The Who, What, Where and When of Color In Your Documents

The Who, What, Where and When of Color In Your Documents



This article will help you to assess and maximise the impact

your use of color in your documents and presentations will

have on the readers. First of all you need to identify the

following;



* who your readers are

* what your purpose is

* when to use color

* where to use color



Who and What?



Determine who your target readers are and what the specific

purpose of the document is. Is it an internal product for

your employees or is it for the eyes of potential or

existing customers.



What is the purpose? Is it to advise, explain, sell, market

etc. How many documents ae involved? Is it just documents or

are multimedia presentations needed. What results are you

expecting? All these parameters need to be covered.



Are your target audiences conservative or more open to

vibrant colors in documents and presentations. Some cultures

associate serious business messages with black and white.

Just give your specific situation some thought.



When and Where?



If you are sending a marketing proposal document to a client

you will be looking to impress your existing or potential.

But beware, the use of bright, fluorescent colors might not

go down too well with a firm of accountants or lawyers but

may well be appreciated by a music/video company.



If it is an internal document, do you need to use color at

all? Consider the cost implication of doing this - Ink

cartridge and laser toner usage etc. Unless the purpose of

the document is, for example, to explain some major change

in company structure, then I suggest you keep to black and

white or minimise the color involved.



A situation where you may consider color for internal

purposes would be for the production of safety messages.

These need to stand out and be noticed.



Finally remember;



* Don't use too many colors or too much colored text. You

may lose the impact and readability of the work.



* White text on a black background is harder to reader than

black on white.



* Similarly, avoid placing too many color pictures, images

or icons on a page.



* Use a color photograph in preference to an illustration or

drawing..for selling in particular.



* Used correctly, color can break up the monotony of

black-and-white text reading.



* Whatever color theme you have, stick to it throughout the

document or presentation.



* Graphs and charts in particular will capture more

attention if in color.



* For the graphs etc, don't forget to explain what the

colors mean though!



* And don't forget to put captions under pictures.

Apparently people read these more than the copy!



* Don't use too many different font types. One type for

'headers' and one for the body text should be sufficient.



* Carry out a readers test on various samples before

settling on your final selection.



* Ask several people for their opinion on the samples. Ask

them about the readability and the impact factors.



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(c)2005 by Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing

Group and webmaster at Ink-Cartridge-Store.com

[http://www.ink-cartridge-store.com], providing discounted

brand name compatible ink cartridge and laser toner

supplies.