Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color

I frequently design my own publicity materials (brochures, websites). Color design is important to me, and the Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color is an excellent reference book. I already know the basics of color theory, but having a guide to refer to when I need suggestions for different color combinations is great.

This book also discusses the connotations and implications of colors, which is helpful when you are trying to decide on a color for your logo or website. I appreciate the visual nature of this book, and the many examples of advertisments illustrate the effects of using a particular color (don’t expect an in-depth analysis though — the text doesn’t discuss any of these advertisements in detail). The color combinations section has an additional feature which could be very helpful — we are told the pantone number of each color in the combination.

For someone already familiar with the visual arts, this book will be a great reference guide!