worthwhile information to readers of this book seems to validate this.

Giving this book 2 stars is being generous considering the price. If you know absolutley nothing at all about color then perhaps you will find this book helpful. If you are an interior decorater dont use any of the color scemes this book recommends unless you wish to send your clients to a mental asylum. If you are a markeing manager dont waste your money on this book

Color Thesaurus for the Chromatically Challenged!
As well as for graphic artists.

I am an author as well as entrepreneur and have long researched color combinations for presenting information and creating a recognizable corporate identity.

If you're one of those people who "know what you're looking for" but can't articulate it, this comprehensive guide has every major color combination you could possibly want, conveniently grouped by the "unique color proposition" (like USP, unique selling proposition), you're trying to convey. (If you already have a color scheme selected, you should check it out here to see whether it unwittingly conveys connotations you don't want associated with your company.)

If you're a graphic designer (I'm not), you can plunk this book down in front of a client with some suggestions and save both of you a lot of aggravation and miscommunication.

I've researched just about every "color guide" out there and have found this one by far the most helpful. It's simple and easy to use, practical without a lot of the questionable theorizing other authors on color seem to need to include.

Very practical
This is quite a practical book on how to express, how to talk with colours. You don't find cultural or history thoughts on it.
Nothing about Van Gogh, nothing about Mondrian.
But you can find ways to efective use colours in marketing or web interfaces, for instance.
It's more a book to look at than a book to read. It's pretty well illustrated, mainly with ads.

Excellent to use to help customers choose their color scheme
This book is packed with great color combinations catorgorized into color schemes by the emotional moods they generate. When I am working with clients in web design, I use this book to help them focus on the tone of their website or product. First, they choose from the many categories such as Classic, Strong, Energetic, Calm, etc., and from there they choose one or two of the perfectly matched color combinations for their basic website colors. It's a great visual tool!
Also included are some basics on color theory, setting moods with color, and some useful advice in choosing appropriate colors for different projects.
Well written, easy to read, and to the point, this book has become a favorite on my desk! ... Read more

Book Description

A complete revision of what is considered the classic introduction to color for all graphic designers and artists. This book provides a solid foundation for the development of personal color sense, and a practical examination of the myriad effects that can be achieved with color. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

principals of color design
good condition and very fast service

Good for newbies
I haven't got any formal art background and have found this book to be extremely useful. However, it may or may not get much higher - I can't tell since I'm a newbie, but I keep in mind my experience with some other books on other subjects: while I was a beginner I found them great; now I think they're just fine for beginners.

OUTdated
This is not the best book out there. The first section of the 5 section book goes into form and shape theory, which although useful in design, is just filler to give the book more pages. The color theory sections are fairly basic. I think there are better books out there, especially for the price.

the truth about this book
It explains very well the color principle and some design techniques. It is a good book for beginning graphic artists with no formal art background (those who never studied art/GD in school). There are 5 parts to this book. Part one establishes desing principles, part 2 examines common color principles related to the use of color pigments, part 3 helps the beginner develop systematic color thinking with the aid of excercises, part 4 introduces priciples and techniques for generating colors on the computer and part 5 presents color sets and guides for attaining color harmony.

Note, however, that this book is a bit outdated. It showed when trying to explain certain design techniques using old version Photoshop tool bar.

Fabulous!
I actually perchased this book two years ago in college for an art class and have used it in almost every assignment and project I have completed there after. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Squarely between art and science
Josef Albers was the Johannes Kepler of color. Kepler spent his life observing planetary motion, and distilling his observations down to simple laws of gravity. Change planets to color, and gravity to human vision, and you have Josef Albers. This book describes the gravitational laws of color. It has the whiff of simple perfection: you can't change one word without diminishing it. It is the bible of color interaction, and will remain so until an Isaac Newton comes along and explains these laws further.

In the rare book collection, I had a look at the first edition, from 1963. It's this enormous book with lots of colored paper and plates for you to experiment with. I really wish it were still in print... I'd buy it at once.

Interact without Color
How can someone put this title on a book and then exclude color examples? To really appreciate what Albers is trying to tell you, you must have examples to lay side-by-side and this paperback does not facilitate that. So I went to the public library to examine the hardback edition, all 20+ pounds of it. And guess what. The text is without examples. But there is a collection of colored paper appendicies that you can use to follow his examples. So buy the paperback and get a package of assorted colored paper and you may succeed in comprehending what Albers is trying to tell us.

He apparently spent his entire career thinking about this subject and he has insights that are very valuable. Unfortunately his writing style reminded me of a few philosophy classes I slept through in college. You have to work very hard to capture the flavor of all of his thinking and observations. If I am pesistent and frequently consume small portions, maybe in time I will feast on his experience.

Magnificent study of Colors
This is a book for everyone who like to dive into the wonderful world of colors. Josef revealed and explained almost all cases of color study. If you've read the books of Newton or Goethe. Josef will be the one of creating color theories and setting the pace for different art-form(s) in this 20th century. Bravo... it does show you what is the Presence of Absence.

helpful, but original Hardcover was better
Having experienced the original hardcover version, and having been given the task of going through the excersizes given in the book, the softcover version is useful, but not nearly as comprehensive and in depth as the original hardcopy.
Still a worthwhle read from a master theorist!
Better than a good read is to get a hold of a packet of Colored Paper and replicate some of the assignments in the book. Best way to learn.

Libro de ejercicios practicos
Para conocer la iteracción de los colores es imprescindible la práctica y una buena práctca es este libro; nos lleva mas allá de la teoría del color ubicandonos en la experimentación visual del color por el color mismo. Excelente para cualquier nivel de conocimiento. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Eyecandy of great inspirational and practical value.
This is the first volume of two, the second being 'The Designer's Guide To Global Color Combinations. I own both and I regard them as simply unmissable, because I use as well for recreative as practical purposes.

Each page offers a depiction of a work of art, which may be painting, illustration, texture, fabric. The main piece always has a short description (artist, origin, media) and a personal note by the author why the piece is so eyestriking.

All pieces are catalogued according to time and style, so you'll find art deco, popart, contemporary, ... styles but also 'bad' use of color.

However, this is NOT a book about color theory. The approach is subjective and you may find that your views differ with the author because the appreciation of coloruse is personal (which the author also underlines).

Never the less this is also an outstanding objective guide to historical color use during the centuries starting from the late 19th century till now.

For computer artists it also offers CMYK values, as well for the main piece, and variations on it.

If there would be one negative point, it's only that there is not a cd added with all the palettes, so you would not have to type in the values. And, for people operating mainly in RGB color space, as the book cover states: no RGB values. (you'll find these in the second volume, but for some strange reason they were not added in this first volume).

Despite this small point of criticism: this guide is a work of art unique in it's category. There is nothing that even comes close to the work of endurance the author has done, to offer the reader a practical and inspirational guide to color combining.

A guide you'll browse and browse again.

Amazing resource book...
I love this book, it makes my life so much easier coming up with color combinations that work. The best part is that it covers over a century's worth of color schemes, from dark earthy tones of the victorian period to the bright colors of today.

There are so many different color combinations to look at, each with a different variation as well. They're all in CMYK too, which makes it easier since I'm not familiar with the Pantone system a lot of books on color use.

The only drawback to this book is that it doesn't teach you how to create your own successful color schemes, so you'll need another book on color for that. This book tells you to look at the things around you for inspiration although it never tells you how to convert those colors to CMYK mode.

If you have a book or two on the science and practices of good color design, then you'll definately need this for a quick reference to some applied real world design.

If I'd ever lose it, I'd buy it again!
This book fulfilled every expectation I had prior to its arrival, that is - it's not a color theory book in any way. It has no color wheels, nor does it theorize about complementary colors and the like. It's a collection of suggested color combinations - usually combinations which I'd never think of. And that's where the real value is!
In the samples, you can easily notice which is the 'base' color and which colors 'match' in different situations. And each sample itself has some printed design-like feel, which makes it incredibly more usable than ordinary swatches in other books.
Just by flipping the pages I found (color) suggestions for the designs I'm working at.
Ah, and the book is also beautiful.
If you're looking for color inspiration rather than theory, add this one to your basket!

Practical Inspiration
Rather than just show color combinations in a vacuum, this book uses real examples from different design periods to demonstrate the use of color. Great as both a reference and inspiration. Also just plain nice to look at.

disapointing but still of value
the premise of this book is interesting in that it attempts to deconstruct the color content from various art pieces though the past century. I was really excited to recieve the book and was looking forward to reading it, but was disappointed.

Not all of the colors appearing in the piece shown were always represented. And I didn't think that the layouts redone with the chosen colors were creative or accurate in the reflection of the proportions of the pieces' color. In fact in more than one instance, I felt the most important accent color was left out of the breakdown all together. That made me mistrust the accuracy of the paletes presented that were based on other pieces for mthe same time period, but without showing the piece itself.

All in all, the book is interesting from a historical sense, and I will definitely derive some value from it, but i felt it was lacking in it's attention to detail. Unfortunately, because color is all about attention to detail, it's lack of it does undermine the book's intrinsic value. ... Read more

Book Description

This workbook is a practical, visual guide that takes the guesswork out of choosing and using color combinations. Colors and color schemes are matched to specific moods, to help you select the best color combination for any design project, whether graphic design, interior design, crafts, or fine art. Large, tear-out swatches of each color combination let you mix, match, and test different hues in your designs. An essential tool for all who design with colors.

Large, tear-out swatches

1400 color combination

Color conversion chart for process colors ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Book
I'm a web designer with and I use this book frequently to come up with various different color combinations for client websites. It's become a mandatory staple on my desk! If you need to learn about color, this is a excellent starting source.

Must have.
Excellent and professional book. All graphic designers working for computer or printing media or interrior designers must have it.

Best book on color, must-have for designers
This is the best book on color I have found. It is a must have for anyone who has ever been confused about matching colors and creating the right mood. Though I was already fairly confident working with color, this book helped me a great deal by letting me see a wide variety of color combinations together. It has been an invaluable reference tool in helping me decorate my home.

The book begins by discussing the color wheel. This includes the facets of color such as hot, cold, light, dark, pale, bright, warm and cool as well as a great explanation of all the different color schemes. It is divided into over 20 different themes including romantic, friendly, earthy, fresh, calm, traditional, professional, magical, classic, tropical and energetic. For each of these themes a set of color schemes including monochromatic, primary, complementary, split-complementary, analogous, spilt, clash and neutral is shown. Tear out swatches, clearly labeled with theme and color scheme on the back, duplicate what is shown in the book. A brief tips section for using the themes in graphic design, interiors and fine art is also given.

In the back of the book is a process color conversion chart that gives the CMYK values for each of the 106 colors used. Swatches are included for this as well. This is very useful for graphic designers.

This book and Color Harmony 2 are pretty much identical in content. However, this one is bigger and contains swatches, while the other contains a great CD with a pallet picker. The one with the CD may be more helpful to web designers and such, but this version is probably better for interior designers and artists using traditional media. If I had to select only one color book, this one or Color Harmony 2 would be my first choice.

Useful AND Fun
You will not regret buying this book! The color theory information is brief, to the point, and helpful. And then there are the swatches. Hundreds of tear out swatches of color combinations. I play with them over and over while choosing colors for designing. CMYK values are provided for all colors, making it easy to use them for digital work.

Excellent Book on Color
This is a great book on color harmony. The book shows lots of great examples on how to apply color to your projects. If you are in print or web design, you definitely need this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Consisting of eight stencil-like disks that can be placed over ltten's color wheel to compare cool and warm values, complementary colors, and different hues and intensities, this useful and innovative tool helps designers explore a myriad of harmonious color. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Just a set of wheels
Very disappointed by the "book", which actually consists of a set of wheels,
with a 4-page booklet which does not explain much. I returned the book.

The color star
The black cut outs aren't cut acurately. I'd like to return this item to you and exchange it. A group of us purchased it for a class and I DON'T KNOW the account number. So how do i get it back into the mail and maybe get one that has been cut acurately? Thank you

Study Itten Till You Drop
If you came to me for a job in graphic design and you told me you hadn't studied Itten, I wouldn't hire you. But I'm picky. Please understand who this man is, and understand his philosophy of color. His work is significant.

The Color Star
This an absolute must for all people who work with fibre, paint or just want to understand colour. The ultimate colour wheel. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

this book changed the way I look at color
I think every artist should read this book. it immediately changed the way I look at color. just ONE part of the book saved me a lot of headaches and explained a lot of the reason I was having so many problems working with color.

Practical advice on color usage
It is worthwhile to put the time and effort into learning color theory for any artist or artisan as a sound knowledge of the subject will increase his/her capabilities and give more satisfactory results. This book extensively covers not only the theory aspect but puts it into practice for the reader by giving specific projects to illustrate the point being discussed. It is chock full of photos of art on every page.

The history section on color is rather skimpy but it does provide some idea of how modern color theory and the color wheel came about. The rest of the book is broken up into subjects such as color characteristics, controlling color mixtures, palette color schemes, color contrasts, harmonizing light and shadow through color and unifiying color and design. Exploring color characteristics discusses some of the most common pigments and their classifications and properties (such as organics or inorganics, transparent or opaque, etc.). Palette color schemes discusses the many ways to organize a painting by color to convey a mood or feeling. One project gives instructions for painting a landscape using split primaries. Another compares the same scene painted using different color schemes (delicate colors, opaques only, intense only, earths only, etc.). Color contrast introduces projects for paintings that focus on temperature, another on intensities and still another on contrasting hues. The final two chapters discuss painting techniques such as glazing, painting on toned backgrounds, color in shadows, composition, the uses of line, shape, rhythm, repetition, balance, dominance and last but not least, color collage. Every point made is accompanied by photos of artwork illustrating it. Every subject discussed is acompanied with an "assignment" so the reader will have some way to actually practiced what was just covered. Exploring Color is a good addition to any artists library and covers the subject of color theory in a lively way that will inspire any artist/artisan to get back to work creating something with new understanding and vigor.

"Exploring Color" also clarifies it
This book clarifies the properties of color by first defining them, (transparancy, intensity and tinting strength,) and then creating working pallets based on this truly understandable information. It turned on a light for me, a watercolorist, as Nita Leland appears to be particulary interested in that medium. This book is available in our local library, but it is such a valuable resource, I chose to purchase it, as I functions as a reference book.

Superb!
Exploring Color is the kind of book you'll want to tuck under your pillow each and every night. Its pages brim with pure truth, its colors conjure up a million wonderful emotions, its exercises are taoistic in their learning power.

If ever you feel muddled, scanning all those tubes of paint, open up Exploring Color! Instantly, your world of color will pulse with a liveliness, and a confidence, that's simply astounding

Leland knows her stuff on color theory and paints
This book lived up to all my expectation ... Read more

Book Description

Reliable theory and practical solutions for every color-related design problem
Prepare to change the way you look at color. In Understanding Color, Second Edition, Linda Holtzschue shows you how to forge an alliance between your emotional, intuitive response to color and the theories that explain it. More importantly, she shows you how to use color more comfortably, creatively, and effectively than ever before.
Mastering basic color concepts through straightforward, easy-to-follow instruction, you'll learn how different light sources affect color rendition, how placement changes colors, how to avoid costly color mistakes, and how to resolve the typical color problems that confront design professionals. This Second Edition is full of powerful new features that reflect the latest issues in color and design, including:
* A new chapter on the challenges of designing with color on the computer
* Comprehensive coverage of color marketing issues
* Scores of new illustrations
* An important workbook section with exercises to reinforce color concepts
* Valuable tips for using color in the working environment
For students and professionals in graphic design, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and industrial and textile design, Understanding Color, Second Edition is an unparalleled source of authoritative information and practical solutions for virtually every color-related design problem you will encounter in your work. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Discovery
We used this book in college web design classes. Very useful for color design choices as to what color schemes work, and what dosn't work on a web page. You cant help but learn something from this book. You will be susprised as to what color combinations work well together. Two thumbs up!

OK....BUT....
One reviewer said it, aimed to graphic designers but can help web developers.
It is OK, the book is mostly examples of colors and text. Can be used as a reference book but I wouldn't say I learned anything new or gained anything from this book.

Really enjoyed the indepth resources within this volume
I have enjoyed reading this book and applying the different techniques on various Motion Graphic Video Productions. I highly recommend buying this book!

Greg Reyes / Producer / DVCreations.tv

Aimed at graphic designers, but still useful for web dev
This book starts off with a brief introduction to type, colour theory and factors which influence legibility. Then there is a rather large section with examples of different combinations of background and foreground hue, value and saturation, with comments about what works, and why. There are sections on both obeying and breaking basic typographical rules. Lots of well commented examples in the last section of the book. I liked this book. It has a nice layout, and insightful comments. The examples are good, but print-based. Still, as an introductory book to colour, type and legibility, it could prove useful to web developers as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Hideaki Chijiiwa has compiled this exciting guide for use by graphic designers, fashion and interior designers, artists - and indeed all who require to choose combinations of colors for creative effect. While the central section (pages 44 to 121) consists of a very extensive range of different color combinations to make choices from, Co/or Harmony is in fact very much more than this.The delightful presentation from page 1 on provides a subtle introduction to color theory right through to the very useful color cards of all the basic colors used for the guide.

In The Living Palette we look at some of the uses and emotions associated with eight familiar colors: red, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black and white.The Color Guide divides colors into six broad categories: warm, cool, light, dark, vivid and dull.Each category is illustrated with a color photograph.The photographs and color combinations in the Color Schemes section will show you how to create a color scheme that's striking, tranquil, exciting, natural, warm, cold, young, feminine or surprising.The 1,662 color combinations in the Color Combinations section are for two, three or four of the 61 basic colors of the guide, selected and arranged in order to convey a specific impression, or bring to mind a certain emotion. Each color combination is effectively arranged in a fan shape - the dominant color always on the right, subordinate colors on the left.In the Practical Applications section, some of the applications for color combinations in art, industry and daily life are illustrated.Twelve useful guidelines for selecting your own color combinations are illustrated in the Choosing Color section.Hideaki Chijiwa's Color Harmony also includes a Color Conversion Chart for the 61 basic colors into percentages of four-color process inks that lets you simulate the colors with four-color printing.Finally, a full range of color cards for the 61 basic colors can be used with the gray and black masks on the book jacket flaps, or cut out and used separately. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Handy little book on color
This little book is packed with color schemes suiting a multitude of applications. Whether you are a textile designer, graphic artist, 3-d animator, any kind of visual artist, "Color Harmony" opens up a world of color. I find this very helpful when I need a fresh approach & am pressed for time. The text offers a keen insight into how color really works! A simple, handy little book suited for anyone working with color.

Compact, practical, useful
I am currently studying color theory and composition. In my opinion the text part of the book give only very basics of the color theory. However, it is really easy to learn from it because of compact and in the same time just relevant information.

This book gives an insight in (1) emotional impact of colors and their combinations; (2) suggests the recommended applications; (3) tells about colors' usage in different cultures and (4) provides samples and color combination guide.

The samples and color combination guide is the best part of the book! The main thing is that you can apply ready samples and color combinations directly in your design.

For the summary I would emphasize again that it is very handy for practical applications but dose not give considerable theoretical base. It is more than worth the money.

Excellent Book for a person working on Colors
I am using this book since 1992 and have increased my senses of Color combinations and their applications every where I desire. Mainly I am using for designing beautiful motifs for Ladies printed garments. As well as I have used it for designing the reports for my submissions in the textile institute. Well done Hideaki Chijiiwa.

Abdul Majid

Hot! Hot! Hot! Every new page designer should have a copy
This guide to createive color combinations is a must have for students and new designers. Information on what the colors mean (what feelings they give), color schemes, color combinations, color applications, color conversion, choosing colors, it's all there! A must have for designers! Worth every penny. ... Read more

Book Description

Following up on the popular Designer's Guide to Color Combinations, this book is certain to be an endless source of ideas and instruction for designers, illustrators and creative professionals in all fields. It features original designs from various regions around the world and examines their use of type and color. From Africa and Asia to Europe and the Middle East, readers will find dozens of fascinating pieces on display. Each design is carefully analyzed to show how and why it works.The author also makes recommendations about which colors should be used for type, border, background, etc.These suggestions, along with exact CMYK and RGB percentages for each design, will save designers much valuable time should they choose to incorporate the featured color combinations into their own work--a huge benefit for this audience. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

An Indispensable, Entertaining Aid to All Artists
In this companion volume to THE DESIGNER'S GUIDE TO COLOR COMBINATIONS, author/editor Leslie Cabarga has outdone himself; yet, the book is so spectacularly beautiful, witty and fun, that the reader may not initially comprehend just what an colossally ambitious work it is. Cabarga spent 19 months traveling the globe collecting color swatches from an enormous "database" of human tribes, countries and civilizations; rarely fine art, mind you, but the work of craftsmen and women plying their native trades... Cabarga winnowed down his collection to a few which might most closely represent the "inner colors" of a particular nation or people...
It's worth buying this book alone just to study the deep, soulful, mysterious green the Pakistanis cherish. Those already familiar with Cabarga's democratic and catholic (and witty) color eye know that he sees as much charm in a cheap, tacky Chinese toy label as he does beauty in a shimmering, transcendant Tibetan religious painting. Mr. Cabarga has reached that deliciously opportune time in his life and career in which he both thoroughly knows the history of the Old-Old-Old School... yet he is as bleeding-edge Hip-- or Hipper-- than anyone reading the book. (One is tempted to draw a comparison to a Leonard Bernstein and his Young People's Concerts.) Mr. Cabarga is every bit the graphic art genius that R.Crumb is-- but with a more humane and loving pen-- and this book solidifies him as one of our national treasures. Artists of every stripe will benefit from the text and color swatches within this book.

Eyecandy of great inspirational and practical value.
This is the second volume, following The Designer's Guide To Color Combination. I own both and regularly browse them, just for pleasure or for practical use.

For artists, designers and the general public interested in color combinations, this marvellous book offers a cross cultural approach to the use of color. Each page depicts an artists piece, which may be paintings, illustration or fabric, with a small description and why the color use is interesting. The main colors in the piece are then broken down into CMYK and RGB values. (For non computer artists: this means the values you have to type in graphic software to get the colors depicted).

And if all this is not enough, there is also a second example on each page with a variation on the palette of the main piece, but with the main colors structured in a different way, which may give another mood.

Add to each page, even more creatieve variations on the main piece, and you get an enormous amount of color combinations.

However, this book will not teach you color theory. The author takes a intuitive subjective approach which does not go any further than 'this is eye catching'. But when you are from the school 'I don't mind about the theory, just show me the pictures', this book is simply the best you can get.

If there is one negative thing I could say about this book: because the RGB and CMYK values are given for each piece it would be even more practical for computer users to add a cd, so they could straight away add all the palettes as files to their graphic software.

Apart from this: this is book which you'll browse and browse again.

Keeps getting better
As a big fan of Leslie Cabarga's first book on color combinations, I found this one even better. Not only are the combinaitons vibrant and interesting as well as quite practical , the colors are now shown in both RGB and CMYK formulas. Those of us who work in the world of computer colors, especially the Internet where values are expressed as 6-digit hexadecimal numbers divided into RGB, this addition was quite helpful.

Cabarga's running commentary is clearly uncensored, and you can tell what the author has on his mind regarding the different examples of color combinaitons. The introduction to the book is a good cultural primer on colors from different places, most of which the author traveled to gather examples of interesting color combinaitons.

Like the first book, this one has many lessons not only in color combinations but in color arrangement. By juxtaposing the same color combinaitons in different arrangements, the reader can quickly see what appear to be different combinations but in fact are just different arrangements of the same combinations.

Finally, the best thing about this book is that it makes it easy for me to copy a color combination I like. I don't spend hours or even days agonizing over color combinations. I just go through ths book (or Cabarga's first one) and pick a combination I like and then I use it. It saves me time, it looks good, and I've got enough to do.

I can't imagine anyone looking for a good book on using color going wrong with this gem.

A Great Time-Waster (I Mean That in the Best Way)
A practical book, a beautiful book and a wonderful resource. Even if you have no need for a graphic design book, this would make a great coffee table book to impress your friends. For the graphic designer, fresh color combinations can (and have for me) changed the direction of an entire project. I work with small business clients in a wide range of businesses and have found this book invaluable for starting new projects, establishing an identity or finding a few neat color combos for a flyer. This book is worth the money!

Global Color
This book looks beautiful and does have many color combinations to inspire. I was disappointed by the lack of information on the background of why the countries covered would favor the colors they do. Also, Canada was not covered and sarcasm written about their tardy submission-so all Canadians should suffer because of this? The book would be useful if you have a number of color references already as this uses a different approach. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent book
This book teaches correct color theory and gives a great deal of useful information. The scientific explanation of cyan, magent, and yellow being the primary colors is very convincing and makes a lot of sense. There's a lot of practical information in this book. I don't know if there are any better color theory books, but at least this book is a good one and not a waste of money like Quiller's book, "Color Choices."

It is what is says
This book says it is color theory made easy. It is and the authors views on the way we view color were surprising and very interesting to me. The explanations are clear and he is not afraid to make definite recommendations. I now have a clear understanding of the potentials in blending colors. This book gave me a lot of confidence going forward. So.........here I go!

Unbelievable!
As strange as it may sound, the system laid out in this book actually won me top prize at a really nice art show- something I never dreamed possible- BEFORE I EVER READ THIS BOOK!

I had purchased three colors on my way to a free hotel night with my family, and they just HAPPENED to be the three colors Jim says are the true primaries (cyan, magenta, permanent lemon). It was a total coincidence that I chose those three to purchase on my way there with a piece of paper and cheap brush. Those were the only colors I had with me.

I found the principles to be completely true through my experimentation. All of this quite by accident!

I just found this book recently and was shocked to find out why I enjoyed using these primary colors so much and why my paintings suddenly took on new life! Jim even breaks down a few colors by brand to let you know which are closest to pure primaries. There are excellent photos of examples of how to use the colors as well and compliment the "new" primary scheme with the other paint colors as well.

The principles in this book really work! My top prize in the art show can attest to that.

Excellent book on color for the serious artist
The book is clearly written with many full color examples of color theory application. It is written for the artist who whats to understand the practical side of color theory. The information presented in this book is directly applicable to solving color problems. Mr. Ames focuses on the thre primary colors and how to mix other colors from them. ... Read more

Book Description

Today graphic design is done almost exclusively on screen, where colors look different than when they are printed. To help designers and the people who work with them address this critical disparity, authors Michael and Pat Rogondino have completely revised and expanded their standard manual, Computer Color (0-87701-739-5). A boon for all designers, production people, artists, and printers, Process Color Manual provides an astounding 24,000 colors that match from computer display to printed page. The standard-issue Pantone color books, by comparison, can cost as much as $175 and offer only 3000 colors!

Also included with the book is a handy cardboard mask, white on one side and black on the other, that allows the user to isolate a specific block of color. This sturdy color guide partly came about due to demand from the people who have sworn by the previous edition: Chronicle Books designers. For accuracy, accessability, value, and sheer volume, Process Color Manual is indispensible to everyone who works with graphics and colors. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Indispensable (and affordable, too)
I lost this book due to our recent earthquake, and here I am ordering it again already. This manual is really indispensable in specifying process builds and is an unbelievable bargain for what it offers. It's more accurate than the 1999 Pantone Process book and is way more accurate than relying on a software's spot-to-process conversions. Don't guess or hope -- use this book and get the color you want!

Not as useful as I hoped
The book provides a lot of colors, ya! For a more useful tool, choose a book featuring color combinations. Try "Color Index" by Jim Krause.

Process Color Manual, 24,000 CMYK Combinations for Design, P
This book has no color theory whatsoever. What a waste of money!

Toss out your pantone process book
Wow. I am rarely impressed with books on color. However, this book is fantastic. The entire book is composed of blocks of color with the cooresponding CMYK values. I have found printed color reproduction of these values much more accurate than using the Pantone Process Guide. In the past, I have had consistent color matching troubles using low end-quick turn around 4 color postcard printers. They do not do Pantone Matching on these print runs - so you have to cross your fingers and pray the printed colors are within a few levels of the Process Pantone Color you plugged in. I have had much better results with these types of print runs using the CMYK values from this book. This is a book that sits on my desk within arms reach. A must have for all print designers.

Confusing!
The color combinations are very comprehensive. However, I found the methodology used in organizing the color grids extremely confusing, and not very practical. I purchased this book to replace a well-used process color manual given to me by a printer 15 years ago. I'm disappointed, as I had high hopes from the description. ... Read more

Book Description

Bright Colors create a vibrant atmosphere of energy and fun. This wonderful new tool is created for designers, artists, and anyone presented with the challenge of selecting the perfect color scheme for a project. Focusing on the bright-tone color palette, each chapter presents a range of 72 bright color schemes, each unique and reflective of a vibrant mood. Whether your color scheme needs to be Sunny, Invigorating, Playful, or Exuberant, this is the book that will provide you with the color inspiration you need.

--More than 700 bright color schemes.

--Color schemes matched to specific moods provide creative inspiration for any range of color projects.

--Evocative four-color photographs illustrate moods and color schemes.

--A color conversion chart is included to provide easy and accurate color matching. ... Read more

Book Description

The Complete Color Harmony is the newest book in Rockport Publishers? best-selling series including, Color Harmony and Color Harmony 2. This book expands upon the two previous editions for the most comprehensive color reference to date. Along with some basic color theory, the book provides hundreds of one, two, and three-color combinations selected to reflect a range of moods and adjectives.

This edition includes information on creating special effects using metallic and fluorescent color palettes, as well as an entirely new section devoted to the psychology of color. In What?s Your Color, authors Tina Sutton and Bride M. Whelan help readers determine their best colors and suggests why some colors may inspire their creativity while others don?t.

The book also includes two new color palette sections reflecting black and white as the color base, along with an expanded and updated Color Trends section that discusses not only trends and how they are predicted but gives advice on how to be a trend spotter. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Book, Who stole my Blue?
I really like this book. The author created a standard color grid, red on the right, blue on the left, all the others in between, dark on the bottom, light on the top, except he used 3 color "patterns" rather than a single color in each box. Then he "inputted into our computer 180 image words that relate to the ways in which people percieve color, and also data on which words were associated with which colors." What his method is isn't expounded on

They linked the images to the words, and voila, you get sort of bubbly outline areas on the grid - these color combinations are elegant, these colors are fun, these colors are feminine or masculine, etc.

Since this book was first published in Japan in 1990, there are bound to be cultural discrepancies, and since this book is about the psychology of color, the 'conclusions' can be contested, though on the whole i think they're accurate.

My criticism stems from the fact that Blue in my book is missing. There's a page for "Red" and a page for "Yellow" and on, but no page for "Blue." There's a "Cerulean Blue" which is sort of turqoisy, and a "Light Blue" which looks like a darker Cerulean blue, and an "Ultramarine" which is closer to blue, but with a bit of violet in it. Who stole my blue?

A lot of the colors seem to have gone through a bad printing process as well, making me question whether or not I'm seeing the actual values. Ultramarine, for example, if you look closely (not that close, it's fairly obvious) is made up of lots of other colors. Am I supposed to hold it at arm's length to get an idea of what the color is?

Perhaps it was a bad printing.

Psychology of Color Preferences
This book allows the designer/artist to personalize color choices for each client in a nontraditional way. By choosing "favorite words" a quick sketch of someone's preferences can easily be obtained. The book is simple to use, and allows clients to easily visualize what type of colors they prefer. I have used it in a multitude of design situations: painting and interior design, clothing design and sewing, and quilting. I have never been a fan of the conventional "color wheel," and I use this book as a reference and illustrative source when working with clients -- almost all of whom are amazed at the effect different color combinations can have on their everyday lives.

Fantastic for web design
This book provides an elaborate color theory that makes the color wheel look like stupid hippy frisbee. Colors are arranged in groups of three, and then grouped based on their overall feeling- it sounds preposterous, but you really will be attracted to certain regions more than others, and so will everyone else you show the book to.

The three color arrangements are particularly nice for Web page design, even though the CMYK nor RGB values are given. But this is forgivable, since this book was not intended for that purpose.

An excellent resource for anyone working with color, and a great tool for any web designer.

best guide to color in universe
Have you ever wondered what color to use with another? This guide book shows - in very easy terms - a range of possible combinations using one particular color and shade as a starting point. For anyone who cares about color, this book is a MUST! I wish the author would publish a more extensive guide. No other book matches this wonderful little guidebook.

excellent book for understanding the psychology of colour
As a graphic designer it is important to establish colour boundaries objectively. This book adds to the process significantly. Over time it adds a dimension to the consultative process of design giving weight to yourself as a professional who can find unique solutions to the business environment. ... Read more

Book Description

Choosing the right color palette can create a world of meaning for any on-line project. Color Harmonyfor the Web is a wonderful tool created for Web designers and desktop publishers. It provides you with the building blocks to ensure that you make the most effective color choices for every Web project-every time. This handy reference offers hundreds of color combinations organized by style andmood, and is all you need to help you wade through the thousands of color schemes available within the range of Web safe colors. Color Harmony for the Web provides you with the inspiration and know-how to make you Web colors sing.

* More than 800 unique color schemes, including RGB and Hex codes.

* Color palettes matched to specific moods provide creative inspiration for any range of web design projects.

* Evocative examples of real-life websites illustrate moods and effective color schemes.

* A color conversion chart allows for easy and accurate color matching. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Dissapointing!
Can you imagine? This is a book about colors of the web and it has mistakes about it! The book shows green while the correct color should be pink, etc. Yes, there's a page whose the correction... but do I have to see the revised page every time I want to mix colors???? What a wasting time! :(

For the Hard Core
Screw the mistakes..There's a perfectly good errata addemum you can reference. This book is for the web design obsessed. It's open on my desk 90% of the time I work on a site. It's simple direct and primarily a reference book. The chapter intro's are short, well written and informational. I'm pretty savy with design but I could never come up up with these great combinations. I love this book..

Not very useful
I expected a book full of web examples to learn about color at internet. But all I found is some few examples of webs and loads of color combinations that are not very useful for me.

Do not buy this book...
The book is fantastic, in fact I got it at Borders recently but discovered it was the first printing with all the wrong colors. I returned it, then came to Amazon figuring they would have the latest edition. They don't. I ordered it here and just got it today, it is the first edition with the little supplement color correction sheet. It is too cumbersome to cross reference the colors and if I am paying for a book, I should not be expected to do that. So, very disappointed. Great book...but Amazon should have the newer version that is supposedly out there I feel.

This one needs a minus rating!!
The author published corrections on the web site, but they are too numerous to make the book worthwhile. As you flip through the pages and think you've found a color combination, you then have to compare it against the error list... what a pain - the errors have made the book worthless for what the stated intent was. If you simply want to be able to look at three colors next to each other to see what you might like, it does that. Try then to use the RGB scale for the corresponding numbers, and that's when the 'fun' begins of uncovering error after error!! ... Read more