Color Chart

This is just a quick post about a great little online application ive found… What it does is it lets you see your website, or any other website for that matter through the eyes of somebody suffering from color blindness. I found this really interesting because my father always suffered with color blindness and although he tried to explain to me the difference of what he sees and what I see like a gzillion times I never really grasped it…  Go to the following site and enter your url at the top… I think you will be suprised at what a difference it makes

http://www.colorblindme.com

Tags: color, color blind, color blindness.

When it comes to redecorating a room in your home or business, choosing Colors for paint can be very challenging. Whilst its true that there are so many different choices out there you are bound to find the perfect one, you may feel that you have no idea where to begin!

The following tips and insights are designed to give you more ideas into the paint color choices you make and how color might effect the room you are decorating. If you are choosing interior paint colors, exterior paint colors, house paint colors or even paint color combinations, Something in this colors for paint article will help you decide.

So lets begin.

The first lesson when choosing color for paint is to be patient. Its a great idea to collect paint color codes and paint color swatches when you first begin planning a room, but be careful not to make any final choices or paint decisions until you have developed an overall paint color scheme. Paint is available in an infinite array of beautiful paint colors and is the most versatile element of your rooms decoration,paint color is the easiest to change, and certainly the least expensive. Get ideas but do not make any final decision until after rugs, fabrics and any accessories are finalized.

Coordinate paint color palettes
When you are ready to go shopping, you willl need to reference your fabric, carpet, tile, wallpaper, and trim samples on a regular basis. Take everything with you wherever you go. You never know where you might see something wonderful that you just have to have.

Really Study the Paint Colors
You will find insights about the underlying tones of different shades of a paint color on a full sample paint color strip of coordinated paint colors. Even if you are not considering using a darker tone, look at all the paint colors carefully. Decide if the family of paint colors is the direction you want to go with your color selection.
Tried and Tested Formula for paint colors.
If you are going to be working with a printed fabric, you will most likely be satisfied if you choose the coordinating wall paint color from the background of the print on your fabric. Use the deeper or brighter tones from your fabric as accents throughout the room you are painting and adjacent spaces. 

Paint Trim it Out
Most often you will select white or just off-white for moldings, doors, and windows. If you are feeling very brave, why not consider a pale shade of paint color to coordinate with the paint color on your walls, Or, for a very striking look, try painting walls a lighter color and then use dark paint tones or bright paint color for trim.

Choosing the Paint Finish for the Job
Always consider which paint color finish might be best for your project. Matte paint or flat paint finishes hide wall imperfections very well, but gloss paint finishes will reflect more light within your room and surrounding spaces.

Warm paint or Cool Paint?
Paint colors are often referred to as “a warm paint color” or a “cool paint color” Oranges, reds, and pinks are considered “warm” paint colors, while blues, greens, or violet often also thought of as cool paint colors. Knowing the theory behind any paint color can help you select the right tone for the feel in your room you are trying to achieve.

White is Not Always White, and there is no such thing as bright white
Looking and finding the perfect white paint can be a huge challenge. Beiges and off-whites have a very subtle color tone to them, so compare paint swatches with your fabrics and flooring to determine if a warmer pinkish white paint color or a yellow-toned white paint color — or perhaps a cooler, bluer white paint color — is the best choice for your room.

Keep Paint Notes as You Shop
It is a good idea to keep a note on the back of your paint color cards, tell yourself the name of the paint store where you found it, and also the paint color brand if this information is not already there. Since most paint stores carry more than one brand of paint color, you may discover the perfect color, and then find you can not remember where you saw it!
Shed a little light on your paint color
By far best method to get a true perception of a paint color is to look at it in as many different light environments as you can find. Take the paint swatch outside to see the paint color in a natural light. Look at in under incandescent and fluorescent lighting. Better yet, take the paint color swatch to the room in which it will live and look at it there.

Measuring your paint requirement.
Remember to always take the measurements of your room with you to the paint store. The “professional” at the store will be able to help you purchase the correct amount of paint for your job. Dont forget your primer and trim paints.

Ask a question, Paint a picture.
If you are looking for helpful color for paint advice, have a look online and visit your local paint store. Explain to the paint “professional” about your project and your ideas for decorating your room. Ask them which paint color products they would recommend, and why they would recommend them. Ask for information on specialty paints such as low-odor, stain-killing primers, chalkboard paint, washable paint, etc, never be afraid to ask – its what they are there for.

Custom paint color matching
If you are looking for a perfect match or trying to find a truly unique color (there are still millions of undiscovered colors), most speciality paint stores offer custom paint color mixing. Its possible to bring in a fabric swatch, paint color swatch, or other color reference, and get a paint color created which is a perfect match.

Ceiling paint color
Usually light colors are most pleasing for a ceiling, because most ceilings are seen in shadow a dark color may make your room feel smaller and less inviting. If you would like the ceiling paint to match the wall color, select a paint color which is one or two shades lighter than the wall. Or, you can dilute your wall color with white paint.

Try it on for Size
When you think your decided on your perfect color, buy a small quantity of the paint to do a test patch. It will be excellent insurance for a small outlay. Paint a 12-48inch square on your wall or on a board. Look at it during all periods of the day, morning, evening, and night to see how it looks in the different lights. How does it look with the rooms other elements, the flooring, the wallcoverings, and fabric choices.

See the Plane
For the best paint color representation, view your paint samples vertically and view carpet or flooring samples set flat on the floor (ideally in the room you are decorating.

Watch paint dry
Wet paint colors always look different from when paint is dry. Dont take any notice when you first see any paint applied to the wall. Always let it dry first before checking it with your other samples to determine if it looks right. Paint color can also look out of place in an empty room. Bring in a few elements that you plan to have in your room when its finished to see how it all works together.

White Around
Its a good idea to always have white paint around your home, carefully sealed in a container. You can always use it to lighten some paint that you think is too dark.

Give It Time
Getting used to a new paint color in a room might take a while. A bold color may feel a bit overwhelming at first. Put some accessories in the room and You will probably be pleasantly surprised.

Tags: Colors for paint, exterior paint color, interior paint color, paint color, paint color chart, paint color swatches.

Ok this is a personal rant of mine so please go with me on this while I explain. There are so many different colors out there that it would absolutely impossible to name them all. You have the reds, the greens, the blues, dark color, light colors, vivid colors and pastel colors, you even have the magentas and tangerine. Thats fine , I can live with that. But when somebody says something is bright white I absolutely refuse to accept it. For starters white is not a color, its a neutral as is black. You cannot get light black because it would be grey, You cannot get dark black because it would still be black.  It exactly the same as white – dark white would be grey, not white. Light white would still be white because you cannot get whiter than white. So what color is bright white?  ITS WHITE !!

So

Next time you watch one of those comercials selling you teeth whitener saying they will make your teeth whiter than white ask yourself ” How can you get whiter than white? “

Tags: bright white, whiter than white.

Anywhere people look we can see colors. Can you imagine a universe without colors? Absolutely Everything would look the same. Light is required to see colors. Do you remember the last time you looked into a dark room. You may have seen shapes,shadows,outlines, but everything looked very gray.
Light is made up of millions of colors. When light is refracted, it breaks down into 7 different wavelengths or colors. These colors are the colors of the rainbow – red, blue, indigo (dark blue/purple), orange, yellow, green, and violet. This is called a spectrum.
A spectrum is created when light is refracted or bent by passing through a clear material like glass or clear plastic. When you see a rainbow, you are actually seeing light shining on millions of raindrops as they fall from the sky. When the sun hits the drops of rain, it turns into the 7 colors of the spectrum. The colors are then reflected back to your eyes, and you see the rainbow.
Colors can tell us many different things. Traffic lights always use red to mean stop! What does the leaves changing color mean – When you see someone with red cheeks, What do you think? Colors can also make us feel a certain emotion or mood. Blue can be considered to be calming, yellow is thought of as lively. We also prefer to see objects in their correct colors. Does a big helping of purple and orange pizza or green and yellow steak sound tasty?
Its a sad thing that some people in the world are color-blind. This means that they may be able to see some colors, but not be able to others. Can animals can see colors? Guinea pigs cant. They see everything in light and dark shades of gray. Cats and dogs are able to see shades of green or blue. Most Snakes and Bees can see colors that are invisible to the human eye.

Tags: animals, color, color blindness, rainbow, spectrum.

Peoples first impression can be a lasting impression, and webmaster have only a brief moment to catch a visitors attention. According to the Institute for Color Research, all people make a judgment about another person, place, or item within one and a half minutes of the first sighting, and between 60 and 90 percent of that assessment is based on only color.

The consequence of color choosing as it applies to Web design is often overlooked. Being conscious about color  in the beginning stages of site design, expedites and engages the Web visitor, and minimizes mistakes. Using your awareness of color considerations can also promote a better relationship with your clients.

So what is involved in productively using color in your website design? Factors can include the domination of individual color awareness, color mix, a gender preference, an emotional response to color or how a persons culture can affect those responses. Colors grant specific meanings, but the actual interpretation of any particular color can be dramatically  influenced by the persons perception and identity. There are elemental perceptional differences among all of us. Ask a section of people to think of blue, and each will imagine a different shade, brightness and tone. Knowing that an individual color perception exists and adjusting for them helps client site approval and the overall satisfaction of your client.

Knowing the principles of color can simplify design decisions. The primary colors (those that can not be reproduced by mixing) are red, blue and yellow. The secondary colors (a mix of the primary colors) are green, orang and purple. Tertiary colors, a mix of secondary colors and primary colors, are orange-yellow, orange-red, green-yellow, green-blue, purple-blue, and purple-red. Complimentary colors lie opposite to each other on the color wheel. Colors are known to clash when hues deviate. The impact of any particular color can vary based on the colors next to it. Overlooking this color foundation can mean unattractive or obscure site results.

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of tools available to help Web designers make good color decisions. Those with an advanced sense of color coordination will appreciate the instant gratification of selecting the correct color combinations on their website design.
For the generalizations about color to be of any use, they must be considered in the framework of a websites message and its target audience. Imagine a website about or selling childrens toys designed in dark, deep colors – absolutely not the right approach. Each man or womans color precedence vary, adding into the mix of your website design color considerations. Men prefer stronger color hues and saturation  while women tend to prefer tints to shades or pastel colors. Women have a clear preference for cool colors.

So to summarise – Next time you begin your website design, take a moment to think about the color combinations you are using and how they may affect your visitors when they first visit your website.

Tags: color wheel, primary, secondary, tertiary, webdesign color.