Thread: How you choose color scheme?

I like to know how you friends choose color schemes for your designs? I use color schemer online and Color scheme generator (Schemes) and also see other designs for that.

Do you use any specific software for selecting color schemes? or you use ur own imagination?

Like if you choose Blue color for something then how do you choose the second color that should stand out with BLUE... do u just pick the colors randomly and see which one is looking good or you do something else?

I always stuck in my designs when it comes to colors

I hope i will get some good suggestions on that.

I actually didn't know there were tools for it, I'll have to check them out. I just use my own tastes when I choose colors.

Some have an eye for this and some don't. I love playing with colors, it's one of the main things I enjoy about design. Anytime I did use color schemes from those sorts of websites my clients weren't pleased, they seem to prefer the ones I make up myself.

Originally Posted by Kalina

Some have an eye for this and some don't. I love playing with colors, it's one of the main things I enjoy about design. Anytime I did use color schemes from those sorts of websites my clients weren't pleased, they seem to prefer the ones I make up myself.

Actually that is opposite in my case.. not every time but usually when I try to have colors of my choice I don't get satisfied with those and when I select color schemes for other designs or that kind of websites I feel like I have done a good job now.

In my opinion a good designer needs no "color tool". He/she has to learn how to use/combine colors. Definitely, talent is a great plus...

Originally Posted by Respiro

In my opinion a good designer needs no "color tool". He/she has to learn how to use/combine colors. Definitely, talent is a great plus...

That's true to an extent. I use Color Schemer when I'm trying to find to creative combinations that I normally wouldn't think of. These tools can be used by designers at any level.

Originally Posted by chaka42

That's true to an extent. I use Color Schemer when I'm trying to find to creative combinations that I normally wouldn't think of. These tools can be used by designers at any level.

Yes, these tools have been made FOR designers BY designers.

I don't think being a designer using these tools is wrong.

My eyeballs suck.

I enjoy using various different premade color schemes and tweaking them to my own taste. However, 4 premade schemes are always what I start out with.

I definately like it to fiddle with colors, but for some strange reason, I most often end up with a blueish theme... Probably you can find some phycho reason behind that

Originally Posted by jani

I don't think being a designer using these tools is wrong.

Definitely, using them is not wrong, but we, the designers, should not depend by them.

try kuler

i'm practically colourblind in my tastes, so i almost always use this tool...

Awesome tool, I've missed this one!

I always get frustrated with picking color schemes, but generators never work for me either. What I usually do is research the topic and figure out the colors from there. Google image search is useful for this, type in what your working on, then choose colors from those images.

Originally Posted by NicoleSauk

I always get frustrated with picking color schemes, but generators never work for me either. What I usually do is research the topic and figure out the colors from there. Google image search is useful for this, type in what your working on, then choose colors from those images.

That is also a good idea.

I've never used tools really.. just depend on my eye. Generally that works out pretty well for me.. you can't please everyone with a color scheme anyway. Best to design with your own tastes in mind.

Originally Posted by Colleen

Some have an eye for this and some don't. I love playing with colors, it's one of the main things I enjoy about design. Anytime I did use color schemes from those sorts of websites my clients weren't pleased, they seem to prefer the ones I make up myself.

IM one of those people with no eye for color. If the scheme looks good, it looks good. if it doesnt, it doesnt. I drive skin and theme designers nuts.

Great Tool. I have been using the chart from html-color-codes.com but this offers more options. Thanks.

it's hard choosing a color scheme, but if you play about abit you will come up with something..

I actually had a program, ill try to find it again, Hold on.

I always start a website from photoshop.
I'll have a mental wireframe in my head.


But I'll start deisgning whatever in photoshop.
I'll make it a random color, whether it be my banner, my main text, whatever.

And from there, I choose something complimentary, and move on from there.

I personally find myself using this website for my colour themes.

kuler

thanks
jojo

I found this yesterday, just move the sliders around, very neat! Color Match, HTML color code, match website colors, color scheme

Nice find there!

Originally Posted by iowadawg

Nice find there!

It shall keep me busy for 7.48586 hours... according to Tim. :sshocked:

Originally Posted by Kalina

I found this yesterday, just move the sliders around, very neat! Color Match, HTML color code, match website colors, color scheme

I found a site like that once, only better, and I have never been able to find it again!

I either choose my own scheme or i google search "online color sceme" and use whatever pops up

I use my eye and I also copy color schemes from sites I like.

I browse the various CSS Gallery sites, that post top notch new designs, for inspiration. Sometimes I like how a certain site it laid out meanwhile i like the color scheme of another site I found. Then I make adjustments and changes from there.

But that Kuler tool is rad. I'll be using that!

I have good eyes for colour schemes, I think. When I used to design I'd play around with colours until I found one that works - it takes time to develop, but once you get used to it, you can find that it isn't too hard to figure out what colours go with what.

I don't really like colorscheme websites, they're too restrictive.

I usually just try working from the logo, and also try to keep the appropriate mood of the site in mind (should it be bold, cooling, warm etc...)

I've used that Kuler tool a few times now since it was mentioned in this thread. I love it.

Great for when you barely know where to start with a new site. Or only have the initial base color in mind.

i also use kuler , is very good and has hundreds of very nice colors schemes

Sometimes I pluck them out randomly, others I used websites like the ones your described.

I just guessed but thanks for the tools!

Originally Posted by clink

I don't really like colorscheme websites, they're too restrictive.

I usually just try working from the logo, and also try to keep the appropriate mood of the site in mind (should it be bold, cooling, warm etc...)

I agree with you, Tom.

That's what I try to do most of the time, but I do have my moments when I'm stumped and have no idea what colours to use. That's when the tools like Kuler come in handy.

I don't like tools, I trust only my senses

I don't use any of these. I actually go on about what my mind tells. Well i am successful in that..

I didn't know there were tools for color schemes so I'll def. check them out! I usually go with my own tastes & wing it from there.

we use kuler.adobe.com

Trial and error for me, choose the background, and work my way up from there

I use Color Wizard - Color Scheme Generator - Color Theory for web designers so far it is the best one I have ever seen. It has a mixing board you can use to make your colors or you can enter a color code to see different types of schemes.