Even though this is talking about colour in the terms of web design, the terminology and meaning of each element of colour, is the same for print as well, just the application of it will be different.
Hue
Hue is the most basic of color terms and basically denotes an object’s color. When we say “blue,” “green” or “red,” we’re talking about hue. The hues you use in your designs convey important messages to your design.
The primary hue of the background and some of the typography on the Happy Twitmas website is bright red.
Using a lot of pure hues together can add a fun and playful look to a design, as done in the header and elsewhere on this website.
Chroma
Chroma refers to the purity of a color. A hue with high chroma has no black, white or gray in it. Adding white, black or gray reduces its chroma. It’s similar to saturation but not quite the same. Chroma can be thought of as the brightness of a color in comparison to white.
In design, avoid using hues that have a very similar chroma. Opt instead for hues with chromas that are the same or a few steps away from each other.
Cyan has a high chroma and so really stands out against black and white.
Colors with very high chroma are best used in moderation, as done here
Saturation
Saturation refers to how a hue appears under particular lighting conditions. Think of saturation in terms of weak vs. strong or pale vs. pure hues.
In design, colors with similar saturation levels make for more cohesive-looking designs. As with chroma, colors with similar but not identical saturations can have a jarring effect on visitors.
The saturation levels of many of the different hues used here are similar, adding a sense of unity to the overall design.
An excellent example of how using a hue with a high saturation against a background with low saturation can make the former really stand out.
Value
Value could also be called “lightness.” It refers to how light or dark a color is. Ligher colors have higher values. For example, orange has a higher value than navy blue or dark purple. Black has the lowest value of any hue, and white the highest.
When applying color values to your designs, favor colors with different values, especially ones with high chroma. High contrast values generally result in more aesthetically pleasing designs.
The high value of the yellow used here really stands out against the lower-value black and gray.
This website combines blue hues with two different values. Because the different values have enough contrast, the overall look is visually appealing.
Tones
Tones are created when gray is added to a hue. Tones are generally duller or softer-looking than pure hues.
Tones are sometimes easier to use in designs. Tones with more gray can lend a certain vintage feel to websites. Depending on the hues, they can also add a sophisticated or elegant look.
Tones can give websites a sophisticated look while adding some vintage and antique flair.
Tones can be intensified by adding gray around them, as done here.
Shades
A shade is created when black is added to a hue, making it darker. The word is often incorrectly used to describe tint or tone, but shade only applies to hues made darker by the addition of black.
In design, very dark shades are sometimes used instead of black and can serve as neutrals. Combining shades with tints is best to avoid too dark and heavy a look.
Jonathan Moore’s website has a variety of different shades of purple in the background (and a couple of tints in other parts).
An effective combination of shades and tints, particularly in the header.
Tints
A tint is formed when white is added to a hue, lightening it. Very light tints are sometimes called pastels, but any pure hue with white added to it is a tint.
Tints are often used to create feminine or lighter designs. Pastel tints are especially used to make designs more feminine. They also work well in vintage designs and are popular on websites targeted at parents of babies and toddlers.
The blue tint on Fernando Silanes’s website creates a soft and sophisticated look.
Tints combined together make for a sophisticated gradient.
Conclusion
While you don’t necessarily have to remember all of these technical terms, you should be familiar with the actual concepts, especially if you want to master part 3 of this series (in which we create our own color schemes). To that end, here’s a cheat sheet to jog your memory:
- Hue is color (blue, green, red, etc.).
- Chroma is the purity of a color (a high chroma has no added black, white or gray).
- Saturation refers to how strong or weak a color is (high saturation being strong).
- Value refers to how light or dark a color is (light having a high value).
- Tones are created by adding gray to a color, making it duller than the original.
- Shades are created by adding black to a color, making it darker than the original.
- Tints are created by adding white to a color, making it lighter than the original.
