A-8 Tips for Color Printing
R4C428_V2
long.bk Rev_C
A5 size COLOR.FM
1/14/00 Pass 2
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Know WHO your readers are and WHAT your purpose is
Your documents are intended to communicate information,
opinions, or feelings to one or more people and also to get results.
Therefore, first you need to think about who is going to see your
work—will it be a customer, a co-worker, or some other person?
Also, you should consider what your purpose is—do you wish to
advise, sell, or propose, or do you have some other purpose.
For example:
A marketing proposal with generous quantities of bright, fluorescent
colors might fail to impress a conservative accounting firm, yet win over
a music video company.
Know WHEN to use color
While color can enhance any document, you need to decide when
color helps expand the reader’s understanding of your message
and when it distracts the reader. Sometimes a serious business
message is best delivered without additional colors. (Remember
that white and black are colors, too.)
For example:
A job offer letter to a prospective employee works best in black and white,
while a list of safety rules benefits from attention-getting color.
Decide WHERE color will most benefit your document
If you use color on every page or all over a page, you may lose
not only the impact of color, but also the clarity and readability
of your work. When used consistently and strategically, color
breaks up the monotony of black-and-white text reading.
Note:
❏Avoid placing too many color pictures, tables, or icons on a page.
❏Size your color images so that they do not overpower text or
graphics.