Color

There are many roles of color in design and type. Certain colors are attempting to make users feel a certain way when they engage with the content. Other colors are chosen strictly for their high contrast and practicality. Color is everywhere in our world, and certain colors convey certain cultural meanings. For example, the color red. In American culture, red is used on stop signs and stoplights. It is the color that symbolizes danger. However, in Chinese culture, red is considered the color of vitality and prosperity. It is often used in weddings and celebrations to symbolize good fortune. Pastel colors remind us of spring, vivid colors remind us of joy, and neutral colors remind us of reserved professionalism. Color is everywhere and is a very powerful tool within typography.

Author: Karen Arnold, Photo in Public Domain.

The Importance of Contrast

Contrast is important, particularly for the large chunks of text within a webpage. Low contrast means low visibility. When it comes to font, color is not something to be subtle about. Color should be direct, bold, and enhance readability. Part of the readability aspect on the web is dividing large sections of text into smaller sections. Contrast can help create subheadings and divide up chunks of text into a logical order. High contrast between colors can help create distinct division between certain elements on a page. Low contrast is usually a bad thing between text and a background, but when it is between two levels of text is can create more subtle transitions.

Visual Appeal

If it doesn’t look good, or cool, or come highly recommended, users won’t continue to read it unless they have a reason to. People tend to gravitate to sites that they view as visually engaging. Very few monochrome sites, with some complex notable exceptions, are visually stimulating. Color makes text dynamic and brings the overall design of a website together. It creates cohesion and interest, and it can help the reader engage more with the sections where color is being used. Color draws the eye, and it conveys cultural and emotional meaning. These things all working together will make a web page that is visually appealing.