Web site color reference

Color presents a lot of web site design challenges. Problems involving color often fall into two categories: use of a black, plus a single color through a web site of too many different colors.

When black plus a single color is used, in an attempt to "brand" the site, shades of the original color are often used to organize the site's contents. Unfortunately, many colors lose their impact when shaded (i.e., presented at less than 100% saturation).

Use too many colors, and your web site will present a visually cluttered, "circus" atmosphere and many of the colors will "fight" each other.

To avoid these problems, pick up a copy of Rockport Press's Color Harmony for the Web, by Cailin Boyle. Color Harmony for the Web displays hundreds of color groupings, organized by image, complete with the RGB values needed to create them.