Colour with a system

Colour systems organize the multitude of colours into mathematical or geometrical systems. Often they are classified according to purpose, for example in order to mix colours from an artist's palette or to mathematically identify colour impressions. However, there is no one 'right' system.

Two classes of colour systems can be identified:

Additive colour mixtures (Light, for example):
The sum of all colours is white
(Newton, CIE- Norm system)

Subtraktive colour mixtures (paint colours, for example):
The sum of all colours is black
(Leonardo, Runge, Klee, Itten, NCS)

The colour circle according to Goethe contrasts colours with their complementary colours. With this system, Goethe was investigating how colours affect the human consciousness and emotions. He was striving to define the "sensual/moral effect" of single colours. Details about the psychological effects of colours: >Colour Effects

Further Colour Registers:

Pantone:

Pantone U.K., Inc.
8 State Street, Hythe
Kent CT21 6BD England
www.pantone.com

Büro D
Roonstraße 23a
76137 Karlsruhe
www.pantone.de

HKS

http://www.hks-farben.de
Address for ordering:
HKV Druck
Cheruskerstr. 27
70435 Stuttgart
erich.greissl@henkeldruck.de

or:
HKS Warenzeichenverband e.V.
Siegelstr. 25
70469 Stuttgart
siegfried.kuebler@basf-drucksysteme.de

NCS

Scandinavian Colour Institute
P.O. Box 49022
S-100 28 Stockholm, Sweden
www.ncscolour.com

Büro D
NCS-Europäisches Color Centrum GmbH
Bayreuther Str. 8
10787 Berlin
www.ncscolour.de

Munsell

Munsell Color Services
Gretag Macbeth
617 Little Britain Road, Suite 102
New Windsor, NY 12553-6148
www.munsell.com