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Understanding Color: An Introduction for Designers

A good well-rounded text that tackles all aspects of the leading theories of color and its associated vocabulary. Holtzschue offers many illustrated examples of how this theoretical information is applied to, when solving common problems in color design.

Beyond basic color study, there are chapters that address topics such as screen display, color management, print and web medias as well as physiological responses. To help educators, a companion workbook which contains exercises for students is offered online via the publisher's website.

With all of the aforementioned considered, this would have been a near-perfect text for a basic color theory class. Holtzschue's mention of art history/cultural influences is quite thin however (4 pages) and her attempt at tackling the (often overlooked) business side of color could be expanded upon as well.

In general though, this book remains a valuable source for designers to consult for understanding how to make sound color choices.

by Linda Holtzschue
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