2011年4月5日星期二

Business Chart: Classical Color Combination for Charts in Business Magazines

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Many friends often complain their charts are much too poor style and it's hard to make them professional. I think one of the diffcult issues should be How to use correct color & style? It seems those charts from business magazine always have a set of carefully designed color & style. Sometimes, we can differentiate a business chart and a personal one only by it.

In fact, most of us are not expert on color and have no plan to dig it. How to promote our charts and make them more business style? Design a personalized color combination should be an effective method. I've collected some common used color combination. Maybe they can give you some inspiration.

Color 1. Dark Teal

As a popular business magazine, "The Economist" usually uses one color: Dark Teal. Darker or lighter Teal are also used to stand for different data series.

Red is usually used as an important indicator such as average value. Maybe, you've noticed there is also a small red box on the top-left corner. It makes these charts more vivid. Sometimes, small decorations in chart are important too.

In fact, this color has been used by many professional consultants or finance web sites, such as Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

Color 2. Blue + White

This combination comes from Forbes. Forbes usually uses these charts in many finance reports. The color combination looks light.

Color 3. Dark Blue + Red

At its early stage, Business Week always uses dark blue and red as a special color combination in charts. I'm not sure where does this combination come from. But it seems the style gives us a feel of stable. Even though this style has been changed a little in recent magazine, Dark blue + Red are still a good color combination.

Color 4. Orange + Gray

I find many designers love this combination. This color combination has been used in many charts and even many companies' logo.

Color 5. Black + Yellow(Golden)

Black and white contrast is most strongly. Black and Yellow or Gold looks also noble and professional.

Color 6. Black, White + Gray

"The Wall street Journal" usually uses gray as chart's basic color. Even though the color is not rich, these charts are still very professional after it’s combined with good layout and comment.

Color 7. Dark Red + Gray

This combination comes from many finance magazines. Some big companies also use it as their special color combination such as Chinese Sinopec.

Color 8. Orange + Green

This color combination is a little bright and full of vitality. It’s also a common used combination in many finance magazines.

Color 9. Combine color with logo

Focus uses multiple color combination in its report. All colors come from its logo. We usually insert a logo into our report. It's a good idea to take your color combination from logo.










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