PANTONE Guide to Communicating with Color
Seeing Color
“The consumer sees black as the most powerful, dramatic, elegant, and expensive presence.”
By Leatrice Eiseman
The reaction to color is largely (but not entirely) inborn. It is important to understand the process of seeing color in order to appreciate how complex this system we take for granted actually is.
Illustration © Parish Kohanim
The eye, just like the ear, responds to waves of energy. Both visible light waves and radio waves are among several forms of electromagnetic energy ranging from cosmic rays at the highest level to electric power transmission at the lowest — these forms of energy differ because they travel at various wavelengths. Specific waves of energy within a limited range are called the visible spectrum, those colors we actually see, while ultraviolet lights and infrared are invisible. Hue is established by the dominant wavelength while the luminance (lightness or darkness of a color) is determined by the quantity of electromagnetic energy.
Visual information in the form of light energy is continuously reaching the retina and forming an image to the visual cortex, which acts much like a computer, assessing retinal information and relating it to data stored in memory. It is difficult to draw a clear distinction between the exact function of the eye and the interpretation of the brain because the psychological, emotional, and aesthetic response to color is highly complicated. As a result, we can never really separate what we “see” from what we “know”. To further complicate matters, not all of the visual signals that leave the eye go to the the visual center of the brain — approximately 20 percent goes to the pituitary gland, the master endocrine gland of the body.
Image © Don Paulson
Color Families: Black
Indelibly imprinted in the human mind, black is most closely associated with...
the magical mysteries of night. That impenetrable, after dark, powerful essence of black is seen in every product category as the most sophisticated and highly stylized shade. The consumer sees black as the most powerful, dramatic, elegant, and expensive presence. This extends into food packaging, where the consumer will pay more for this “gourmet image.”
In recent years, attitudes about black have changed more than those about any other color, with positive associations outweighing the negative. In some cultures, black is still associated with mourning; however, that somber attitude has given way to sophistication as more people identify it with black limos, polished granite, expensive leather, and many other upscale looks that give black an elegant caché.
Image © Don Paulson
Black gives the message of strength wherever it is used. In consumer products, this is a definite plus wherever power, potency, longevity, or weight is implied. Black will always seem to weigh more than other colors, even though, in fact, it may not. This could be a plus for appliances or equipment or any other product where weight implies a more solid, durable substance. But because of this association with heavier weight, a black airplane or boat would not be a good idea.
