Pure design: Color research

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mario garcia

Color research Color research abounds, not only for the specifics of publication design, but for applications in interior design, set decorating, hospital interiors, even building facades. The Poynter Institute for Media Studies has been a pioneer in the research of color and how readers react to it. Some highlights of the research, available through www. Poynter.org, were: 

Readers do like color on their publications. However, color alone will not make a page more appealing: good content does. Readers enter each page through a dominant photograph, illustration, or other visual image, whether it is in color or black and white. Size and placement are more important determinants of point of entry than color. Focus groups do show that a large image in a bright, forward color is the ultimate way to get a reader on to the page. Color backgrounds are effective in drawing attention to the subject in a box, for example. However, it is best to use background colors in small areas: not too tall, not too wide. Colorizing type can be effective, but color works best on sans serif fonts, where legibility is greater. 

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