Colour Your Worlde

Artisan Colour

Showing posts with label color. Show all posts
Showing posts with label color. Show all posts

Jeff Davis show at May's First Friday

11:32 AM • , , , , , , , • 0 comments


Tempe artist, Jeff Davis, will be unveiling his latest show "Rectangle Studies & Color Palettes." at the A. E. England Gallery. Opening reception held on First Friday, May 4th from 6-10 pm.


Similar to the line and color studies of Piet Mondrian and Josef Albers, Davis uses modern technology utilizing Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create digital C-Prints that are arresting in their simplicity. This exhibition presents his recent rectangle study and color palette series, both propelled by a desire to reduce compositions and ideas to an uncomplicated aesthetic conclusion. The concepts behind his artwork stem from his undergraduate studies in mathematics and studio art at Lawrence University.


Davis has his M. F. A. in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has exhibited his work throughout the United States including: Colorado, California, New York, and Pennsylvania. He serves as the Program Director for Art Foundations at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division.

We were honored to work with Jeff on his project, and wish him all the best in his show.

Adobe CS5 Printing Guide

2:49 PM • , , , , , , , • 0 comments

A common question asked by customers prepping their files for printing in our Display Graphics division, is "Should I send you the files in RGB or CMYK?". When we respond RGB, many people are confused since several of our machines print with CMYK inks. The answer to this question, along with best file practices and in-depth technical information for all of Adobe's CS5 Creative Suite has been complied in this reference guide. To help both sides of the counter speak the same language, and ensure the file printed is exactly how it was intended to look.

Thanks, John for posting!

If you are printing to an inkjet printer or other RGB-based device, you will likely achieve the best results by printing from an RGB image. Despite the fact that these devices use inks named cyan, magenta, yellow and black (often with additional colors such as orange, green, light cyan, light magenta, etc.), they are set up to maximize the wider gamut available in RGB images by converting incoming RGB information to appropriate values for the color gamut of the printing device. The colorants in inkjet inks actually allow a wider range of colors than offset inks: Printing from an image in the smaller CMYK color space limits the output. For detailed guidance, consult the user guide and online resources available from the manufacturer of the device.

Photoshop tutorial - Color modes & Bit depth

11:40 AM • , , , • 0 comments

This Photoshop tutorial explains some of the basics what we work with here at Artisan every day - color. The video covers the principals behind RGB and CMYK color modes and bit map depth. Some great tips for newbies or refresher course for pros.


Color IQ Test

12:37 PM • , , • 0 comments

We've been having fun with this quiz around the shop. Maybe we are just color fanatics, but it is interesting to see how you score. This color quiz was put together by X-Rite Photo, the makers of color management and calibration software and equipment. The lower the number, the better your score, and the better you can perceive color. How well you can see color?

Color IQ Test

Take this fun and simple on-line color IQ test and learn how you see color. You’ll get more accurate results if you have a calibrated and profiled monitor. Share the color IQ test with your friends and colleagues!

Can you recognize the brand by their colors?

2:09 PM • , , • 0 comments

Proving how important brand colors are to company recognition, Graham Smith of ImJustCreative has website dedicated to this principal - Unevolved Brands. It also turns out to be a fun game. See if you can match up the company by viewing just the colors of their logo. Found [Via]

"A progressive study on brand & logo simplification by Graham Smith - ImJustCreative." Graham strips some of the most recognizable brands in the world (and web) down to their simplest form leaving us with a new perspective on color's place in identity design. Some takeaways from this study: color and the positioning of elements makes all the difference when it comes to creating effective visual branding; a unique color scheme will help ingrain a brand.

Pantone's color of 2011

11:38 AM • , , , • 0 comments

Pantone wants us to think pink in 2011. They released their signature color for nest year - PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle.

Color palettes are available to use in your design on their website.

A Color for All Seasons - Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

Behind the scenes look at Pantone

8:50 AM • , , , , • 0 comments

Color consistency is key; in design, when building brand recognition, in conveying your message, for graphic output...the list goes on and on. The Pantone system is the recognized industry standard of color matching. Having that language of color translated and organized has be come an invaluable resource to a number of businesses, including shops like ourselves who deal in accurate color representation every day.

This video gives a behind the scenes look at the Pantone process. The video was made by Base in conjunction with the release of The Plus Series, the next generation of the classic Pantone Matching System. The Plus series added 566 new colors to their matching system, a total of 5,024 in their library.


Meet an artist that hears color

11:29 AM • , , • 0 comments

In childhood Neil Harbisson was diagnosed with a condition called achromatopsia, which means he can only see the world in black and white. Despite this fact, Neil went on to pursue a fine art degree at the Institut Alexandre Satorras, where he was given permission to use only black, white and their intermediate shades in his work.

In Neil's second year at school he attended a lecture that wound up being a life changing experience. At a cybernetics lecture given by Adam Montandon, Neil introduced himself to Montandon and after explaining his condition the pair started to work on what became known as the eyeborg project.

The eyeborg is a camera, mounted on Harbisson’s head that examines colors he is viewing then emits a noise to an earpiece converting the color in to a sound wave. By memorising the different frequencies Harbisson became the first person in history with the ability to hear colors. Further development of the eyeborg by software developer Peter Kese has meant that Harbisson can now perceive three hundred and sixty color hues through varying frequencies. Not only that, but he can also measure color saturation by adjusting the volume levels of the devise.

Neil's ability to translate sound in to color through the eyeborg has allowed him to experiment with color in his artwork. In a series of painting released in 2004 Harbisson took sound waves from famous pieces of classical music and painted their corresponding visual color representation. Below is his take on Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.3.


Neil is also the first legal cyborg. When Neil applied for his passport to be renewed the application was originally rejected because the eyeborg was visible in his passport picture. The appeal to get the application reviewed, and ultimate acceptance, made
Harbisson the first officially recognized cyborg in history.

Ideal workspace conditions for viewing accurate color on your computer

2:27 PM • , , , , • 0 comments

Having a calibrated monitor is essential when color correcting and editing digital images. The setting where the computer is located can be equally as important to ensure your eyes are perceiving that color correctly.

You're favorite color may be red, but that is a bad choice for a wall color where you do your editing. So is bright florescent light or a near by window. For precise color image editing the most effective work space is a specially designed darkened room where the overall illumination is lower than the brightness of your computer monitor.

To create the ideal "digital darkroom" you must consider the lighting levels and color tone of the entire room. To begin with, windows should be either heavily shaded from outdoor lighting or omitted outright to maintain a constant level of illumination throughout the work day. Next, to prevent ambient conditions from affecting human color perception, daylight-balanced D50 (or 5,000ยบ Kelvin) fluorescent or filtered halogen lamps should be used for illumination. Ideally, walls and ceilings should be painted a neutral gray. If possible, even flooring, countertops, and monitor faceplates should be a neutral color. If the conditions for editing and viewing digital images are not rigidly controlled, the most subtle changes in color, brightness, and contrast displayed on a computer monitor may be impossible for the human eye to distinguish.

Following recommended standard viewing conditions can ensure not only accuracy in color imaging, but also consistency. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publishes two extensive guidelines pertaining to the graphic industry. ISO 3664:2009 is for viewing conditions for the graphic technology and photographic industry - when the digital image files are displayed on a computer monitor in isolation, independent of any form of hard copy. ISO 12646:2008 is designed for setting up a workstation that will be used for comparing digital image files to a printed output - from soft proof to hard copy. These publications cover all aspects of room lighting environmental surfaces.


It may require a little bit of an investment to acquire the right types of lighting and setting up your workspace properly. Ultimately the result can save you time and money by knowing that you are accurately viewing and color correcting your images.

Pantone inspired products

9:14 AM • , , , , , • 0 comments

There are many products on the market inspired by Pantone's color matching system. These items would make a color perfect addition to your home, as a fashion accessory, or gift for any designer or color fanatic.

Some are produced by Pantone themselves, like these birch veneer stools. The first twenty orders of their limited edition series will even be signed by Pantone founder Lawrence Herbert.


These eyeglasses come with a set of interchangeable color stems to suit your mood.

Pantone paints are available in over 3,000 colors, make picking colors to remodeling your house as reliable as flipping through a Pantone swatch book.

Other Pantone inspired products include these aluminum folding chairs designed by Selab for Seletti. They have padded seats and come in 672 C pastel pink, 186 C ruby red, 377 C macaw green, 14-0848 mimosa, 268 C royal purple and Cool Gray.

My Cuppa mugs come in tea and coffee styles that have Pantone chips inside the mug to represent different degrees of brew and cream levels. So making your perfect cup of joe is color coded.

If you want to find your own personal color you can check out Pantone's Colorstrology and look up the Pantone color associated with your birthday. Then design your own Pantone product specific to your personality. We would, of course, be happy to help you print your color matched design.

Posted via email from Artisan Colour

Color on the brain

2:56 PM • , , , • 0 comments

It's amazing when you start thinking about a subject how many things seem to pop up. I've run across a couple of blog articles posted this week that focus on color theory in design, and wanted to share.

Smashing Magazine today posted the first in a 3 part series entitled 'Color Theory for Designers'. Part 1 concentrates on the meaning behind different color families. They dissect warm colors, cool colors, and neutrals with website design samples to support each color scheme. Check back for parts 2 & 3, where they discuss how hue, value, saturation, tone and shades affect the way color is perceived and how to create effective design color palettes.

Color in design is very subjective. What evokes one reaction in one person may evoke a very different reaction in some one else. Sometimes this is due to personal preference, and other times due to cultural background. Color theory is a science in itself. Studying how colors affect different people, either individually or as a group, is something some people build their careers on. And there’s a lot to it. Something as simple as changing the exact hue or saturation of a color can evoke a completely different feeling. Cultural differences mean that something that’s happy and uplifting in one country can be depressing in another.

We Make Money Not Art posted a book review of Chroma: Design, Architecture and Art in Color. The book by interior architect Barbara Glasner and Petra Schmidt explores the creative process behind color selection of artists and architects.

Publisher Birkhauser says: Designers and architects have to make decisions regarding color every day. But how does one find the necessary inspiration? The appropriate color? How do other designers and artists deal with the issue? With "Chroma," the Greek word for color, as its title, this illustrated book provides answers to these questions and makes it clear that color is much more than mere decoration - it is one of the central problems of creative work. In the process, "Chroma" embraces the sensuous experience of color, inspiring and seducing the reader with unusual projects, from industrial products to color field painting. The book presents works by younger designers like Stefan Diez and Arik Levy as well as famous artists like Ellsworth Kelly.

Can't get enough of color? Check out these sites

Color Contrast & Dimension in Design has an interactive presentation that explains color theory, and has examples of how it is used in design and paintings. It covers the power of color, the physiology of color, contrast, hue, and dimension.

Colour Lovers is a fun site where you can create your own color palette and pattern, share it with the Colour Lovers community, and even get rated. They track color trends and offer loads of inspiration.

This is a fun little chart that shows food in season by time of the year and color coded like a rainbow. Found [Via]

Posted via email from Artisan Colour