Mar 18, 2011

Color Terms - How The Icebox Can Help!

Do You Know a Tint From a Tone?


Pure color is vibrant, with many increments around the color wheel from reds to greens, blues to yellows. All these hues change in expression, however, when they're mixed with white, black or a combination of both a variation is created. Our role as a decorator is to determine the right color to express a brand, define a message or motivate your audience. Understanding the difference between tint, shade and tone will help you succeed.

Tints, also known as pastels, are achieved simply by adding white to a color. Soft, soothing and feminine, tints work well for female audiences or campaigns that convey renewal, freshness or calm. Tints become sophisticated when placed next to neutral colors like navy, gray or brown.

An opposite approach is to mix color with black, which creates a shade. When black is added to a hue, the color becomes deeper and darker. The feeling can be serious, conservative or traditional. Oftentimes, shades like burgundy or forest green are chosen for corporate logos. Male audiences also respond positively to shades because they have a masculine aesthetic.

A tone falls in between. Created by adding both black and white to a hue, the result is a muted, "grayish" version of the original color. Tones can deliver a modern, sophisticated edge to a garment or imprint.

Don’t worry if you didn’t absorb all this information, that’s what our expert creative team is here for!!! We can give you expert design guidance or create your look from scratch.

Call us at 404-522-COOL to get started.