Designer's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Color Theory and Application [Paperback]

Tom Fraser (Author), Adam Banks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004

The eye, the camera's lens, and the computer screen all treat color differently. This important addition to the designer's reference library helps resolve the differences among the numerous media that contemporary designers work with every day. Comprehensive in scope, it brings together key elements of color theory, practice, and application, addressing a wide range of issues specific to graphic design in both print and digital media. Beyond step-by-step techniques for managing color in modern graphic design practice, Designer's Color Manual also addresses topics which help designers understand color in a variety of disciplines, looking at historical color systems, color in art, and the psychology of color, among dozens of other topics. Author and designer Tom Fraser also takes other graphics-related practices into account -- interior design, digital rendering, packaging and merchandise design -- aiding the designer in mastering the far-reaching effects of color in almost any project. Heavily illustrated with over 1,000 color images, Designer's Color Manual addresses an area that's been gray for too long in the full-color world of contemporary design.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Fraser has over ten years experience designing books, marketing materials, and advertisements. Today he is creative director at Designer Training Ltd. in London.

Adam Banks is former Editor-in-Chief of MacUser UK , and has worked with digital imaging since the early 1980s. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081184210X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811842105
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #298,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to read, especially for the beginner, March 30, 2006

By 

M. Fyvie (Zollikon, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Designer's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Color Theory and Application (Paperback)

I bought this book because I don't have an arts background, but am starting to expand my efforts in the field of graphic design. This book is laid out in a superb format. Each sub topic spans only a single double page, and there are plenty of pictures and captions to illustrate and reinforce the points raised.

The subject area is broad, and many different aspects of colour are covered ranging from the history and perception of colour to issues such as colour blindness right though to some common Photoshop techniques for colour correction.

As I sat holding this pleasantly heavy book in my hand it occured to me that I felt as if I was being drawn back into my childhood, staring with fascination into those "how things work" encyclopedia-style books with cut-out cross-sections of machines and other interesting tidbits. Do you remember how you could just keep looking at those types of books time and time and again, and just look at the pictures and captions if you wanted to?

This is a book that I feel I could put on my coffee table rather than my reference bookshelf, but that by no means that it is not useful as a reference, at least for me. If you are looking for detailed examination of something specific then you may want to choose a different book, but if you want to get a broad overview and awareness of something we are surrounded by all the time (colour!), then I think this is an excellent choice.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Error in book, July 3, 2006

By 

Jm Hoogesteijn "janhoogesteijn" (Amsterdam) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Designer's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Color Theory and Application (Paperback)

A book dedicated to colors really can't afford making a major mistake as found on page 26 where Cyan is described as the mixture of Red and Blue. Not only in words, but also in a colorful RGB model. (Cyan is a mixture of Green and Blue). I just bought this book to get a clear introduction into (the theory of) colors and this mistake confused me a lot. I thank the Spirit for Wikipedia :).
Anyway, I still recommend this book because it tries to explore allmost every aspect of colors and I like the design !!
Jan Hoogesteijn, Amsterdam Netherlands

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy step-by-step techniques for using color in a design, October 10, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Designer's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Color Theory and Application (Paperback)

Color is the foundation of successful design, and so many designer's guides focus on the finer art of using color effectively. Tom Fraser and Adam Banks' Designer's Color Manual brings together key basic concepts of color theory for a title which focuses on the marriage between theory and application. From color psychology and the underlying effects of color on mental state and observational arts to color in craft and the social environment, introductory concepts evolve into easy step-by-step techniques for using color in a design environment. Add over 1,000 color images and you have a winning text in Designer's Color Manual.