BTA-colours



The Color Wheel
Wherever there’s light, there’s color. White light contains all visible colors, which form an infinite spectrum that appears in the red-to-violent sequence, like the rainbow. The color wheel //represents// this infinite spectrum with 12 basic hues.

Hues
These 12 hues consist of primary, secondary and tertiary colors. The three primary colors of //blue//, //yellow// and //red// combine to make secondary colors; which combine to make tertiary colors. Constructed in an orderly progression, the color wheel is the range of visible light—represented by the 12 basic hues—formed into circle. It enables the user to visualize the sequence of color balance and harmony. The **12 basic hues** are: Red, Red Orange, Orange, Yellow Orange, Yellow, Yellow Green, Green, Blue Green, Blue, Blue Violet, Violet, Red Violet.

Color Value
Each hue is at a level of //full// saturation, or brightness. There is no black or white added. When the relative amount of white or black is //added//to a hue, the color has lightness and darkness, called //value//. To show value, the color wheel has more rings: two outter for dark //shades// and two inner for light //tints//.

Color Schemes
No color stands alone. A color is always seen in the context of other colors. In fact, the effect of a color is determined by the light reflected from it, the colors that surround it; or the perspective of the person looking at it. No one color is “good” or “bad”. Rather, it’s one part of a composition that //as a whole// is pleasing or not. There are six basic color schemes.
 * Monochromatic:** This palette has the dark, medium and light values of a //single// color. It has no color depth, but it provides the contrast of dark, medium and light that’s important to good design.
 * Analogous:** These are //adjacent// colors. They share strong undertones which create pleasing, //low-contrast// harmony. Analogous palettes are rich and always easy to work with.
 * Complement:** These are colors //directly opposite// of each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors are contrasting, convey energy, vigor and excitement.
 * Split Complement:** These are colors //one step either way// of the complement’s own analogous colors. It’s strength is in the low-contrast beauty of analogous colors, plus the added //accent// of an opposite color.
 * Primary:** The primary colors are often seen in children’s products.
 * Secondary:** Secondary colors have a lot in common so they harmonize easily.

The 4-Step Process to Find the Perfect Colors
Color not only adds impact and dimension, it contributes significantly to the legibility, helps organization, evokes the feeling and personality of a web page or print page. Here are the 4-step process to find the perfect colors for your design:
 * **Step 1:** Clearly define the //results// you want to achieve with color.
 * **Step 2:** Select a main, //key// color that reflects the needs of the project.
 * **Step 3:** Select a color scheme based on the key color (hue).
 * **Step 4:** //Experiment and refine// the scheme’s color choices in terms of the project requirements.