The Web Wheel - Instructions for Use
the Web Wheel is a color tool that was designed
for use in all aspects of Internet graphics and imagery.
The wheel has a basic function - that of allowing the user to
select a color, or set of colors, to use in their web designs.
Each color has the hexadecimal codes and RGB values printed on
it.
The colors are placed in the natural order of the spectrum, so
that color themes will be easy to find. Most color charts for
web graphics are based on the hexadecimal code, with colors scattered
all over the place, and this makes it difficult to choose specific
sets of color.
the Web Wheel makes it easy to locate the color
of your choice, and then find colors that are similar, opposite,
or in a triad (the most basic color schemes) without having to
search through numbered charts.
Colors on side B of the wheel are more intense - each color swatch
on this side contains a mix of only two of the three colors of
R, G, and B. These colors are therefore more pure then the colors
on side A, which contain percentages of all three primary colors
(red, green, and blue).
To use the Web Wheel, all you need to do is
choose a color on the wheel, and use the printed hexadecimal code
or RGB values in your HTML coding.
The number of colors and their codes is specific to web design.
The "web-safe" colors are colors that remain the same
on different platforms, such as PC, Mac, and SGI and on different
browsers such as Netscape, Internet Explorer, and AOL. There are
only 216 colors that are safe for all platforms. Color used outside
this range may become dithered or appear differently on an 8-bit
display (256 color). When non "web-safe" colors are
used, they will be displayed differently because the browser will
automatically "shift" them to the closest browser-safe
color. Since each platform uses a different color video card and
monitor calibration, the color shifting will be out of the designer's
control, and could have a negative impact on the appearance of
the web page.
the Web Wheel serves a secondary function, that
of finding analogous colors (colors lying side by side), opposite
or complementary colors, and color triads. This allows the user
to easily find a color scheme that appears blended (analogous
colors), high impact (complementary colors), or has a harmonious
appearance (triads).
On side B, there are three bands of color around the outside
of the wheel. These are full-strength red, green, and blue. The
bands vary in width, indicating the amount of each color (R,G
& B) that exist in each of the base colors.
Side A also contains a strip of "hue" names, indicating
the natural sequence of colors around the spectrum, going from
yellow to red, to magenta, to blue, cyan, green, etc. This allows
you to locate "safe" colors that most closely resemble
the natural colors of the spectrum.
We feel that the Web Wheel is a valuable aid
to web graphics, allowing the user to see, at a glance, colors
and codes necessary for the web design process. With a physical
wheel at hand, or propped up on a desk, there is no longer a need
to flip between programs, or to use a digital hex calculator to
find the colors you want to use in your work.
More Information about the
Web Wheel can be found here.
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