AA-11 Desktop Color PrimerA few rules of thumbTry some of the following strategies for creating successful color materials:• Use color to aid comprehension, rather than applying colors indiscriminately.In presentations, graphs, and charts, use color to highlight patterns andemphasize differences.• In general, fewer colors work better than many colors.• Use red as an accent color. Red is particularly effective when used in otherwisemonochromatic materials.• Consider the tastes of your target audience when choosing colors.• Keep a file of printed color pieces that appeal to you or strike you as effective.Refer to it for ideas when designing your own documents.Color wheelA color wheel like the one in the following figure is a helpful tool for understandingthe interrelation of colors. The colors on one side of the color wheel, from magenta toyellow, appear to most people to be warm colors, while those on the other side, fromgreen to blue, appear to be cool. The distance between two colors on the color wheelcan help predict how they will appear when seen side by side.
