The Pocket Universal Principles of Color
100 Key Concepts for Understanding, Analyzing, and Working with Color
Published on 12. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
216 pages
978-0-7603-9384-0 (ISBN)
Description
This pocket-size version of Universal Principles of Color presents 100 core concepts and guidelines that are critical to the successful use of color.
Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, this comprehensive, cross-disciplinary overview of color is organized alphabetically so that principles can be easily and quickly referenced. The book pairs clear explanations of every topic with visual examples of it applied in theory and in practice. For those interested in addressing a specific color challenge or application problem, the principles are also indexed by pathways based on nine topics of color study: light, order, communication, object, mixture, application, observer, composition, and history.
Explore a diverse array of color principles, including:
Additive Mixture
Bezold Effects
Harmony
Pointillism
Newton's Opticks
Rayleigh Scattering
Transparency Effect
Warm and Cool
Each principle is presented in a two-page format: The left-hand page contains a succinct definition, a full description of the principle, and examples of and guidelines for its use. Side notes, which appear to the right of the text, provide elaborations and references. The right-hand page contains visual examples and related graphics to support a deeper understanding of the principle.
Whether in a branding campaign or a healthcare facility, a product's packaging, or a software user interface, the color we see is the culmination of many concepts and practices brought together from a variety of disciplines to increase appeal, influence perception, and enhance usability.
By considering these concepts and examples, you can learn to make more informed and ultimately better color decisions. This landmark reference is the standard for designers, engineers, architects, and students who seek to broaden and improve their understanding of and expertise in color.
The titles in the Rockport Universal series offer comprehensive and authoritative information and edifying and inspiring visual examples on multidisciplinary subjects for designers, architects, engineers, students, and anyone who is interested in expanding and enriching their design knowledge.
Richly illustrated and easy to navigate, this comprehensive, cross-disciplinary overview of color is organized alphabetically so that principles can be easily and quickly referenced. The book pairs clear explanations of every topic with visual examples of it applied in theory and in practice. For those interested in addressing a specific color challenge or application problem, the principles are also indexed by pathways based on nine topics of color study: light, order, communication, object, mixture, application, observer, composition, and history.
Explore a diverse array of color principles, including:
Additive Mixture
Bezold Effects
Harmony
Pointillism
Newton's Opticks
Rayleigh Scattering
Transparency Effect
Warm and Cool
Each principle is presented in a two-page format: The left-hand page contains a succinct definition, a full description of the principle, and examples of and guidelines for its use. Side notes, which appear to the right of the text, provide elaborations and references. The right-hand page contains visual examples and related graphics to support a deeper understanding of the principle.
Whether in a branding campaign or a healthcare facility, a product's packaging, or a software user interface, the color we see is the culmination of many concepts and practices brought together from a variety of disciplines to increase appeal, influence perception, and enhance usability.
By considering these concepts and examples, you can learn to make more informed and ultimately better color decisions. This landmark reference is the standard for designers, engineers, architects, and students who seek to broaden and improve their understanding of and expertise in color.
The titles in the Rockport Universal series offer comprehensive and authoritative information and edifying and inspiring visual examples on multidisciplinary subjects for designers, architects, engineers, students, and anyone who is interested in expanding and enriching their design knowledge.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
color photos & illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 127 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
231 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7603-9384-0 (9780760393840)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Stephen Westland | Maggie Maggio
The Pocket Universal Principles of Color
100 Key Concepts for Understanding, Analyzing, and Working with Color
E-Book
06/2025
Rockport Publishers
€15.49
Available for download
Persons
Stephen Westland is Professor of Color Science and Technology in the School of Design at the University of Leeds (UK). He was previously Head of the School of Design at Leeds (2006-2013). His research interests are color design, color vision, and color measurement and he has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and books about these topics. He is a Fellow of the Society of Dyers and Colourists and was President of the Society in 2019. In 2008 he was awarded the Davies Medal from the Royal Photographic Society (London) for his color research. He has won numerous research grants from both government and industry and has recently worked with AkzoNobel, Colgate, and Unilever on color-related projects. He holds several visiting professorships, including at the University of Texas (USA) and Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan (China).Maggie Maggio is a designer, artist, and art educator who has studied, taught, and worked with color for over forty years. Her personal explorations into the science of light and pigments led to the creation of workshops for artists and designers who want to incorporate the latest research in color science into their creative practice. As a member of the Board of Directors of the US Inter-Society Color Council (ISCC) and co-chair of the International Color Association Study Group on Color Education, Maggie focuses on bridging between the art, science, and industry of color and advancing color literacy for the twenty-first century. She is the current chair of the Joint International Color Association/ISCC Color Literacy Project advocating for the integration of art and science in color education programs worldwide.
Content
Introduction 8
01 #TheDress 10
02 Accessibility . 12
03 Additive Mixture . 14
04 Advancing and Receding 16
05 Albers's Interaction of Color . . 18
06 Atmospheric Perspective . 20
07 Balance . 22
08 Basic Color Terms 24
09 Bauhaus . 26
10 Bezold Effect 28
11 Black and White 30
12 Blue Light . 32
13 Brand Colors 34
14 Camouflage . 36
15 Character Zones 38
16 Chemistry of Chromophores . 40
17 Chiaroscuro 42
18 Chroma . 44
19 Chromophobia 46
20 CIE System . 48
21 Cinematic Color . 50
22 CMYK 52
23 Color Constancy 54
24 Color Field Painting . 56
25 Color Forecasting 58
26 Color Literacy . 60
27 Color Management . 62
28 Color Meaning . 64
29 Color Measurement . 66
30 Color Order Systems . 68
31 Color Scales 70
32 Color Schemes . 72
33 Color Temperature 74
34 Colorants 76
35 Colorways 78
36 Complementary Colors 80
37 Context . 82
38 Contrast 84
39 Electromagnetic Spectrum 86
40 Emotion and Color 88
41 Environmental Color Design 90
42 Flat Color 92
43 Fluorescence . 94
44 Gamuts . 96
45 Geography of Color . 98
46 Goethe's Theory of Colours . 100
47 Gradients . 102
48 Grisaille 104
49 Harmony 106
50 Hue Angle 108
51 Hue Circle . 110
52 Human Visual System . 112
53 Impressionism . 114
54 Infographic Color . 116
55 International Klein Blue 118
56 Itten's The Art of Color 120
57 LED Color 122
58 Lighting . 124
59 Lightness 126
60 Limited Color Vision 128
61 Local Color . 130
62 Maxwell 132
63 Metamerism 134
64 Monochromatic 136
65 Munsell System . 138
66 Natural Color System 140
67 Nature's Light 142
68 Near Neutrals 144
69 Newton's Opticks 146
70 Op Art . 148
71 Palettes . 150
72 Pantone 152
73 Partitive Mixture . 154
74 Perception Triangle . 156
75 Permanence 158
76 Pointillism 160
77 Primary Colors . 162
78 Rayleigh Scattering . 164
79 RGB . 166
80 Safety Colors 168
81 Shadows . 170
82 Simultaneous Contrast . 172
83 Spectral Hues . 174
84 Structural Color . 176
85 Subtractive Mixture 178
86 Successive Contrast 180
87 Sustainable Color 182
88 Symbolic Color . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
89 Synesthesia 186
90 Technicolor 188
91 Texture . 190
92 Three Dimensions of Color 192
93 Tint, Shade, and Tone . 194
94 Traditional Color Theory 196
95 Transparency Effect 198
96 Trichromacy . 200
97 Undertone . 202
98 Unique Hues 204
99 Warm and Cool . 206
100 White Balance . 208
Acknowledgments 210
About the Authors . 212
Photo Credits 214
01 #TheDress 10
02 Accessibility . 12
03 Additive Mixture . 14
04 Advancing and Receding 16
05 Albers's Interaction of Color . . 18
06 Atmospheric Perspective . 20
07 Balance . 22
08 Basic Color Terms 24
09 Bauhaus . 26
10 Bezold Effect 28
11 Black and White 30
12 Blue Light . 32
13 Brand Colors 34
14 Camouflage . 36
15 Character Zones 38
16 Chemistry of Chromophores . 40
17 Chiaroscuro 42
18 Chroma . 44
19 Chromophobia 46
20 CIE System . 48
21 Cinematic Color . 50
22 CMYK 52
23 Color Constancy 54
24 Color Field Painting . 56
25 Color Forecasting 58
26 Color Literacy . 60
27 Color Management . 62
28 Color Meaning . 64
29 Color Measurement . 66
30 Color Order Systems . 68
31 Color Scales 70
32 Color Schemes . 72
33 Color Temperature 74
34 Colorants 76
35 Colorways 78
36 Complementary Colors 80
37 Context . 82
38 Contrast 84
39 Electromagnetic Spectrum 86
40 Emotion and Color 88
41 Environmental Color Design 90
42 Flat Color 92
43 Fluorescence . 94
44 Gamuts . 96
45 Geography of Color . 98
46 Goethe's Theory of Colours . 100
47 Gradients . 102
48 Grisaille 104
49 Harmony 106
50 Hue Angle 108
51 Hue Circle . 110
52 Human Visual System . 112
53 Impressionism . 114
54 Infographic Color . 116
55 International Klein Blue 118
56 Itten's The Art of Color 120
57 LED Color 122
58 Lighting . 124
59 Lightness 126
60 Limited Color Vision 128
61 Local Color . 130
62 Maxwell 132
63 Metamerism 134
64 Monochromatic 136
65 Munsell System . 138
66 Natural Color System 140
67 Nature's Light 142
68 Near Neutrals 144
69 Newton's Opticks 146
70 Op Art . 148
71 Palettes . 150
72 Pantone 152
73 Partitive Mixture . 154
74 Perception Triangle . 156
75 Permanence 158
76 Pointillism 160
77 Primary Colors . 162
78 Rayleigh Scattering . 164
79 RGB . 166
80 Safety Colors 168
81 Shadows . 170
82 Simultaneous Contrast . 172
83 Spectral Hues . 174
84 Structural Color . 176
85 Subtractive Mixture 178
86 Successive Contrast 180
87 Sustainable Color 182
88 Symbolic Color . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
89 Synesthesia 186
90 Technicolor 188
91 Texture . 190
92 Three Dimensions of Color 192
93 Tint, Shade, and Tone . 194
94 Traditional Color Theory 196
95 Transparency Effect 198
96 Trichromacy . 200
97 Undertone . 202
98 Unique Hues 204
99 Warm and Cool . 206
100 White Balance . 208
Acknowledgments 210
About the Authors . 212
Photo Credits 214