Basics of Color Documents To help you use color to maximize your document’s impact on its readers,
determine the who, what, when, where, why, and how of color printing.
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: customer, co-worker,
or other; and what your purpose is: to advise, sell, propose, and so on.
For example:
A marketing proposal with generous quantities of br ight, fluorescent colors might
fail to impress a conservative accounting fir m, 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 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 att ention-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 ma ny color pictures, t ables, or icons on a p age.
❑Size your color images so that they do not over pow er text or graphics.
❑Avoid using too much colored text. It is mo re difficult to read than
black-on-white or white-on-black text.
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