How to Use Contrast to Improve Your Graphic Designs
Contrast is a design principle that occurs when two visual elements are dramatically different. The greater the difference, the greater the contrast. Contrast gets your message across by emphasizing what’s important and directing the reader’s eye, aids in readability by making section headers stand out, and gets the reader’s attention by adding interest to the page. You can create contrast in size, value, color, type, and other elements.
Size
Placing two elements next to each other that are similar in every respect except the size is one way to bring in size contrast. It can be big and small images or big and small typefaces, for example. Leaving plenty of white space around a small object is another way to contrast size.
Value
The relative lightness or darkness of two elements can create a contrast in value. Whether with shades of gray or tints and shades of a single color, the further apart the values, the greater the contrast.
Color
Use harmonizing, complementary, and opposite colors to create contrast. When you contrast colors, be careful with the value. Harmonizing colors (colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel) can appear washed out if there’s not enough difference in value between them.
Type
Use size, value, and color to create contrasting typographic treatments. Make certain words stand out more by using one of the following actions:
Add bold or italics.Mix large type with small type.Combine serif with sans serif (non-serif) type.Set portions of text in contrasting colors or varying values.Change type alignment or spacing.Use complementary, yet differing typestyles.
Other Contrasting Elements
Other elements that create contrast include texture, shape, alignment, direction, and movement. The key is to use a substantial difference. A font size change that’s barely noticeable or colors that are too close in value may come across as a mistake rather than an attempt to provide emphasis or interest. Use your imagination to come up with additional ways to use contrast. For example:
To offset tall, narrow columns of text, include wide or irregularly shaped photos.In a series of static images, add one showing movement.Make one element of a black-and-white photo pop by adding color to it.
