Color Blog - Page 9

Power of Colors in PowerPoint Presentations: How to Choose the Right Hues

Since time immemorial, colors have reinforced our emotions, disposition and decisions. Dark clouds on a workday prod us to bring raincoats or umbrellas to the office. Vibrant flowers in springtime bring about a delightful ambiance. Universal traffic lights signal pedestrians to stop or cross the lane.

This concept of color reinforcement should be thought through when creating a PowerPoint presentation. To make the visual material more effective, designers or speakers should ponder if their choice of colors enhances the viewer's concentration, learning and knowledge retention.

To help you reflect on the possible impact of selected hues, here are color facts worth noting:

Colors create a significant impression

Among the five senses, sight is the most responsive to marketing tools. The eyes see and examine the product's qualities, most especially the color.

2014 Living Room Wall Color Trends: Relaxed Luxury and Muted Neutrals

Like fashion color trends, interior design changes are generally a reflection of our reactions to the throbbing of the world around us. In some cases, we embrace the positive by surrounding ourselves with celebratory, bright shades. When we feel a bit stressed or overwhelmed, we may retreat to softer, quieter, calming spaces. Major paint producers such as Benjamin Moore, Behr, and Sherwin Williams track our purchases and then identify emerging trends from that data. For 2014, living room wall color ideas are leaning towards "relaxed luxury" or a more laid-back traditional approach.

Gray is firmly entrenched as the new black and favorite neutral. However, new depth and richness of color allow it to be both elegant and even slightly mysterious. Sherwin Williams offers a full-bodied Library Pewter, dark Sealskin, and softer Anew Gray for stunning living room backdrops. Wool Skein is an interesting combination "greige." Benjamin Moore also has Wickham Gray and Earl Gray to bring to the table, but this company has gone a step further with its own Neutral Palette, a collection of 23 softer shades that will work together for the decorator who is transitioning from room to room.

Today's newest neutrals are grays with pastel tints in blues, greens, pinks, or lavenders added. Before trying one of these, you'll want to determine whether your project calls for warm or cool colors. Warm colors generally suit elegant or traditional settings, while cool colors speak to modernist, playful, or futuristic leanings. Generally, once that decision is made, you'll want to carry it out through most of the house, at least in adjoining hallways and rooms. Pastel grays are on the cooler side of the spectrum.

2014 Jewelry Color Trends: Gemstones, Pearls and Pantone Palettes

This year's color trends in jewelry and gemstones offer wonderful opportunities for experimentation for jewelry makers everywhere. From larger and more colorful Akoya cultured pearls to multi-colored iridescent Tahitian pearls and gray-black to jet black cultured pearls, you'll have more latitude than ever to create stunning jewelry designs. This year's hues will let you design pieces that are as much a study in contrasts as the colors in the Pantone spring 2014 palette. Or, if you'd like to get a jump on the shades that will be hot this fall, Pantone's autumn picks will give you even more to work with in putting together earrings, necklaces, pendants and bracelets that will make your wardrobe pop.

Spring, 2014 Color Inspiration

If you're inclined to combine your pastel gems with bolder colored stones to create your jewelry masterpieces this season - ala the spring palette - or you decide to pair jewelry made entirely from bright-colored stones with more subdued apparel colors, or vice versa, this season's palette, which combines neutral and pastel shades with bold, vivid hues, will help you create exciting designs that provide dramatic accents for your spring wardrobe and beyond.

Timeless Suit Colors and Classic Designs for a Versatile Wardrobe

Choosing timeless suit colors and classic designs is the secret to maximizing your wardrobe for both versatility and cost-effectiveness. If you, like the average consumer, are only regularly wearing 20 percent of the clothes in your closet, the beginning of a new year or a new job is the perfect time for a change.

Whether you are just entering the business world or you are simply determined to streamline your overcrowded closet, a few wise color selections can result in multiplied mix-and-match outfits. In fact, with the right shoes, a suit, a sports jacket, an extra pair of trousers, and four shirts, you can create more than a dozen different business outfits. Imagine the possibilities when you increase the number of shirts to eight or more and throw in some well-coordinated ties and pocket squares.

If only one suit is in the budget, consider a single-breasted gray, charcoal, or khaki choice. Because a return to minimalism has been the overriding trend on the fashion runways most recently, clean, classic lines are available everywhere and in all price ranges. However, it's worth investing in quality core pieces for your basic business wardrobe. If you scrimp on cheap fabrics and craftsmanship, you will be replacing items regularly. Buy the best you can afford through creative shopping online, at high-end clearance racks, or through special in-store deals.

Embrace Autumn Romance: Fall Wedding Colors and Inspirations

Each year, autumn arrives bringing different temperatures and environmental changes across the landscape, and each year, more and more couples are choosing September, October, or November as the perfect time to schedule their wedding. Yes, the off-season rates and easier scheduling are appealing, but the warm, familiar color palette of fall wedding colors has become increasingly attractive to romantic couples of all ages and backgrounds. For example, several of Pantone's rich, romantic 2013 colors adapt perfectly for both rustic and elegant wedding celebrations at this time of year.

For die-hard seasonal enthusiasts, Pantone's Koi 17-1452 is the perfect orange to bring to the wedding. Slightly tamed and less sassy than its brighter version, this happy, optimistic color is a perfect bridesmaid dress choice. Of course, the bride will have chosen her dress first, but simply coordinating her sash, shoes, or bouquet with a pop of the same vibrant color quickly harmonizes the overall look. Creamy or off-white wedding dresses in vintage styles are popular for this time of the year. Shoulder straps and lace reflect the Victorian influence revived by movies such as "The Great Gatsby." These choices seem tailor-made for an intimate fall wedding celebration. They are also adaptable for colorful shrugs or shawls for cooler evening temperatures.

Since autumn is already such a beloved season, finding color-matching invitations, candles, flower arrangements, and table decorations is easy. Pantone's warm-red Samba 19-1662 and chocolate Carafe 19-1116 are rich and inviting. The darker version of moss green, Deep Lichen Green 18-0312, has a matching intensity that brings nature's foliage into the equation. While black might be overwhelming or too closely related to Halloween, Pantone's dark charcoal version, Turbulence 19-4215, can add a touch of drama and sophistication.