THE USE OF COLOR IN DESIGN
Your book cover design not only has the important job of trying to sell your book for you, but it also needs to give the potential reader a clear message of its concept, this is where the book cover designer comes into play for you and their utilization of color. Creating a design which will not only make your book stand out upon the shelf but give the viewer a clear indication as to its contents within a brief glance, with thought the colors chosen within your cover can go a long way in helping.
The use of color within your book cover is crucial, of course every book is different and will appeal to different readers too, but you only have a small space to ensure that your ‘target’ audience understands that your book will appeal to them. I say the choice of color, and I do include the use of black and white within the design, the use of either black or white within your design will make a very powerful statement about the concept of the book and should NOT be dismissed.
But the use of color goes a little deeper than simply designing a ‘Chick-lit’ cover with a prominent use of the color pink (not that it has to be pink – but you get the point I’m making here!) A great deal of research has gone into the psychology behind how colors appear to us and what emotions they can provoke, the biggest brands in the world have dedicated resources into making the most of this along with advertising agencies too.
So here is what the research tells us about color and its use in design and advertising.
Blue: Blue has the perception of being trustworthy, dependable, responsible and secure. It has strong and clear associations with the sky and sea, it’s serene and universally well-liked. Blue is a popular color with designs which require trust within their message (not always but it can lend itself well to non-fictional books).
Yellow: Associated with the sun it communicates optimism, positivity, light and warmth. Certain shades motivate and stimulate creative thoughts and energy. The eye sees bright yellows before any other color, however, bright yellow within a book cover design can give a slightly childish edge to your design and can lack subtlety which a great many books require.
Red: Red is said to activate the pituitary gland, and as such increase the heart rate causing you to breathe more rapidly. The visceral response makes red aggressive, energetic, provocative & attention-grabbing. Red evokes a passionate response, but not always a favorable one as it can also represent danger.
Green: Green denotes health, freshness and serenity. However, green's meaning varies with its many shades. Deeper and darker greens (think of British Racing Green for example) are associated with wealth or prestige, while light greens are calming.
The use of color within your book cover is crucial, of course every book is different and will appeal to different readers too, but you only have a small space to ensure that your ‘target’ audience understands that your book will appeal to them. I say the choice of color, and I do include the use of black and white within the design, the use of either black or white within your design will make a very powerful statement about the concept of the book and should NOT be dismissed.
But the use of color goes a little deeper than simply designing a ‘Chick-lit’ cover with a prominent use of the color pink (not that it has to be pink – but you get the point I’m making here!) A great deal of research has gone into the psychology behind how colors appear to us and what emotions they can provoke, the biggest brands in the world have dedicated resources into making the most of this along with advertising agencies too.
So here is what the research tells us about color and its use in design and advertising.
Blue: Blue has the perception of being trustworthy, dependable, responsible and secure. It has strong and clear associations with the sky and sea, it’s serene and universally well-liked. Blue is a popular color with designs which require trust within their message (not always but it can lend itself well to non-fictional books).
Yellow: Associated with the sun it communicates optimism, positivity, light and warmth. Certain shades motivate and stimulate creative thoughts and energy. The eye sees bright yellows before any other color, however, bright yellow within a book cover design can give a slightly childish edge to your design and can lack subtlety which a great many books require.
Red: Red is said to activate the pituitary gland, and as such increase the heart rate causing you to breathe more rapidly. The visceral response makes red aggressive, energetic, provocative & attention-grabbing. Red evokes a passionate response, but not always a favorable one as it can also represent danger.
Green: Green denotes health, freshness and serenity. However, green's meaning varies with its many shades. Deeper and darker greens (think of British Racing Green for example) are associated with wealth or prestige, while light greens are calming.
Brown: The earthy color speaks of simplicity, durability and stability. But be careful, because it can also gain a negative response from viewers who relate to it as dirty (a book cover representing oral hygiene would do well not to use brown within its design). However, it’s subtle use within other colors can give a warming and honest feel to a book cover.
Black: Serious, bold, powerful and classic. It creates drama and sophistication. Black works well for the more serious book cover and one demanding a clear, simple yet powerful message which can be understood by the viewer without doubt.
White: Simplicity, cleanliness and purity. The eye views white as a brilliant color, so it immediately catches the eye where the title or sub-title is placed, the use of white as negative space within your design is also just as powerful.
The main colors within a design can be split into two camps, cool and warming, the general rule is that the warmer colors (reds, yellow, oranges etc.) lend themselves well to energetic, outgoing vibrant messages whereas the cooler colors can indicate a scene/concept requiring more calm or serenity.
Black: Serious, bold, powerful and classic. It creates drama and sophistication. Black works well for the more serious book cover and one demanding a clear, simple yet powerful message which can be understood by the viewer without doubt.
White: Simplicity, cleanliness and purity. The eye views white as a brilliant color, so it immediately catches the eye where the title or sub-title is placed, the use of white as negative space within your design is also just as powerful.
The main colors within a design can be split into two camps, cool and warming, the general rule is that the warmer colors (reds, yellow, oranges etc.) lend themselves well to energetic, outgoing vibrant messages whereas the cooler colors can indicate a scene/concept requiring more calm or serenity.
Pink: The message that can be implied by the color pink will alter depending upon the intensity of the shade of pink. Hot/vibrant pink convey energy, youth, fun and excitement but the brighter more vibrant pinks can lack sophistication and as such can suit less serious novels. Dusty pinks can appear more sentimental and the lighter pink give a more romantic edge to the design.
Purple: A favorite color of many creative types. A blend of the passionate red and tranquil blue, it hints at mystery, sophistication, spirituality and royalty. Whereas the color lavender can evoke nostalgia and sentimentality.
Orange: Evoking exuberance, fun & vitality all with the drama of red plus the warmth and lightness of yellow, orange can be viewed as gregarious and often childlike.
But using any color within the design of a book will sometimes require mixing several to create the required message and concept of the novel (not usually and more than four colors – as it will be too much on the eye). The use of a color wheel and a sound knowledge will of course aid in the creativity, yes rules are there to be broken too, but you still need to have an understanding of them to do so.
Purple: A favorite color of many creative types. A blend of the passionate red and tranquil blue, it hints at mystery, sophistication, spirituality and royalty. Whereas the color lavender can evoke nostalgia and sentimentality.
Orange: Evoking exuberance, fun & vitality all with the drama of red plus the warmth and lightness of yellow, orange can be viewed as gregarious and often childlike.
But using any color within the design of a book will sometimes require mixing several to create the required message and concept of the novel (not usually and more than four colors – as it will be too much on the eye). The use of a color wheel and a sound knowledge will of course aid in the creativity, yes rules are there to be broken too, but you still need to have an understanding of them to do so.
