Color

Color works for websites because of the messages it conveys. It is a branding mechanism that evokes a feeling in the viewer and can either attract or repel the consumer. Boyle says this is one more way in which the the designer needs to know her audience because colors can be perceived differently depending on the generation of the audience. Just as color is important in fashion trends, color is as important to design and the designer must know which colors are currently popular with the intended audience. Colors have different cultural connotations as well so it is important to know the target audience and how the message will be received.

On a website text should be in a color that is readable and easy to distinguish from the background. Links should be in a brighter color to make them stand out from surrounding text. This keeps the user on the sight longer because of the contrast in text. A visited link should be darker so that the non-visited link stands out and keeps the viewer's attention.

The browser safe color palette is made up of the 216 colors that are common to Macintosh and Windows operating systems. The palette contains shades of red, green and blue since these particular colors are electronically activated on a user's screen.

This color palette is different from the CYMK model which is used in printing. The CYMK palette is subtractive and reflective rather than RGB which is radiant color. Each is important because the way the viewer sees the material can change according to the context. CYMK and RGB are interrelated because a designer wants the electronic media to be viewed the same when the work is printed. A conversion process is necessary to make this happen for the viewer.