Archive for April, 2005

This time, let’s look at using only two colors in a print design. Many brochures are created using two colors of ink in order to limit printing costs. The challenge is to create visual interest with the two colors chosen. In addition, black is often chosen as the body type color, so that there’s actually only one accent color.

Color sets the emotional stage

In the example brochure, a cool, medium blue was chosen along with black. The decision stemmed from the subject matter of the brochure, which is a disfiguring disease called lymphatic filariasis. Cool blue can calm emotions, is often seen as scientific, and is very distinctive on an uncoated paper, so was a logical choice for this subject.

Next let’s look at design techniques that can be used with a single color in addition to black. Several are used in this particular brochure.

Background color, reversed white type

Solid blue was used as a background color on the inside front cover, with reversed white type. A full-page photograph was printed as a background in blue and lightened enough that text in black and a quote in blue would be visible over it on the inside facing page.

Duotone photographs

Photographs that were not used as backgrounds were printed as duotones, which means that both inks were used. This extended the range of tones in the photographs, making them stronger, more vibrant. In this brochure, the blue ink was used only in the shadow areas of the photos, so that they would not look too blue.

Color accents

Color can also be used in accents, such as titles, box text, quotes, etc. as it has been used in this brochure.

When all these techniques are used, a two-color brochure can be just as successful as a four-color brochure.