Discussions
Blog Design: Which colors do you use and why?
Posted by timethief • 2/12/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: bachgrounds, blogs, browsers, color selection tools, colors, cross browser compatilbility tools, fonts, web design
Color is considered emotional, because variations evoke different emotions in people. We all know that green is the color of money, but did you also know that green can symbolize greed, envy, and jealousy? The colors you choose will have a direct effect on how the public perceives your company or product. This can be complicated by the fact that our use of color on the web is now limitless: technology allows us to create millions of color combinations. So how do you choose?
It’s important to understand that every color has a positive and negative set of emotions associated with it, what I call the “color meaning”. It’s this meaning that will affect your readers' emotional response to your blog. So when choosing color schemes for your blog, you need to make sure you’re presenting your blog or brand with a color that will most likely encourage reader's to choose your blog to read.
Cool Colors
Blue, green, purple, turquoise and silver are cool colors. Cool colors tend to have a calming effect on readers. Used alone however, these colors can have a cold or impersonal feel, so when choosing cool colors, it may be wise to add a color from another group to avoid this.
Warm Colors
Red, pink, yellow, orange, purple, and gold are warm colors. Warm colors tend to have an exciting effect on readers. However when these colors are used alone they can over-stimulate, generating emotions of anger and violence. When choosing warm tones, adding colors from another group will help to balance this.
Neutral Colors
Brown, tan, ivory, gray, black and white are neutral colors. Neutral colors are a great selection to mix with a cool or warm palette. They are good for backgrounds in a design, and also tend to tone down the use of other more overpowering colors. Black is added to create a darker “shade” of a primary color, while white is added to create a lighter “tint”.
Making color choices for your blog
Choosing color is more than just picking what feels good to you, it is about creating a response from readers. By knowing your target audience and the effect that different colors can have, you gain a greater ability to determine what colors will work best for your reading audience.
Color selection tools
Color wheels have been used for a long time but they are much easier to use today. Check out these resources visibone.com/colorlab/ and Color wheels have been used for a long time but they are much easier to use today. Check out this resource visibone.com/colorlab/ which lets you choose from the 216 color browser-safe palette. Here's another color wheel www.ficml.org/jemimap/style/color/wheel.html and has a cool hovering tool that allows you select colors and then shades. And here are more color tools you can use www.griffinwebdesign.com/colors.htm
www.colorsontheweb.com/colorsontheweb.asp
www.colourlovers.com/
Colors and browsers
Readers use different monitors, different browsers, and different operating systems. It is nearly impossible to ensure that your colors come across the same on every computer as well as in print. Don’t be overly concerned with the differences on varying computers, but do try to be consistent.
What is the trend in browser usage?
Web Statistics and Trends - Statistics are important information. From the statistics you can see that Firefox and Internet Explorer are the most common browsers. Note that the 19.6% who are using IE6 will always have problems as IE6 is a problematic browser. www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
Cross browser compatibility tools
browsershots.org/
www.browsercam.com/Default2.aspx
www.crossbrowsertesting.com/
Internet Explorer 7, 6 or 5.5 - ipinfo.info/netrenderer/
Discussion questions:
(1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
(2) Why did you choose them?
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from? (Please post only relevant links to additional color tools.)
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility? (Please post only relevant links to additional cross browser compatibility tools.)
User Comments
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I have all of these colors on my blog. The background is a taupe/tan type color, accents are yellow, green and a touch of red. My choices were based on ideas my designers offered and I chose which colors 'felt right' to me. It works.-
@anniepooh
It works.
Hi there Anne. It certainly does "work". I love your blog designs and colors on Cooking with Anne because they give me a warm food is in the oven feeling cookingwithanne.blogspot.com/
Would you care to share the link to the web designer that you worked with? -
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@Anne
Thanks for that link. I appreciate you coming back and posting it.
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very nice combinations..
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For my humor blog I intentionally tried to choose some sort of energetic yet gender-neutral colors because I wanted both guys and gals to feel comfortable there. So I went with a vibrant vegetable green, along with deep red and an assortment of true blues.
My thrifting blog, the background is a pinkish purple- not so pink as to be wholly offputting for guys, but definitely more feminine. I added truer purples and greens to tone it down a bit, too.-
@thriftshopromantic
I really like the contrasting greens in Cabbages and Kings cabbages-n-kings.blogspot.com/ The dark green background is cool and the bright green in the sidebar and header really "pop".
I also like the way you have used the deep rose background in and in the lettering in the header of thriftshopromantic.blogspot.com/ Once again you have skillfully used green, in the header that provides a really interesting look because it's shaded and has a shiny appearance too.
Thanks for commenting. -
You bet-- and thanks for the eyeball on them, too.
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I generally choose themes that seem compatible with my blog concept, withouth considering the colors. I do try to use complimentary colors for accents, though. For instance, my music blog is black, grey, and bright blue. When I add, say, a playlist to a blog I use orange or yellow tones to give a little warmth and different color to the page.-
Sounds like a good process. -
@legbamel
I absolutely adore the black and white shaded theme you have for One Step Forward and I covet that female image in the header. www.one-step-forward.net/ I always relax when I read your posts and discover how badly my grammar sucks and what to do about it.
What happened to your music blog? I can't find it. Isn't it registered at BC? Where is it so we can check out the colors? -
I switched it to my custom domain and am awaiting approval. It's at not-pop-jukebox.com now.
When I first saw the theme I use for my grammar blog, I fell in love with it. It was listed as an "interior decorating" blog, but that woman so clearly expressed how I feel about writing that I had to make it mine! -
legbamel ... I just fell in love with your blog! What a great concept for a blog. Your header rocks, as well!
(and now I'm paranoid that I'm using incorrect grammar in this post) -
@creativejunkie
Remember that I have dibs on that header ... lol
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I'll let you know if I ever abandon in for another.
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@legbamel
Don't forget about the image when it comes time to let it go I'd love to have it. Thanks also for clearing up what happened to not-pop-jukebox.com/ I like the colors in it and I think it suits your music blog real well. It will be cool to see it on your own domain. -
OK I admit it. I'll have to join the fan club too. I like not-pop-jukebox.com/ colorwise and other wise. -
Thanks, all! [blushing]
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@AlextheGreat
That's good to hear because all of us can always use more readers/subscribers ..
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I didn't choose the colors on my blog (the template came with it!), but I tend to use dark colors (not necessarily black) for the background so the screen glare won't burn my eyes -
@Friday13
Do you have links to any examples of color schemes that you particularly prefer? Better still do have links to any designs you have created yourself?
I see that on Random Nothingness you have another photo post and I'm thinking that some of those images are really cool textures that I might use in a blog design. omarmodesto.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/in-detail/ -
Well, I've got my homepage:
omarmodesto.110mb.com
It's nothing fancy, but I like how it turned out. I'll be redesigning it soon (and changing "Friday13" to my real name). -
@Friday13
I just visited your gallery at omarmodesto.110mb.com/ You are an up and coming graphics artist. Cool. I'm looking forward to see how you develop your site.
I'm going to ask you for a favor. Will you please create an image for the BC New Users Group? It's here www.blogcatalog.com/group/new-blog-catalog-users -
I'll see what I can do!
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@Friday13
Thanks
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Personally, I gravitate toward the cooler colors and do not like red, yellow or orange very much. I have have several blogs and they are all over the color wheel, despite my preferences. I think I am going for what's logical to the subject matter and psychological effect.
My gardening blog is white because the photos of flowers are so colorful all on their own; my breast cancer blog is pink, like the awareness ribbons; my adhd and mental health blogs are on a beige parchment paper look, to make them appear official and serious; my cat lover's blog is blue because it goes best with the photo I am using at the top. I have a few more blogs but can't recall their colors off the top of my head.-
You really ARE BusyLizzy.
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@busylizzy
You sure do have quite a stable of blogs there in all colors of the rainbow. I'm a subscriber to Recipes for the Seasons and due to the fact I'm visually challenged I appreciate the fact that it has a white background and is so easy to read. What I think adds a delightful touch to the off the rack blog design is the little seasonal images you place at the top of the sidebar. They are very cool. www.recipesfortheseasons.blogspot.com/ -
TT - I put the side images on RECIPES to, hopefully, help people zero in on their area of interest in the index. Also, I like pictures, can't have enough!
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(1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
Deep Blue, green, white, black.
(2) Why did you choose them?
Since my blog, Loving Innocence, is a philosophic one on innocence and dreaming, it makes sense to chose a palate that cools to a meditative mental framework, but not so dreamy as to promote the reader to get lost in the dream. That's because dreams aren't just flights of fancy but are statements of deeper things. Because those deeper things are pondered, the blue isn't a pastel blue but a blue one might find in something more academic. The soft green also moderates the dreaminess. It's soft like a dream but green is more an earth tone when used this way, suggesting to be more down to earth. Borders are white as are the fonts in the Title Block and descriptions. The The text is black on off-white background.
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from? (Please post only relevant links to additional color tools.) I happened to find a template within Blogger and knew it was perfect for the job. It's simple and direct.
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility? (Please post only relevant links to additional cross browser compatibility tools.)
I experimented from various directions and found no problem using the template. I often use Firefox and at times use Explorer.-
@Lynnea
I'm familiar with the theme you are using on Loving Innocence and with your blog contents too lovinginnocence.blogspot.com/ Although the colors in this theme does "work" for your blog, I hope you won't be offended when I say it's an extremely common theme and what you write about is not common. If I were you I'd consider looking for another theme that better frames your unusual and compelling content.
Here are some sources for free Blogger templates:
mashable.com/2008/05/17/70-plus-new-and-beautiful-blogger-templates/
freetemplates.blogspot.com/
www.finalsense.com/services/blog_templates/
www.pyzam.com/bloggertemplates
blogger-templates.blogspot.com/
www.eblogtemplates.com/templates/blogger-templates/
Tnanks so much for commenting. -
I'm looking over some of those templates and am having a laugh at some of them for my case. Like the "Sexy" or "Fashion" templates on Pyzam?
Not that the subject is in conflict. I'm the first to say that sexy and innocence really do go well together, in fact one should be able to embrace the other. But on an abstract subject like this, the strong pictures might pose a distraction from the writing itself.
Nevertheless, I can consider changing templates if I find one suitable. Thanks. -
@lynnea
You're welcome and if you need more links for free Blogger themes you will find them by doing a Google search. Currently 3 column and magazine themes are vogue.
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I wanted to keep my blog simple so I decided on keeping a white background and using the colours orange and black (like the mobile company "Orange"), I thought these colours would bring a sense of trust to my brand.
I also looked at other themes within my niche to see what I could learn. My ultimate goal with my blog was to make the search crawlers love and design has never been my strong point. I chose a custom template and have basically tweaked it manually, actually I've tweaked it a lot. I haven't used any tools and every bit of design has been done from scratch.
It's a simple blog, but jam packed with quality info www.seowizz.net/-
@Tim
Thanks for posting the link so others can check out what you have done with your blog. I'm very familiar with it and I really appreciate how clean, uncluttered and easy to read it is. I like how you have used the color orange. It's a stimulating one and demanding color for sure. It stimulates emotions and even the appetite. Used as sparingly, as you have done on your blog, orange captures attention without screaming. Thanks for posting.
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(1) Brown, black
(2) No Idea.. but because I found it(template) beautiful.
(3) Nil
(4) I never thought these things exist. Its good that i knew it today.
And what does brown signifies-
@dosox
I ♥ the warm earth tone colors in your blog Inside Doson dosoxy.blogspot.com/ They are among my favorite colors because unlike most folks, I 'm a warm color and earth tone color lover. I also like the texture a great deal too. I think texture adds something really special (depth) to a blog design that flat colors don't.
Brown is the color of the earth and is associated with the material side of life. Some shades of brown like the one you chose create a warm, comfortable feeling of wholesomeness, naturalness and dependability. People who prefer brown are often conventional and orderly. The negative meaning associated with choosing brown can be a repressed personality or a lazy person. -
Lazy Person I"m stuck
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@dosox
No you did not choose the deep shades of brown that indicate laziness. Some shades of brown like the one you chose create a warm, comfortable feeling of wholesomeness, naturalness and dependability.
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Photoblog dark grey because shows up colours in photographs best
Myriad Life on the Market purple because i like it and for the same reason as above really
Short Stories and My Jewellery Stall blog white as they involve more text and it is easier on the eye.
Agree it is really important to choose wisely though, the wrong colour can turn people off quickly however good the content is-
wrong place -
@myraidlike
I see you are using Sadish Bala's Mistylook theme on your My jewelry stall blog and I like the header you have. When I used this theme I had a whole folder full of custom headers I could change almost as frequently as I changed my clothes myjewellerystall.wordpress.com/
I liked the color of the theme given that it provides a neutral background for your colorful jewelry which BTW is very attractive.
If you decide to get your own domain and like Sadish's themes you can find more free themes here wpthemes.info/themes/ and he is also exploring the idea of a Theme Club too. You can read about it here wprocks.com/themes-club/are-you-ready-to-join-my-theme-club/
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1. Which colors: I have mostly blues on my little four eyes blog. It had originally been a lot of blue tones, but I found that to be too somber and too impersonal (as you mention). I recently had a new banner done which adds a lot more bright colors and I've been amazed at how much brighter and happier I feel when I visit it now.
2. Why: Blue is my favorite color and I gravitate towards it. When I was working with the illustrator to make my banner though, I asked for something fun and playful that evoked children's illustrations, which are often brightly colored.
3. Color tools: Didn't use any tools except the mind of an art student who is better at these things than I am.
4. Browser compatibility: Ooh, didn't think about that. Going to check your links now. I forget that people use browsers other than ff.-
About your response to #4 - that's on my mind, too.
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I just checked out browsershots.org, and that's a pretty cool site. Showed me screenshots of what my blog looks like in lots of different browsers. Lots of browsers I had never even heard of.
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@annz
Yes, browsershots is a cool tool for checking for cross browser theme color and design compatibility. The color tool links are also to some cool tools. And a little bird told me that there is some work being done on upgrading themes at wordpress.com and introducing some new ones in the not so distant future. -
@annz
You're right about Ed Merrit's OceanMist theme. It's a beautiful study in blue and I do like the burgundy color he used for links but it was very somber. The header you have up is precious. I think it lightens and brightens the blog as well as being perfectly suited to the contents toddlerglasses.wordpress.com/
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I had green on my blog. But I didn't like it. So, I got a blue one. I love blue simply because its cool and probably has (a lot of)calming effect on me!
I did not think of calming and warming effects on readers but the theme I just applied has blue as calming and yellow as warm. So, my blog has right combination of these!
Internet Explorer 6? People still use it?
I use Browser Shots since I was a "Blogspot user". IE family is always problemetic. When I was on Blogger, only browsers which displayed blog badly were all IE. (5,6,7)-
I'm impressed, sometimes, at the older systems and software visitors use.
It's a point to keep in mind, when planning a blog or website's design. -
@norski
Your point is well taken. It shocks me to see how many people out there are using IE6 browsers. I also was surprised to find how many are still on dial-up service too. -
@ishansharma001
One of my favorite blogs on blogging is blogging with success and I really admire the color scheme used there bloggingwithsuccess.net/
The entire site is set up for readers and is very well organized. The older posts are readily accessible to readers. The content is up front and not hidden in distracting clutter.
Even though I'm visually challenged this entire site is easy to read. The gray toned shading on the white background cuts the glare down very nicely. The cream color used in the sidebar is a very nice blend with the shades of blue used in the background, and in the header. The orange RSS accent color pops out nicely.
It's very professional looking. Good job!
P.S. The one thing I don't like is the bold black font in the comments. I would tone it down to match the font color found in the posts.
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I like cooler, calming colors for my blog. However, I am thinking about undergoing a radical change in my blog's design. Not sure yet, though--I kind of like the coolness of the colors it has now.-
Oh yeah, the mellow blues definitely work for it.... -
@mtyler77
To be honest with you I &hearts the blog design that you have on The Melindville Blog blog.melindaville.com/ I like the color pallet and the font colors used. I especially like the gray colored background in the posts. Although white backgrounds do create higher readability levels as Friday13 mentioned way up there somewhere in this thread they also create a glare. The gray toned shading that we see on blogging with success is one way to reduce the glare. The gray background behind posts in your blog is another approach.
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My blog is about being green, and the blog is very green in color. I am not sure I even like so much green. I am such a novice at this I had never even considered the impact it can have on people. Great words and resources. Makes me think.-
Here's a thought: use those resources (and others), and come up with a scheme that has green as a dominant color - but not a 'dominating' color.
In other words, don't use a lot of emphatically green backgrounds, graphics, text, or whatever.
I think you'll find examples of muted (and not-so-muted) green schemes on other 'green' sites. Some are quite attractive, I think (examples? Can't think of one right now - big help, I am.) -
@environmentalbooty
As your blog has an environmental focus green is for sure a color you ought to consider. shaneshirleysmith.blogspot.com/ However, to be honest with you I have grown tired of seeing so many Blogger blogs with this theme and would consider changing it if I were you. Higher up in this thread you will see that I have provided LynneaUrania with a list of links to sources of free templates that are available for Blogger blogs. If you do decide that your blog needs a change then you can check out what's available on those sites.
www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/blog-design-which-colors-do-you-use-and-w... -
@Norski, environmentalbooty & everyone else too
Colorblindness- Color blindness (color vision deficiency) is a condition in which certain colors cannot be distinguished, and is most commonly due to an inherited condition. Red/Green color blindness is by far the most common form, about 99%, and causes problems in distinguishing reds and greens.
- Another color deficiency Blue/Yellow also exists, but is rare and there is no commonly available test for it.
- Depending on just which figures you believe, color blindness seems to occur in about 8% - 12% of males of European origin and about one-half of 1% of females. I did not find any figures for frequency in other races. Total color blindness (seeing in only shades of gray) is extremely rare.
- There is no treatment for color blindness, nor is it usually the cause of any significant disability. However, it can be very frustrating for individuals affected by it. Those who are not color blind seem to have the misconception that color blindness means that a color blind person sees only in black and white or shades of gray. While this sort of condition is possible, it is extremely rare.
From: Web / Computer Color Chart for the Color Blind
www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/aboutCB.asp -
Quite aside from making your site accessible to colorblind readers did you know that:
- An accessible website is more likely to be ranked well with the search engines than an inaccessible website;
- By designing a colorblind accessible website, you are also targeting PDAs, 3G phones, and similar technological devices that are used for web access.
How to Design Web Accessible Pages for the ColorBlind
www.allwebdesignresources.com/webdesignblogs/graphics/how-to-design-web-acc...
Considering the Color Blind Design Evaluation Tool
3 WAYS to see what your colors look like to the color-blind newmanservices.com/colorblind/default.asp
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Very good choice of topic - thanks!
Answers:
(1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
Depends on which blog. Each of them started with a BlogSpot template, and many stayed there.
Apathetic Lemming of the North is black text on white background, with light blue, hazy, color toward top - for readability and an open, 'airy' feel.
Another War-on-Terror Blog uses a standard color scheme: dark blue background, a sort of light yellowish tan for the body text background, and darkish greens in the sidebar. The idea was to present a business-like, solid, stable, image - sort of like what you see on some investment brochures. (It is not a 'give me your money' blog!) I'm not satisfied with it, since the thing looks like every other blog that uses that template - but I have yet to decide on a suitable alternative.
(2) Why did you choose them?
Oops. I just answered that - generally, so that the colors, the first thing anyone's likely to notice, will enhance the emotional tone I want the blog to have.
Narcissus-X, for example, has a black background, Gray title, gray text, and pale greenish titles for the posts. All of which is intended to convey the almost painfully creative, creative, artistic (and don't you forget it) heart of Narcissus-X, the (fictional) angsty artist.
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from? (Please post only relevant links to additional color tools.)
I use color charts and notes: a mixture of now very old online resources, and my own work. The only URL I could find that's still around is www.maran.com/ - And they've changed their approach over the last half-decade or so.
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility? (Please post only relevant links to additional cross browser compatibility tools.)
Not really. I kept very strictly to the universal browser-safe colors, until my log files showed that only a tiny minority of visitors still used the old 216 "Web-safe colors" - but even now, I'm inclined to stick with those. I figure that using the limited palate, and hexadecimal code, will make the pages look reasonably good on almost any system with 256 or higher color depth.
If I had a large staff, few budget constraints, and a willingness to let my inner perfectionist loose: I'd work more on computability. As it is, I've decided to be satisfied if viewers can read the text, see the pictures, and aren't (or are) revulsed by the color scheme.-
I really like the "airy" feel of your Apathetic Lemmings blog. I think it really evokes the cool north, too. I wonder if you could pull some of the colors from the image on your header of the Another War-on-Terror blog. It's such an evocative image, and the few colors in it, would still convey stable and solid, I think.
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@Norski
I have been visiting your Another War-on-Terror Blog anotherwaronterrorblog.blogspot.com/ and I notice that it's the same template that LynneaUrania and many other blogspot bloggers use. I like what you have done with the header and inclusion of the government building graphic. It suits the blog content and the colors are somber so they suit the content in your posts too. I think the choice of the yellow font color in the Labels cloud in your sidebar does make them pop but, IMO the background color behind the posts would have been a better choice because using more that 3 colors is not the best way to go in a website or blog design.
As far as Apathetic Lemming of the North apatheticlemming.blogspot.com/ goes I do agree with Annz that the template has an airy and cold look but that's where it ends for me. Granted it's a restful theme and the colors used are those that are frequently used in professional blogs. This is a template that's so common perhaps even overused by so many bloggers that I would replace it in the blink of an eye. It bores me.
There are now many attractive templates now available for blogspot blogs and many of them have been adapted from wordpress themes. Colors are happening ezine themes and 3 column themes are also happening and I think you could do a lot better, if you were inclined to change it.
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Great Article. People don't realize that color is SO important, not only for the message your blog is sending, but for ease on your readers eye.
I use all kinds of colors when designing blogs. I do try to compliment all colors, and make things easy to digest. -
Color is always my primary issue when I create my header and background.
Right now, my header is blue/white and my background is black. I like it. I chose those colors because it's winter themed and it struck me as cool and crisp.
I create my own headers and each time I create one, it becomes my new favorite. I'm not loyal to any one particular color because I kind of go with the seasonal colors. However, I may just keep my black background, simply because I like it and it makes my headers *pop*.
I didn't use any color tools except the eye dropper tool in Photoshop. And no, I didn't test them for cross browser compatability ... I probably should have? Now I'm wondering if it's showing up as green somewhere and someone's wondering why in the world I have snowflakes against a green background?
I'm going to be re-doing my website soon and I'll keep my black background, but I'm debating on how to create my header ... whether I should just have one header in which I change a few details periodically, or whether I should switch the entire header out occasionally, to follow the seasons.
I'm leaning towards the former and I think I might want to have a blue/pink/purplish scheme, against the black background?
I'm a tweakaholic ... I'll be the one most surprised with what I come up with.-
@creativejunkie
It's been an interesting time. I have watched you change themes and tweak and create headers that set of your content which is hilarious stories based on your life and observations for some time now. I like the cool colors and clean design you have chosen for www.thecreativejunkie.com/ and like you say some of us are never done tweaking... lol Thanks for posting to the thread.
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Thanks again, on two counts: I expect to learn quite a bit from this thread; and a microreview of this discussion's put me closer to making quota for Apathetic Lemming of the North.
( I plan to be back - but not for several hours. At best. This is a quite promising discussion: It's good to see what other bloggers are doing, and why.)-
@Norski
Thanks for your contributions and kind words too. If you sense that this thread will become a post in my blog you are correct. If you go for a microreview on the Apathetic Lemming then I'll have your review to backlink too.
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mine is a mix of warm and neutral colors. I did it that way because I like the way it looks. No didn't check to see if it works in other browsers etc.-
I also like the appearance. It's warm and very homey looking. The yellow is cheerful. The warm brown frames the content nicely and you can't go wrong with a butterfly symbolizing transformation is your header. Thanks for commenting. catholicchristianhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
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I have a mixture of a green marble and black.
I chose black because I have so many images on my blog in the form of art work, photographs or simply greetings card which generally show up really well against a black background.
I didn't actually choose colour tools, I used blogger templates whilst spending some time looking around for a template that I thought reflected my blogs content.
I really love the marble because it looks as though I have splattered everything with different colour paint...I was also drawn to the header which isn't the best in explorer, it does look better in firefox but the dreamy misty landscape wih trees is also a reflection of things that I would post, I am a tree and nature type person
I will eventually get tired of it but I hope not for a little while! I try not to tweak all the time!-
@chrissymarie
Wow! Your new template is looking great. The green and marble background is such a perfect compliment for the bird and nature photography, and like you, I'm also drawn to the misty tree green header. chrissymaries.blogspot.com/
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dsriharsha.blogspot.com
The first thing I decided on when I started to blog was that my blog template should not distract people from whatever I write.
I wanted the emphasis to be on the content and not my blog background.(I am not claiming to be a great writer but I like what I write ).
The color I chose was a simple blue background. Blue is my favorite color because it is very soothing on the eyes. Also.. white text on blue looks really good.-
@dsriharsha
Thanks so much for posting. I find the dark blue font used on your site dsriharsha.blogspot.com/ lacks the amount of contrast with the black background that need as a visually challenged person to be able to read the words, without struggling. I'm wondering if you would you consider using a lighter blue font?
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I use a black back ground, looks smart and neat, whit gold blue writing.
im travelling live on my blog
www.richardsmalley.blogspot.com-
I like the font you are using. What is that?
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Great blog, and I like the font too. -
@thetravellerreturns
I'm sorry to say that the black background and low contrast fonts you use in your blog make it inaccessible to me. I'm visually impaired & cannot read any of the blue and orange words in your sidebar at all. The only way I can read what's there is to copy and paste it into another document with a white background.
Would you consider using fonts that are lighter in color and present a greater contrast with the black background on your blog? -
@thetravellerreturns
I don't know if you are following this thread or not so I'm posting two links with regard to accessibility as I think you might like to read the information you find there
www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/blog-design-which-colors-do-you-use-and-w...
www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/blog-design-which-colors-do-you-use-and-w... -
wrong spot
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1. I have a free blog on WP. I have the Albeo theme which has pink, blue and yellow colours. I love yellow colour yet I decided against an overly yellow theme because other conditions like a wide sidebar were not obtaining. Kinda weird but true, I keep 'my' visual pleasure in mind while choosing themes!
I did check it on three browsers and it was okay on each of them.-
@vikas
I'm familiar with the theme you mean. I displays were well in Opera, Firefox and IE7. Although I hear that you like the colorful appearance of Albeo the truth is that I don't really think it suits your content very well and your penchant for so many colorful sidebar images and widgets. vikasgupta.wordpress.com Frankly, I'm wondering if either Digg 3 or Grid Focus wouldn't be a better choice for your blog.
Digg3 - 3 column theme with two sidebars and a customizable header, fixed width, page navigation
Grid Focus - white, grid, whitespace, minimal, clean, widgets, three columns
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I use black, white and red on my blog. Black and red are the colors that symbolize anarcho-syndicalism, and various other forms of Anarchism. I use white for the font color to make the stark contrast for readers.
Personally speaking, I find white on black easier to read, and an excellent way to show case any images or artwork.
I offer e mail and RSS subscriptions for readers who need a black on white text, however, understanding that not everyone loves white on black
I still maintain my blog colors because my target audience, and the overall image I want to portray is that of strong Anarchist leanings and ideologies. When a person who is even vaguely familiar with or interested in Anarchism, the colors jump out and grab them.-
That's why Qelqoth's avatar always reminds me of you.
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Hehehehehehe and he reminds of boogers, but that's for another day
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@Anok
I agree that the colors you have chosen do depict your content and your target audience very well. I have subscribed to your feed so I can read your posts on a white background rather than struggling to read them on the blog. Sadly, this means that I'm far less inclined to click through to your blog at identitycheck-anok.blogspot.com/ and leave comments. I'm beginning to wonder how many people over the age of 40 prefer to read blogs with black backgrounds because most folks I've spoken to in that age range and older tell me they are a turn-off.
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Interesting discussion! I have to admit the colours currently used on my site came with the blog template, which I chose specifically because it harmonised with the header and gravatar and all the other things I had already created. I had mainly been using cooler blues and greens up till then, with a dash of scarlet just to lift it up a little but the colour scheme I've ended up with I think is slightly warmer with an oceany vibe - sand, sea green, teal and the like. I think (or hope) it's relaxing and welcoming at the same time.-
@Bird
The Birds in the Meadow www.thebirdsinthemeadow.com/ is a beautiful nature blog filled with creative work and lovely photography. I think the colors used in your blog design are very well blended and the greens with a touch of blue and red are a perfect compliment to your posts. Thanks so much for commenting.
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1) Which colors do you use on your blog? hot pink, green, brown, tan, dark grey, bright yellow, and white. I had to change it from darker colors initially.
(2) Why did you choose them? To be honest, I am just quite guady by nature. I wanted it to seem warm, inviting, and fun. What was going through my mind when I finished the colorscheme was a pinata.
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from? (Please post only relevant links to additional color tools.) My theme had 27 color options and then an option to create your own, so I am lazy in that I just used the theme settings code from the wp-dashboard
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility? (Please post only relevant links to additional cross browser compatibility tools.)
Sort of. I checked it using my different browsers, but did not use any actual tools for it. Just opened up firefox, chrome, IE & safari for windows, copied the url, and waited for it to load on each one.-
@endlesslyshesaid
Thanks for answering the questions. Choosing a theme with that many color options gives you an opportunity to customize and re-customize when you grow tired of what you have. Happy tweaking
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i have kept the simplest theme that i could come across on wordpress. Just black and white. Makes it look clean and focuses more on the content rather than the widgets!!-
@ankit1186
Hello there. I recognize the Journalist when I see it. This stark white with black font wordpress theme looks great with your content as you are inclined to use rather large colored images. ankitagrawal.wordpress.com Thanks for posting.
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1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
My main/home page I use a variety of blues. The pages that are for each post I usually have in a variety of colors depending on the subject and I love to use a variety of backgrounds too. The cooking pages I stick to the browns, oranges, and tans with a wood look background.
(2) Why did you choose them?
The main/home pages is because the blog is mainly about living in Alaska, the blues are really the colors that you see most in the winter season. And I find them to be comfortable and inviting. The cook pages I use the browns and wood look background because to me it feels homey and warm. The other pages it depends on the subject and the mood I am trying to create with the post, some turn out great others I still tweak now and then till it feels right. Also since I use a lot of photos on my blog I have been trying to also choose color combinations that will bring out the colors in the photos, sorta make them pop!
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from?
I use the color codes that are on w3schools.com. Which I have found are the best for me because I can understand the directions.
www.w3schools.com/html/html_colors.asp
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility?
I usually check with the variety of browsers that I have installed on my computer, but mainly if I am in a hurry just check the biggies like Firefox, Vista IE and Opera.-
@arcticulates
Thanks K for doing such a thorough job of answering all the questions. I ♥ your blog but you already know that, right? lol ... Thanks times two for posting the two links color selector links. I appreciate you sharing them with all of us. -
@arcticulates
off - topic
I &hearts your new avatar lady.
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I just typically pick things that give me room to wiggle and are shades of blue. I'm not all up on the blog design thing but I feel something new may happen at one of them soon. We are most likely to be one of the 10 families to get a home this year and I want to do something to reflect the changes that are going to happen. About to show my crafty side. I don't know how that's gonna happen though. Need to think on it a while and I'm not sure blue is right for it.-
@Shirley
Thanks for commenting. I've noticed your attraction to the color blue and I'm eagerly awaiting more news about your home. I like the shade of blue you chose for My Habitat Home myhabitathome.blogspot.com/ I also find the sunny yellow color choice you made for My Thoughts Always to be very cheerful and uplifting mythoughtsalways.blogspot.com/ Proof Positivity looks good in the silver gray of Andres 04. I particularly like the peach highlight color in that theme so I hope you carry it through into your sidebar widgets proofpositivity.wordpress.com/
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This is a very important topic, TT. I am always amazed by your ongoing contribution to this blogging community.
As you have mentioned, colour evokes emotion. Colour itself can act as a visual stimulus to stimulate the pre-learnt experiences of an individual and precipitate the necessary emotional effect.
Hence, colour can be rather interesting to use to achieve the desirable effect
First, there is an intense interesting research of colour effects on people in general. This is just some rough ideas about colours in photography perspective
Complimentary Colours
1) Red/Green
Classic, prominent, ambient (if burgundy red). This is a pungent stimulus to human retina cone cells. This colour can "carve" in your cerebral cortex. A good font to direct focus to a specific tag or word.
Green is equally "dark" comparing to Red. Both are complimentary and sharing similar visual impact. However, these two colours would "darken" the whole image or the overall blog if this combo is chosen. The ratio of these two colours hall be 1:1 to strike a balance to human eyes. If interested, I could talk about this forever...
Yellow/Cyan
Yellow is a weak signal but synergistic working with Cyan. The ratio is about 1:3 to strike a blanace visually. Yellow strikes energy, power but lacking prudence. Cyan is darker striking a sense of neutrality and calmness.
This combination of colours are hard to find in real life but often creating images that become classic...
So on.
I had to go to work and hope my contribution works -
roentarre, that is fascinating. I had never read much about the ratios of colors to each other. I'd love to hear more if you get the chance.
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@roentarre
Thanks for your compliment and for your outstanding contribution to this thread. Please check your shoutbox for a PM. I'd love to have you do a guest post on this topic for my blogging tips blog. -
@ Annz and everyone else too
roentarre is writing a guest post for my blogging tips blog on this subject so stay tuned for more on the emotional responses evoked by colors.
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For my personal blog, I chose a layout that has neutral background with warm colors on it. The colors were perfect for my blog since my blog is more about emotions that change depending on each blog entry. So, since the change is exciting, I chose the layout.
For my stories blog, I wanted an artistic layout that is still very reader-friendly. So, the background for it is turquoise with colorful red's and yellows around it. But the main blog content background is a shade of gray to allow for easy reading. I think the warm colors with cool background brings a slightly neutralizing effect so that the readers won't be too overpowered by the layout colors.
As for cross browser compatibility, I checked the blogs on IE, Firefox, and Google Chrome and there were no differences.
Good topic!-
@lunais
I have been visiting Lunais Drabbles lunaisdrabbles.blogspot.com/ and I quite like the theme you have chosen. It's unusual and the wonderful flowers and swirls color on the jade background are very appealing. You're also correct about cross browser compatibility. The theme designer was on top of these issues and it displays very well in the browsers you list.
You have also chosen a very nice theme for your other blog as well. The color blends are very pleasing to the eye.
Lunais Passions lunaispassions.blogspot.com/ -
Thank you, Timethief! I'm glad I made really good choices for the blogs. ^_^
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@lunais
You're welcome. You made really great choices. Your blog choices are attractive, well blended, suited to your content and highly readable.
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Well I tried to make my color scheme kind of match the banner that I had planned to use. My banner is a screen capture from the movie Planet of the Apes and once I decided on that I worked on a color scheme that matched it.
I have a black background because the banner didn't look good on a white background. All my main text is very light grey (almost white) because that is what seemed like the easiest to read on the black background. The titles of my posts are kind of a dark orange color that matches the banner, kind of. My links are all kind of light blue, that doesn't exactly match the banner but it looks good with the rest of the site in my opinion. I don't really have an eye for color coordination though so I mainly just tried to keep it simple.
I didn't really use any tools to create them other than the tools that are built in to blogger. I basically chose a theme that kind of worked and then tweaked the colors.
I've looked at it in IE, Firefox and Chrome and it seems to look pretty good in all of them. At least, pretty good by my standards.-
I really think that orange and blue work well together, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a Gators fan. (I'm not, but I like their shirts. ) You can't use orange and green, because then everyone thinks of Halloween.
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@rickbman
I can't read any of the font that you have in the sidebar under "Why am I here" as there's not enough contrast with the background. I can barely read the blue font and would struggle less if it were a lighter shade. But overall I say that the color choices in your Stop the Planet of the Apes stopthepota.blogspot.com/ blog are a good blend. Thanks for participating. -
@timethief, thanks for the feedback. Sometimes I forget to take into account that just because I can read something doesn't mean that everyone can. I'm going to try lightening things up to give it a bit more contrast and see how that goes.
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@richbman
I've been thinking of hiring out as a blog consultant and rating blogs (torture testing them) for accessibility, intuitive navigation, etc. I'm joking. I'm willing to do this without charge when I have the time.
Please let me know when to visit again. -
Well I think I got the text on the sidebar to be a little more readable. I am wondering if it is a bit to small in the "Why Am I Here" section. I may have to think of another color for the links though. I'm thinking the blues that I like don't give it enough contrast. I don't want to go with too bright of a blue though.
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Yeay, a thread for me to show off what a freakin' noob I am!
(1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
Well, if you have seen either my MyFace page or my living-room circa 1998, you'll know that I'm a big fan of "garish". I love colour (at last on blogs and walls), and put it everywhere, whether or not it matches.
Fortunately, for me (and you guys) Wordpress does not offer any garish themes. So I went with white.
(2) Why did you choose them?
Given that I'm hopelessly verbose, I went with the Press Row theme, because it's clean. The white background makes it easier to read the industrial quantities of words I use.
Another thing I liked about that theme is that there is a fair bit of room between the lines; my posts don't look too lumpy.
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections rom? (Please post only relevant links to additional color tools.)
Colour tools? Selections Rom? What the...
Can you repeat the question, please?
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility? (Please post only relevant links to additional cross browser compatibility tools.)
Cross browser compatibility?
(See answer to question #3)-
@Anok--I don't normally think that dark colors should be used except...when it fits the theme. I think that with your picture on your blog your color choice fits. My husband who is a web designer by trade also says the same. As long as it fits the theme. -
@salomey5
lol ... Okay so your are using Press Row by Chris Pearson. It's a white, highly readable and accessible theme. The custom header you created for Rebel Without a Clue looks nice on it. salomey5.wordpress.com/
BTW you can customize the CSS style sheet for a wordpress.com blog and change the appearance radically, provided you pay for an upgrade $15 per year. But you cannot edit the underlying template files because they are shared on the wp multiuser blogging platform. So if you could access the templates and edit then then all other blogs with the same theme would be likewise affected.
faq.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/about-the-custom-css-upgrade/
faq.wordpress.com/2005/09/27/edit-my-templates/
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I go with blue because Im sucker for it. It just feels right when I use it.-
@roguedeals--your right, blue always seems to be the safest. I know that when my husband used to do adult web sites, he used blue a lot. It's a color that is alluring. It symbolizes stability. Now my favorite color is green, but I'm far from greedy...lol..
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@roguedeals
Your theme displays well, presents no readability or accessibility problems and the colors work well together.
@armywife65
Green symbolizes nature, freshness and growth. In fact, in the Middle Ages brides wore green to symbolize fertility.
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My blog is pink, black and white with bits of a turquoise-y blue. I didn't use any color tools to help me select the colors, although working for a scrapbooking company I kind of developed a knack for using the right colors together. I left my background white though. I contemplated for a while having a colored background, but I love the way my photos pop off the white.-
I'll be back to pick up right here as soon as a I eat my dinner. Thanks for being patient.
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@jshaw
I really like what you have done with this basic white theme for This n' That. stuff. stories. art. photos. my life. jessicareneeshaw.blogspot.com/
The header you created is colorful and the integration of black as well as the black and white photos comes off very nicely. In a graphic way it demonstrates who you are, what your personality is like, and what readers can expect the post contents to contain. The fact that yours is to some extent a fashion orientated blog and the posts contain colorful images of clothing and photos that pick up your header color choices makes for a great appearance over all. The blog fonts are easy to read and the only thing I would change would be to tone down the colors in the BC Recent Visitors widget a notch or two. Thanks for participating.
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There is soo much info in this thread now - wow.
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@Anok
I ♥ it. This BC community is full of talented and experienced members, who can assist one another with all kinds of blogging related issues so we can improve our blogs and grow our readership. Bloggers helping other bloggers on a blogging forum. How cool is that? -
'Tis awesome lady ♥
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I'm lean more toward black/grey fonts on white background, with a touch of another color here or there, though I've done the black background with white post content areas, and that works well too.
I do love some of the brightly colored designs when they have white post content reading areas I just have never found one that fits me.
I prefer things simple, and most of my readers prefer black fonts on white background. I had quite a few complaints when I had white fonts on dark background, so I figure whatever makes it easier for the majority to read.-
@cooper
Wonderland or Not wonderlandornot.net/ is very readable. I think your choice of going with the white background, black fonts and touches of color because it's what the majority of readers can read with ease was a good one. That being said, as an artist, I do long to see just a wee bit more color.
off-topic
It appears that your left hand sidebar has slipped downwards.
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blues, blacks, dark colors, but I might change it to white after Labor Day HAH
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i like the simple, yet effective web 2.0 look, so my blog is mostly Neutral. -
I've always enjoyed minimalistic themes, usually dark text on a light background. I don't know how it affects who reads me and I don't check cross compatiblity on other browsers or whatever. Then again, I've had no complaints regarding the theme, layout and navigation and even if I did, I probably wouldn't listen. If it works for me, I'm happy.
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To be honest, I'm kinda of lazy when it comes to tat sort of thing. I just use the colors from Blogger.
I have been trying to go for this whole 'matrixy/hi tech look' for it. I just wish there were other fonts to use besides the ones already there.
avideogameplayer.blogspot.com
I got the header off this free header website. (Wish I remembered to bookmark it.) But I'm always looking out for ideas that I can ste-um-borrow...-
You can use other fonts. Of course, I don't have a link to casually drop here, but I know that you can change your fonts in the CSS rather easily. Do a search on it and I'll bet you find lots of resources.
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@everyone
Here are some resources for choosing fonts for web sites:
The best choices for web fonts
www.jyanet.com/cap/0415fe0.htm
Fonts for the Web
www.angelfire.com/al4/rcollins/style/fonts.html
Best Fonts for the Web
www.kathymarks.com/archives/2006/11/best_fonts_for_the_web_1.html
16 Best-Loved Font Bits In Web Design
www.inspirationbit.com/16-best-loved-font-bits-in-web-design/
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My favorite color is Green, not that I am greedy, because I'm far from that. Considering that I give away a lot and help people a lot.
I know that when my husband was a Adult Sites Web Designer, he used Blue a lot because it is warm and alluring.
I love all colors myself. But I find myself more apt to stay on a site with soft colors, and not so much time on the dark color sites. Now I do know that there are some sites, that depending on their theme, dark colors might be better for their sites.
I'm trying to get my husband to build one for me, if he can find time, he works a lot but we'll get there.
But that is only my opinion.-
I wanted to correct myself on my above post. I ment to put Blue as cool not warm. Just realized that I put warm...ok, so I'm a dork....I guess I'm not perfect after all...lol
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@armywife65
lol ... Thanks for posting your correction. No problem. You are not a dork. We all make mistakes. Thanks for sharing the link elsehewre in the thread too. -
@TT--thanks TT...lol..and you are welcome. I really like this post you got going. Thanks You Rock! as usual
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@armywife
You're welcome
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holy crap, you made me log in after 2 months of not .... you deserve a medal or something.
another site that is helpful: kuler.adobe.com/
as for me and my sites, i'm a graphic designer, so i don't always consciously think of colour theory to begin with - it's something that's always in the back of my head. for my blog, well, i'm a red monkey so the red was a foregone conclusion. i chose a version of black in the red spectrum for the main backgrounds because i wanted to neutralize the whole red thing, slow the site down a bit. from there, the theme of juxtaposing old school (hand-made paper) with new school (computers) just popped everything else into place.
for my design site, i chose green largely because it's my favourite colour and because my college physics professor once said it is the easiest colour on the eyes (in terms of the physics of sight). I left the main colours rather monotone, to highlight the art in the galleries even more. Today, i would probably do it quite differently, but that was my thought process for oppositionaldesign.com.
the planned re-design of Red Monkey went with something much cooler in terms of colour choice, using white with blues and greens. Since the monkey is pretty well established, I no longer feel like i need to base the design around the monkey's colour.
(for the curious, the design is still a JPG, not even cut into pieces yet, but it's here: coyotethunder.com/RedMonkey/images/photos_08/BlueLineMesas.jpg )-
@ender
Holy crap! You just blew my mind.
Welcome back girl
♥ you
Okay now setting that greeting aside, thanks for that kuler.adobe.com link. What a great site.
I have some customers to deal with and will return to this thread as soon as I can. -
I know, she made me do the same thing! lol I haven't participated in any discussions for at least 3 months.
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@ChicaX
Ah come on now I missed you too so aren't you glad that you did join in? This turned out to be a very interesting thread with lots of great blog color feedback to read in it. -
@chicaX
I have visited your newest blogs and the others too. I really like your designs and the colors you choose. If I ever decide to activate my blogspot blog then guess who I will be calling upon?
Photo Projectz photo-projectz.blogspot.com/ is set up to showcase photography and the black and white color choices are good ones for sure. I particularly like how you inserted the narrow vibrant color strip across the top of the header, and the bits of color in the sidebar widgets as well as the fonts used there are attractive.
I'm well acquainted with Pointless Poppycock (publicly purging the bullsh*t from my cranial heartlands) chica-x.blogspot.com/ and to tell you the truth I find the header to be too large, too colorful and too busy. However, it suits the content of the posts so well that I won't urge you to change it ... lol I particularly like the white "post-it" sytle widgets in your sidebar.
The color combination you have used it Lady Sarcasm (I don't suffer from sarcasm, I enjoy every minute of it) lady-sarcasm.blogspot.com/ are a great blend.
Thanks for coming out of the BC backroom and posting into this thread. It's good to see both you and Ender back in the forum.
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(1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
I used black, white, grey and purple for Kat's Eyes and I used varying shades of green for Kat's Healthy Living with a bit of tan and maroon accents.
(2) Why did you choose them?
I chose the colors I did for Kat's Eyes because I like to talk about things that would interest both guys and girls, so I didn't want it to be too girly, lol. The blog was just black and white originally - but when I did a redesign I decided to throw in some purple for a touch of color.
For Kat's Healthy Living, it's kind of an organic eco themed blog - and green says "natural" to me. Like grass.
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from? (Please post only relevant links to additional color tools.)
I have a blogger blog - so I just chose from the palette of available colors.
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility? (Please post only relevant links to additional cross browser compatibility tools.)
Sort of, I suppose. I have both firefox and IE on my computer, so I looked at the blog in both as I was designing it. Those are only two of many browsers, so nothing in depth.
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@katzeyes
I think all of your themes are very tastefully colored. Every one of your three blogs creates a comfortable and relaxed environment for reading and the quality of the content on your sites is superb.
katzeyes.blogspot.com/
katzhealthyliving.blogspot.com/
katzhealthyliving.com/
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gee, this is a great post-
@acousticguiatrist
Thanks red panda IMO the information in the OP was the opener but IMO it's the quality of the comments that make this thread a pleasure to read.
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I took a conscious risk when I chose my blog primary colour orange. I used to hate the colour before, not as much as yellow, but nearly. However, I semi-accidentally created an orange layout for my static pages, and fell in love with the colour. I chose the colour for my company logo as well. To me orange is energetic, vibrant, bold, gives a statement and can be a bit aggressive and in your face - just like me.
My company blog/website www.sebastyne.com has the colour toned down with black and white, but my personal blog www.sebastyne.net is a tad more in your face with it.-
I love the use of orange on your site...very empowering and motivating.
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Thank you.
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@sebastyne
You have one of the very few blogs that I have ever seen making use of both blended orange and red that are attractive and inviting. Both of those colors carry a high emotional charge and yet the white behind the posts and in the sidebar and the touches of black have produced a very sophisticated look that frames your bridal gowns and the life observations and opinions in your posts.
Use the color red to grab attention and to get people to take action. Orange is mentally stimulating as well as sociable. You have used both in a way that stimulates people to think and to speak ie. comment. Well done.
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I for the Chickswhochat.blogspot.com I chose neutral colors mixed with cool colors. I wanted a friendly, feminine, welcoming look. However, this being said, I use blogger templates and I couldn't change the background colors to be the color I really wanted more beige than khaki..or at least I don't know how to yet.
For my other blog chickconfessions.blogspot.com , I wanted black and white because with the content I was trying to make the statement that there is no need for gray area on my blog. Honesty and openness are encouraged. I started with black background with white type and there were several BC members who suggested that I reverse them for easier readability.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it....thanks for the interesting discussion.-
@fearless21
I am not keen on the strange greenish color that you use in Chicks Who Chat but I admit it does "work". I prefer the white theme you have used for Chick Confessions. In both cases though the colors chosen do create a feeling of wanting to linger and read and that's what all bloggers ought to be aiming for. Thanks for participating.
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My blog started out very green, now is a bit less so, with a lot more purple thrown in, though that's the dominant color. I've recently been doing a series of posts on colors, though, if I may drop a few links.
Blue:
yogaforcynics.blogspot.com/2009/02/blue-blue.html
Red:
yogaforcynics.blogspot.com/2009/02/seeing-red.html
Yellow:
yogaforcynics.blogspot.com/2009/02/not-so-mellow.html
I'm working on the secondary colors, and may have a post on orange up soon, to be followed by green and purple.-
So, does the color change as often as your avatar?
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Hey, I've been sticking with SuperGrover here for quite some time (it just makes being funny a lot easier)...though I use different avatars elsewhere...
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That is some detailed information on colors, which I had not thought of!
I've yellow background in my blog with green as sidebar. I think it gives a vibrant, natural and pleasing look.
meghnaspages.blogspot.com-
@Meghna
Thanks for stopping in and posting your comment. I think your blog colors create a happy and sunny feeling and I like them very much. I especially like the way the white background and orange flower in the header are colors that are echoed in the sidebar RSS feed. -
@everyone
I'm working my way down this thread and visiting all your blogs as I go. I will resume again tomorrow and I will also post more links to tools and relevant articles as we go along. Thanks for being patient. I do appreciate it. I have pushed my eyesight to the limit for today.
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I took my color cue from James Taylor: Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose. I also like the way Paul Klee used colors, which is echoed on the archives page. The background is my own design and changes from time to time. I do the best I can with browser compatibility (Firefox, Opera, IE 7) but at the end of the day it is impossible to know how your page will look on all the different systems out there. It was a lot easier when I ran an intranet and had only one browser to worry about.-
@windroot
I enjoyed visiting Every Man A Giant www.windroot.com/everyman/home.htm I do believe that the colors blend well. The bright green is surely an attention getter but I find it every harsh. Also all greens present accessibility problems and an accessible website is more likely to be ranked well with the search engines than an inaccessible website.
Please see this entry www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/blog-design-which-colors-do-you-use-and-w... and this one www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/blog-design-which-colors-do-you-use-and-w... -
@windroot
I ran out of editing time above before I could type this. As a visually challenged (not colorblind) person I really appreciate what you have done with your blog. I can read absolutely everything with ease. When it comes to having a well organized, uncluttered, easy to read and navigate blog - yours is outstanding. You don't have any distracting widgets in the sidebar. Not only that but the markup validates too. Woot! Well done! -
@tt Wow! I went to a colorblind checker site. Quite a revelation. I thought the colors parsed okay in every variation, but it was an eye-opener, so to speak. Thanks for the heads up (and the kind words).
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Even though I'm an artist, colour has never been my strong suit. A glance at trottersville.com will bear this out. One of many reasons why I decided to start this blog was to force myself to become more proficient with my use of colours in the Trottersville strip.
Even after 7 or 8 months, choosing colours for each and every strip is still a major challenge for me. I read up on colour theory until my eyes bled and my mind dribbled, so I just decided to go with my gut instincts instead. As you can see, it's still very much a hit and miss affair. It also doesn't help that I like to buck convention occasionally by placing colours together that shouldn't be together. I guess I just don't believe in apartheid, even in the art world.
Anyway, the current blog theme is a denim one, which I felt reflected something of the social world that the Trottersville pigs live in. I don't know how - it just feels right. I also wanted a theme that made my blog look a little more professional and somewhat unique when compared to other cartoon blogs. I find that the dark, fabric blues contrast well with the more vibrant colours of the actual strips. This blog is a showcase for the strips any way, so it makes sense that they should stand out.
In short, I love working with colour, but I am very far from being a master of it... and perhaps that's as it should be. It forces me out of artistic complacency and into the realm of creative experimentation. I can only hope to get better and better at it, that's for sure. -
That’s a lot of information to look through. You might have said it already but the colors interact with each other in different ways.
When I contracted painting and decorating I used a scheme book for consulting. I like earthy colors for myself – I like earthy architecture – Tuscany, adobe, Saltillo - I think probably everything I do reflects that. If I do use unnatural color it will certainly be toned down or muddied.
But to answer your question my personal blog is a unaltered theme – black with shades of earthy grey. I haven’t checked it in different browsers but I’ll probably be switching to a more customized theme later reflecting my earthy taste. Checking it in different browsers is proably a good idea. -
I have done some color analysis in the past and find it quite fascinating. As a result, the colors I have chosen for my blog are primarily blue accents with a white background. I have also carried this color scheme through to my website. However, it has more focus on the blue tones. Since I sell bikinis, I felt the blue background would work as it is often associated with water and resultantly soothing. Plus, for both my blog and website, I feel the photos used provide enough of a color variance to avoid the negative feelings that may be associated with using the color solely on its own.
I have to admit, I only used IE and Foxfire to do a cross browser compatibility check. I did have to make revisions to my both my blog and website due to variances noted between my laptop and pc. It would be interesting to note how Macintosh sees things as I know absolutely nothing about them. -
Here is a great color picker that my husband & use
www.iconico.com/colorpic/-
That looks like a terrific tool for making sure you start with the color you want! Thanks for sharing it.
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@legbamel--you are welcome. I really like it alot. It's the best one we've found so far.
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Thanks for the tip. What a useful little utility.
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@armywife65
Thanks for sharing that link.
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This is great conversation going on here. I have two blogs my business, Redhead Coach (www.redheadcoach.com) and My Life in the Now (www.bepresentblog.com) Business blog was a custom theme designed for me, and I desired to have something that was professional, classy, and represented me and my business as the Redhead Coach (Colour photo coming in March), and my personal blog I simply picked because I liked the picture album and the clean, comforting colours I felt when I saw it. Initially I had a theme that was blue and had some flowers, but this represents me and who I am much more authentically on a personal level.
I choose colours that will represent who I am authentically on the web.
Renee -
I saw some purple on a site today and it was wonderfully cheery without being loud. Even had some green mixed in. I have been thinking about color all day.
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I use purples in my personal/artistic blogs because is has that "use you imagination" feel to it. I rarely use warm colors since red can be really irritating to me, I'm not too sure why. -
Because my paintings are colorful I always tend to keep to a black surround both for my blog and website. -
Designer usually try their very best to create a design that's not only
pleasing to the eye but one that gets its message across. Color combination is the major task. Web 2.0 magazine style seem popular and easy to read.
Best Regards,
Roger
www.zinruss.com/themes/ -
According to the description above, my blogs are definitely color conscience. Wow - I had no idea.
The Screaming Me-Me!!! is a humor blog designed with colors from a comic book; it's blue, red and yellow accented with black and white polka dots. It definitely says, "FUN!"
The Turquoise Moon is a collection of colorful stories and southwestern art. Being in Arizona, turquoise is a color that represents this state. And, by using turquoise, I hope this gives the reader a calm and pleasant visit.-
I like your color scheme and it really helps to convey the content of your blog without even reading any of the text. The high contrast polka dots really mess with my astigmatism though.
Unfortunately, I don't have any good suggestions, as the polk-dots really help to make the content section stand out - almost as if it were floating over the dots. Making the background not so high in contrast would lose a lot of this effect, and also make it look kind of muddy.
Sorry, I can't recommend any good alternatives. Don't worry, I'll still be a regular reader for the humor! -
Thanks, Carson, I appreciate the comments.
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@MadMadMargo
I also like the color schemes you have chosen for both The
The Screaming Me-Me madmadmargo.blogspot.com and for The Turquoise Moon theturquoisemoon.blogspot.com/ I think they suit the content extremely well. -
Although I'm extremely happy with The Screaming Me-Me, I am in the process of bringing a little more contrast to The Turquoise Moon by using purple and a little bit of green.
Thank you for your time and comments.
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I realise that I've spent too much time changing my blog design and adding HTML instead of blogging. I have changed my blog 6 times in 4 weeks and now some of the colours will not change, but I suppose that's one of the downsides of using blogspot/blogger.
My original design was very blue and green as blue is calming and green is close to nature. I didn't want too much colour and I guess (but maybe I'm wrong) people come to a blog to read the content not admire the design. The only time I pay attention to the design is when a blog has too many widgets and adverts that move and when there is a moving background like snow falling, i click off.
@Legbamel I love the design of your blog.
I keep saying I prefer the way Wordpress looks, most of the wordpress blogs I have seen are so clean, stylish and professional looking but because I am not tech or web savvy I cannot use wordpress.-
@Lifeposter--lol...I know what you mean. I still have not found themes for a couple of our blogs that I'm really satisfied with. I have changed them way too many times, that I can't remember how many times.
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Mine are both Blogger blogs on my own URLs. I think both of the themes were converted Wordpress themes, to begin with, but I've fiddled with them both to make them less cookie-cutter. Both of them are much different from their original themes! I still covet an awesome jukebox header for my music blog, but until I can get someone way better at that sort of thing than I am to design it, I'll stick with little tweaks like color and font/column size.
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My blog is mostly RED with a little Black and some Pink
It just seems to work well with the overall theme of my blog! -
Wow! am I ever impressed with the feedback in this thread. I've been swamped at work so I've only been able to read since yesterday evening, and haven't had as much time to comment as I would like. I will be checking and and commenting whenever I can today. Thanks everyone for sharing
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i used to use blue
but changed to an ezine format and have since switched to gray and red.
i think i am suffering from a cross browser color problem but cannot tell
maybe you could recommend a solution?-
@JDh888
Hi there. If you want to check cross browser compatibility for bluntwit.com/ here are links to tools:
Cross browser compatibility tools
browsershots.org/
www.browsercam.com/Default2.aspx
www.crossbrowsertesting.com/
Internet Explorer 7, 6 or 5.5 - ipinfo.info/netrenderer/
I recommend browsershots.
I like the new ezine theme you have up. These days magazine style themes are vogue. They allow us to place excerpts of posts on the front page and to make more posts accessible to readers without overwhelming our front pages with too many links (less than 100 links ought to be the target number. It's avery blue and very easy on the eyes theme. I'm thinking that it could use a single vibrant accent color though to add a bit of pizzazz. In other words I find the rosy red shade to be a little too grayed out for my taste and I'd brighten it up a bit [shrug].
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Never more than 3 or 4 colors that blend.-
@SxCaine
I enjoyed checking out your site. www.sxcaine.com/ The design is very clean and interesting in a collapsible and compact way. Perhaps it was just the demand on the net at the time I visited but the page loading time was slower than what I expected it to be. Thanks for weighing in and giving us your professional advice. I find sites with too many colors have a "busy" feel to them so I don't feel relaxed and inclined to read and think when I'm on them. Instead, I feel like leaving quickly.
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My blog is mostly white, with things that i want to stand out [links, quotes, etc.] in red. I like the layout because its simple, but not so boring that it makes you want to leave the page. Check it out for yourself:
erinsblog.tumblr.com
The content isnt focused on anything in particular; its mainly just my thoughts and some cool links to interesting things, and my comments on them. I'd love for you to check it out and leave comments!! -
I knew what I didn't want. I didn't want a dark background, I didn't want 'cold colours' like blue, I wanted pink. A real pink, a colour that has always brought me luck. (I'm not a Barbie-admirer). I didnt want a starkly modern blog. It was more an instinct, a retro model of which they weren't many. I didn't use a colour wheel. In fact I didn't use anything at all and it shows.
I use IE 7.0. and Vista.
Not having many techinical skills, I tried...and succeeded in my own way. The colour might drive people away, but those darned flowers make me smile! I am planning a more serious version for people who want a serious, monochrone background. In this pink version, I have included artists, street musicians, auberge owners and people who are interesting in an original way. I still have lots of write-ups to catch up on to when I have the time.
The cross browser stuff was new to me. I'm still learning! -
I prefer black on white or orange on white of green on white , even red on white might do.I always keep a white background for all my blogs .Easy on eye.
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(1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
Reds, greys, black, white
(2) Why did you choose them?
Red to emphasize the energy found in music (my blog's topic) and greys for balancing...I mostly tend to stick with monochromatic color schemes with greys to offset on sites that I develop. Also the contrast between the reds and greys made the text easy to read.
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from? (Please post only relevant links to additional color tools.)
I tried a couple of color tools, but I did not like their results. In the end, I just chose a medium shade of red that I liked, made lighter and darker shades of it (by increasing and decreasing the R, G, and B values by an equal percentage), and picked a couple of shades of medium grey.
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility? (Please post only relevant links to additional cross browser compatibility tools.)
I assume that my readers are on a 24-bit display and will be able to see the colors that I've chosen. Even if they only have an 8-bit color display, the scheme should degrade fairly well as most of the colors are (unintentionally) near colors in the "safe" palette. -
(1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
yellow-orange, dark brown, white, purple, gold-green (not sure, white, black
(2) Why did you choose them?
I think its unique combination. But not sure if it looks good..
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from? I experimented palette combination.
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility?
Not really, but i think its a safe color
anyway, if interested, please check it.. its nazcarpine.com -
My blog is currently green and white and whilst green is often associated with money, greed and jealousy, it is also the colour of nature. Of trees, grass, plants. I actually choose it to accompany a book I was reviewing called The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore but I liked it so I stuck with it. My blog colour has changed several times but has been shades of green more often than not.
I see green as a peaceful, restful colour.
I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder. -
1) Which colors do you use on your blog?
My colors are blues and greens.
(2) Why did you choose them?
Most were part of the palette that came with the template
(3) Which color tools did you use to make your selections from? (Please post only relevant links to additional color tools.)
None. Just eyeballed it.
(4) Did you check your colors for cross browser compatibility? (Please post only relevant links to additional cross browser compatibility tools.)
Nope.
My original 2-column template is Rounders 4, one of the standard templates offered by Blogger. I chose it because it seemed soothing and because of its nature theme, even though my haikus don't usually concern nature, unlike the traditional form. I tweaked the colors, but was not satisfied with the results.
The current 3-column template is based on Rounders 4. Found it on bloggerbuster. Tweaked the colors again, just using instinct.
Curiously, even though most people think women can't be, I am slightly colorblind. I cannot see one or two of the "hidden" numbers on the eye doctor's color test.
Edited to add: The picture at the top of the center column is an illustration from a children's book about New York's World Trade Center. I found it in a New York Time's review of the book long before 9/11. I like it because it's a coded reference to New York (my hometown) and a happy image of the WTC, where I spent many pleasant hours, and because it goes with the color theme of the blog. -
As simplistic as this sounds, I just picked what looked good to me. That being the case, I have no idea as to first impressions or emotional responses. That said, I would love to get some feedback. I am totally open to any suggestions, opinions or thoughts from anyone reading this comment. My blog is called Advanced Life Skills and the URL is AdvancedLifeSkills.com/blog - timethief, you’re the expert so please, give it to me straight. -
I've been trying to design my websites in any possible colours available. But eventually, I always fell for blue, black, green, orange, or red. I don't know why, but those colours seems right on my humble eyes.
And it's hard when I got to do a design for my client where they want a different colour. I just can't make it right ... -
When you need an inspiration, Kuler from Adobe helps... I always find a photo I love and Kuler makes a nice color set from it.
Luke
hrmadvice.com/blog-
@AndieCZ
Thanks for commenting but please do not drop your blog links into the comments you make here in the BC forum. This is the link to the community guidelines for forum posting www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/read-before-posting-1
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(1) I use different shades of gray with one bright color (I change it, it used to be blue, now it's hot pink).
(2) The grays are just pleasing to the eye, makes it easier to read. And bright colors I choose because they make things look interesting and fun.
(3) I don't use any color choosing tools. I just go with what I like and what I think compliment each other.
(4) No, no checking for me. -
i've managed to design my blog in suitable color so it looks more Adsense-friendly, please take a look on minje at julianwp.co.cc-
@julianwp
Helloe there. I'm visually challenged and I just found that your black background blog and the colors of fonts you have chosen are readable. This is an exception for me normally I subscribe to black background blogs that I like so I can read them on a white background rather than struggling to read what the text says.
Like 45.5% of the users on the net I use a Firefox browser 3.0.6 with AdBlock Plus and a pop-up blocker so I never see advertising on blogs, and it's a good thing this is the case or I would drop all the blogs I have been reading that do have advertising on them. In order to see what you meant by making your blog more "Adsense friendly" viewed your blog using IE7.
In case your interested in confirming browser share statistics check this out:
January 2009
IE7 - 25.7%
IE6 - 18.5%
IE8 - 0.6%
Fx - 45.5%
Chrome - 3.9%
S - 3.0%
O - 2.3%
www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp
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im a green and brown person, i like earthy colours -
Hi TT. I just used a wordpress theme called the AUTUMN theme. Since I'd never done this before it was the just to get me started but someday I may change them. The AUTUMN theme is greens and soft yellows. Which I like because my site is a lot about Nature. So for now it works. But I learned a lot reading this. You are so knowledgeable. -
TT This is a very vast topic but if it come to my taste on blog design, the simplest and the often thing i do for a blog is- Choose a main background color,design a blog header and logo first, others should all match the header and the logo colors.
I think the colors should match with the blog topic too.
A good example is www.people.com/people/-
@weblogian
Good advice. Thanks for posting.
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my colours are black, red, white and grey. as I am concentrating on women, the choice is conscious - the colours should say: ...the site is definitely not PINK! the stories and the idea is clear and clean and I take it seriously.
Which is in fact what I do. -
I'm into red. So.. I would be warm myself. I loved red ever since. It gives a great aura... don't you think?-
@camper
In Asia the color red has positive connotations that are lacking in other cultures, and in some cultures red is contraindicated as it's associated with blood. Also red is a problematic color for some of those who are color blind. Bloggers must always keep in mind that what they think of a color on their blog is NOT relevant. It's how your readers respond to the colors you choose that's important.
www.blogcatalog.com/discuss/entry/blog-design-which-colors-do-you-use-and-w...
In your case the red occurs in the over-sized header on a theme that's designed to mock CNN's so it's not really significant to most readers at all. The theme is basically white with black and red as an accent colors.
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I use dark blue as my blog background color because my blog is mainly about masculine matters in romantic relationships, white color for most of my words in my articles.
Also, because of the dark blue background, i also use slightly bright outstanding colors to highlight crucial important sentences in my articles. -
muh favorite is da blue and all the variety of it -
To be honest, I picked colors that meant something to me first and then asked myself if these were colors that were generally appealing to my niche. It was not until this topic came up that I actually saw the significance of my colors as they reflect to my blog....cool!
I chose green and purple on all white, and use orange headings in my posts. In thinking about these colors now, I realize that green and purple reflect the heart and spiritual centers (love, happiness, purpose, clarity) which are the undercurrents of my blog. The orange is a power color for me. Action and motivation.
Again, I went with my feeling first and only now was surprised to see that the colors actually do represent what I was after on a "deeper" level. I would hate to think of the green and signifying "envy" or "greed" on my blog though! -
Mine is kinda....."rainbowy"..... -
Recently, I changed the template for my blog and chose blue. I agree that it's calming and I think it's easy on the eyes. The setup was simple and the design was clean-looking. My pc skills are intermediate so I don't have an answer for the last question. -
The colors are 90% white 10% red, white leave the blog more professional with the emphasis on red is very good. -
I went with black for my blog. The main reason I went with that color was to emphasize and remind the visitor of a really great concert when the lights are down and the only thing you can focus on is the guitar.
gibson.rockinmusicdeals.com
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