Helpful Color Standards
One person’s terra cotta is another’s burnt orange…Our perceptions of color are fiercely individual, based on our life experiences and culture. So how do you communicate that precise color to your designer so she gets your business cards right?
Enter, the RGB to Color Name chart: http://web.njit.edu/~kevin/rgb.pdf
With this color chart, you can view colors catalogued by their standard name, their RGB description, their hex code, and even a few CSS numbers. So you can get really precise.
Without a color standard, a conversation between a designer and their client might go like this…
Client: I like the logo concept you sent me. I’d like to see it in purple.
Designer: What kind of purple? Red-violet, royal purple, indigo, or fuschia?
Client: Um, I was thinking like grape.
If the client had just viewed the RGB color chart, he could pick out exactly the hue of purple that he was looking for, saving both people valuable time:
Client: I like the logo concept you sent me. I’d like to see it in purple.
Designer: Do you have a specific purple in mind?
Client: Yes actually. I looked at that color chart you sent me and I like the one with the hexcode 8A2BE2, known as blue-violet.
Designer: Perfect! I’ll change the color and send it back to you right away!
Of course, as a designer, I am thrilled to send you multiple color options. But if you already have a specific color in mind, you can save us both time and pick out the RGB or hex code from the color chart.
P.S. Another option for communicating color is to send an image that contains the specific color you want. It will be easy for me to pick out the needed RGB codes and then apply them to your design.