FOUR PRINCIPLES OF COLOR GOVERN GOOD VISUAL EFFECTS in many situations. These principles, derived from Tufte (1990), involve using bright and strong colors, contrasting light and dark colors, using colors in backgrounds, and unifying colors. Color can affect a person in a positive, neutral or negative manner, and these four principles can help provide a positive effect for many types of graphics.

Pure, bright or very strong colors are best used sparingly or between dull background tones. This allows the strong colors to bring attention to a particular feature of a graphic. 

The grey allows brighter colors to emphasize the message. 

This bright blue makes the rest of the words more difficult to read.

Caution!
Do not overwhelm an audience with bright, strong colors all over the graphic. They will pay attention to the colors, not to your content.

Light, bright colors are best mixed with dark next to each other. This provides contrast, allowing colors to emphasize or bring attention to a particular thing. 

Nature often shows light and dark colors working well together. 

The dark background causes confusion by not allowing adequate contrast with the other dark objects.

Caution!
Bright or dark colors mixed next to each other tend to confuse viewers, sometimes to the point of causing eye-strain.

Background, large-area or base colors should be quiet, soft, dull, muted, greyish, neutral colors that allow smaller, bright areas to stand out vividly.

The background in this image allows the viewer to concentrate entirely on the foreground. 

Although the foreground is still clear, the bright background distracts the viewer.

Caution!
A background filled with one or more bright, strong colors will distract a viewer from the important objects in the picture or graphic.

Large areas with separate colors should intermingle or weave the colors with each other. 

Here we see how the greys work together throughout the image to impress the mood upon the viewer. 

Lack of unity between 3 large areas with 3 widely different colors makes this a less attractive image.

Caution!
Different colors that cover large separate areas of a graphic or picture will tend to clash unless they are woven together throughout the visual image.

Jim Greenwood, Educator, Horace Mann Middle School
Graduate Student, Dept. of Educational Technology, San Diego State University