Table of Contents

Reference Chart

Definitions

Term Meaning
Chroma How pure a hue is in relation to gray.
Saturation The degree of purity of a hue.
Intensity The brightness or dullness of a hue.
Luminance or Value The measure of the amount of light reflected from a hue.
Shade A hue produced by the addition of black.
Tint A hue produced by the addition of white.

RGB vs. CMYK

Term Description
RGB Additive: created with light, start with black and add color.
CYMK Subtractive: created with ink, start with white and add color.

Perceptually Attributed Meanings

Color Meaning
Red Intense, fire and blood, energy, war, danger, love, passionate, strong.
Purple Royalty, power, nobility, wealth, ambition, dignified, mysterious.
Blue Sky, sea, depth, stability, trust, masculine, tranquility.
Yellow Sunshine, joy, cheerfulness, intellect, energy, attention-getter.
Orange Warm, stimulating, enthusiasm, happiness, success, creative, autumn.
Green Nature, growth, fertility, freshness, healing, safety, money.

Safe Color Palettes for Colorblindness

Collected by Martin Krzywinski.

7 Colors

12 Colors

15 Colors