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Pick a Peck of Palettes …As the author ponders a considerable number of color palettes. You can use some or any of these on your Web site right from "the box." Or you can use them as a starting point for developing your own custom palettes. A quick lesson in location, location, location Let's see, where were we? As I mentioned in one of my previous color articles, the way you perceive color depends a lot on adjacent colors. Take this quick test to see what I mean. Figure 1 shows a variety of color boxes that contain a
variety of gray-colored boxes nested inside. Which shade of gray is the darkest? Which shade of gray is the lightest? Don't think about this too hard, just make your decision and jot it down. If yours are like most eyeballs, you probably perceived the darkest gray to be in either the green or the yellow box and the lightest gray to be in the blue box. Your eyes are deceiving you. You are a victim of an optical illusion. The cruel hoax is that the three gray boxes in the red box are the
same three gray boxes in the orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple boxes. The only difference in the grays is the "perceived" difference created by the location of an adjacent color. Which leads us quite naturally to today's first Instant Tip. TIP: To quickly change the overall effect of your Web site, change the background color.
If you are struggling to make your Web site colors work and feel there is just something wrong, but you don't know exactly what it is, try a new background color. Or try a variety of new background colors. It's the fastest way I know to quickly change the whole effect of the site without getting bogged down in endless niggling color changes. Be bold. Make a big change. You might just surprise yourself and like what
you've created. Until recently, it has been necessary to use Web-safe colors in the development of a Web site. That was because not all browsers would show color in exactly the same way and colors selected on a PC would look vastly different when viewed on a Mac.
But recent technology makes that particular problem obsolete. But is it really? Yes, and no. Yes, most computers now can show you at least 16,000 colors—really more like 16 million. This means non-Web-safe colors won't dither (show lots of little dots) as they used to. But colors can vary greatly from computer to computer, and monitor to monitor. I note from personal experience that my new computer "sees" color very differently from my old one
and that both of those computers showed color yet again in a different light than my husband's laptop. Web-safe colors still may display more accurately on more computers than non-Web-safe colors. So that's why I am going to make the case for using Web-safe colors. Call me reactionary, but I just want to be as sure as possible that the colors I use on my Web site appear the same to everybody. Look: There are enough problems with Web site technology. Why borrow trouble? A system called Ready Made Color Now, it's time to take a look at a few ready-made color palettes. As you consider them, remember everything we discussed about color perception and color connotations, and, especially remember, color sometimes arouses strong opinions. Here we go. Be veddy, veddy formal Some Web sites need to be formal. Others more casual. You probably know the feeling you want to create on your site. Here are two color palettes for each. Note that "Sand" uses light and unexpected colors to create a nice sporty almost khaki look and we tend to associate this look with our favorite un-ironed casualwear. And "Baby" makes use of pastels somewhat traditionally, but with a nice twist in the addition of the pale yellow and green. And, you can change the background from blue to pink to indicate a girl. It's casual because it is easy, uncomplicated, and pleasing. For formal colors I have selected a gray palette for "TelCom" and the standard businessman's rep tie colors for "BigBiz." When aiming for a formal look, it is wise to err on the side of familiarity and conservatism. These rather expected color combinations will raise few hackles. And when hackles are at
rest, so, too, the mindset of the viewer, thus creating a formal effect. Are you Mondrian-ish or Rembrandt-esque? Which is to ask: Are you modern or traditional? Andy Warhol said modern was a very un-modern word. Yet, today, modern has become modern once again, if you get my drift.
And traditional implies a liking for old values and virtues. Let's see if colors can help connote either one. The colors for "24/7" derive from nighttime. In the darkness, while you sleep, technical support staff toil away in obscurity. Not without, however, their colorful clothing,
snappy attitudes, and driving intensity — all of which are symbolized by the bright and intense red, green, and purple hues. Once again, Frank Lloyd Wright-ian red looks right. In "Wright" it is made more modern with the addition of gray, gold, and khaki. FLW was such a nut for "Cherokee red" that he had all of his cars painted in that hue. Not to mention the floors, seats, carpets, and draperies in many of his designs. It works. It's been in, out, and in style again and again and
certainly will be again and again, reborn modern each and every time. Now, of course, one of our most accustomed traditional color combinations here in the United States is found in our own flag. Yet, in this variation as seen in "July," it looks crisp and clean and, well, traditional. I am not sure people of other
nations would agree, so you might find a cultural bias in this choice. But consider its popularity in nautical wear and accessories across national border lines and it does, indeed, look very traditional. Another traditional use of color is used in "Jardin." What could be more expected than grass green and yellow and purple and orange flower colors for a garden? And the expected tends to be the traditional color choice. Warm and cozy or cool as a cuke Warm and cool colors are easy to do. They are a snap. Yet warm and cool people might or might not get along. People tend to one end or the other of the visual spectrum when it comes to the colors they feel most inclined toward. So judge for yourself the usefulness of these two palettes. "Warm" is less warm than "Hot," as you can see. The "Hot" palette is so strong that it's best used for very special sites that have the freedom to allow for such powerful colors. And something about "Hot" looks dated, but then again, dated can look hip when rediscovered by this season's fashion mavens. And I think the '50s are in again. "Warm" is more accessible
and friendly and sunny and not too hard on the rods and cones.
With the simple addition of lots of white, hot colors become cool and breezy. It's psychological, I think. The mind "feels" light and unencumbered and transparent. Transparency connotes light cotton. And that says cool. If this sounds idiotic, try some free association on a friend and see what she says when you say "cool!" Serious doesn't have to be stodgy; fun doesn't have to be frivolous Serious and fun colors can be both fun and serious. That is, a serious color combination can be fun. And a fun color combination can be taken seriously.
There is nothing more serious than brown. Studious, even. As in your math professor. A nice, solid brown corduroy with
two khakis for sincerity and a muted teal for "frivolity." Right? And as for serious, nothing beats gray flannel with its attendant deeper shade of gray and light blue. Here it's updated with a bit of khaki. But not too much, right? When it comes to color, fun means business. Be creative. Be
zany. Put up colors that make you laugh. Like cartoon colors. Japanese fashion colors. Kid colors. And you can't go far wrong. FunOne is sunny and carefree. A little edgy and punchy like confetti on lemon pie — in the eye! Like my old '60 s Carnaby Street yellow slicker. Not that I wore it, mind you. FunToo reminds me of Lucy shows, '50 s kitchenettes, and poodle skirts. You just cannot be too serious about it. Punchy pink, raspberry cream sundaes, toenail polish. You just gotta
jump, it's so energetic. Well that's it; a peck of palettes. Now it's your turn. Go ahead. Give it a try. The more you experiment with color, the more you learn. And it's somewhat addicting. And use these palettes as you choose; as inspiration or as is. Have fun! TIP: Have fun with color. Experiment and learn. About the author
Illustrations by Kris Wiltse - "Cottage Still Life" for
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