The 4th edition of Color Workbook by Becky Koeing, maintains it’s place on the list of good general texts for color/2D design course use.
Some small updates have been made (Computer Color chapter is now Digital Color) but none that have significantly changed the overall direction of the material given. I hoped that this new edition would offer a more expanded and accurate explanation on color management. This topic is just as important as color theory, materials, and interaction.
Color management can present many pitfalls if not understood and applied correctly. Given the gravity of this topic, the all too brief mention lacks detail and accuracy. For example, emphasis should be given to the importance of calibrating each device in the workflow to an established “standard”. That standard is then used as the benchmark by which all devices are to be matched.
This text misleads the reader by not putting this important subject in the first paragraph of the Computer Color chapter. By burying it towards the end of the chapter, the reader will not fully grasp the importance of how graphic elements will translate among the different color spaces with inherent discrepancies. The activities given at the end of the chapter should also be updated to mirror the importance in achieving accurate color management.
Being somewhat jaded in seeking a text that is exclusively for graphic designers, I would have much preferred adjustments to the aforementioned and a section (still missing) dedicated to cultural influences. The closet reference to this topic is a laundry list of “color symbols” within the Expressive Color chapter. Again, an all too brief explanation for an all too important issue that drives the decision making process in color selection for branding, advertising and marketing materials.
Should these adjustments eventually be made, this text would be an excellent source and a justifiable $86.60 investment.
Some small updates have been made (Computer Color chapter is now Digital Color) but none that have significantly changed the overall direction of the material given. I hoped that this new edition would offer a more expanded and accurate explanation on color management. This topic is just as important as color theory, materials, and interaction.
Color management can present many pitfalls if not understood and applied correctly. Given the gravity of this topic, the all too brief mention lacks detail and accuracy. For example, emphasis should be given to the importance of calibrating each device in the workflow to an established “standard”. That standard is then used as the benchmark by which all devices are to be matched.This text misleads the reader by not putting this important subject in the first paragraph of the Computer Color chapter. By burying it towards the end of the chapter, the reader will not fully grasp the importance of how graphic elements will translate among the different color spaces with inherent discrepancies. The activities given at the end of the chapter should also be updated to mirror the importance in achieving accurate color management.
Being somewhat jaded in seeking a text that is exclusively for graphic designers, I would have much preferred adjustments to the aforementioned and a section (still missing) dedicated to cultural influences. The closet reference to this topic is a laundry list of “color symbols” within the Expressive Color chapter. Again, an all too brief explanation for an all too important issue that drives the decision making process in color selection for branding, advertising and marketing materials.
Should these adjustments eventually be made, this text would be an excellent source and a justifiable $86.60 investment.
by Becky Koenig
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