OUGD404 - Colour

Through this module, a number of design principles were learnt in terms of the use of colour within Graphic Design. One of these was the difference between CMYK and RGB colour values.

CMYK is a subtractive colour model used within colour printing. This refers to the four different inks used in this model of printing - cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The ‘K’ stands for ‘key’ in that the cyan, magenta and yellow printing plates are aligned with the black key plate. This colour model works by masking colours on a lighter background - ordinarily white - which is what makes the process subtractive, in that the inks reduce brightness from the white.

The RGB colour model, on the other hand, is an addictive model of colour whereby red, green and blue light are added together in numerous ways to reproduce a wide range of colours. RGB refers to the initials of the three primary colours used in this model - red, blue and green. It’s main purpose and function is for representing and displaying images within electronic systems, for example computers and televisions.

This principle has allowed for the appropriate use of colour within personal design work. For instance, this allowed the pantone publications to be printed appropriately using CMYK colour values since this is a piece of printed material rather than solely for the
use on screen.

Research into the attitudes of various designers and creatives on the topic of colour also allowed extra consideration of this element in personal design work. For instance, Johannes Itten’s colour theory presented the effects of different colour contrasts on design. One of these is a simultaneous contrast, which is formed when the boundaries between colours perceptually vibrate which can cause an after-image effect. Through the production of the pantone publication and other pieces of design work, this had to be considered to ensure the design was not compromised by any of these effects.
German-American artist, Josef Albers also presented this effect within his creative practice. His series ‘Homage to the Square’ explored chromatic interactions of colour enclosed within squares. Albers’ choice of colours were aimed to cause interaction. In using a symmetrical order of squares, these separate and interact in various ways. This interaction of colour was explored in the production of the pantone publication through using colour swatches taken from a scene of Leeds and placed in a square format to see the effects this produced.

The first element in producing this publication was photographing the scenes of Leeds. Colour swatches were taken from these to gain a sense of colour within the image. These colour swatches were likened to the Pantone colour matching system. This system uses standardised colours which industries and manufacturers can refer to to help with the accurate identification of colour. These Pantone colours are distinguishable by its number and suffix. The number stands for the colour itself, whilst the suffix represents the media or stock type which will affect how the ink is formulated to produce a specific colour. Through the use of these swatches and the colour picker tool, this allowed consistency within own design work, such as elements of the pantone publication and Penguin book cover designs.

Yves Klein was another designer whose use of colour was learnt about and considered. International Klein Blue (IKB) is a deep blue hue mixed and produced by Klein in 1960. Klein Blue comes from the matte, synthetic resin binder of the colour Ultramarine, known as polyvinyl acetate, in which the colour is suspended. This allows the pigment to maintain its original brightness and intensity of colour.

Through new knowledge of these design principles and the attitudes of various designers, colour was also more carefully considered in the production of three Penguin book covers. The colour scheme of off-white and a pale blue both have symbolic meanings which were used to represent the themes conveyed in the chosen books. For example, white is associated with light, goodness and purity. Blue is often associated with similar meanings, such as wisdom, intelligence and faith, all of which have links to philosophy and beliefs in a higher deity that are present in the chosen books.