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8-90 Desktop Color Primer
Color Reference Guide for C9800 - 90
Colors opposite one another on the color wheel are called complements (see example a
in the following figure), and create a striking contrast side by side. This can be the basis
for a bold graphical design, but it is an effect you should use with discretion, since it
can be visually fatiguing. Other bold combinations to consider are split
complements—a color and the two colors adjacent to its complement (example b)—
and triads (three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel (example c). Colors adjacent
to one another on the color wheel result in subtle harmonies.
The color wheel simplifies color relationships for the purpose of clarity, showing only
saturated or pure colors. Adding the myriad variations of each hue to the palette (more
or less saturated, darker, or lighter) creates a wealth of possibilities. Taking a pair of
complements from the color wheel and varying the saturation and brightness of one or
both colors produces a very different result from the pure complements. Combining a
light tint of a warm color with a darker shade of its cooler complement often gives
pleasing results. Combining a darker shade of a warm color with a light tint of its
cooler complement produces an unusual effect that may appeal to you.
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