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Black and White are opposites
that share the attribute of neutrality.
Considered the negation of color, black is conservative, goes
well with almost any color except the very dark. It also has
conflicting connotations. It can be serious and conventional.
Black can also be mysterious, sexy, and sophisticated. In
most Western countries black is the color of mourning. Among
young people, black is often seen as a color of rebellion.
Black is both positive and negative.
Black is the ultimate dark color and makes lighter colors
such as yellow really pop out. Photographs often look brighter
against a black background.
Black is associated with power,
elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown
(black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist,
black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority;
it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious
color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the
symbol of grief.
Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black
background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can
make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art
or photography, you can use a black or gray background to
make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with
bright colors. Combined with red or orange - other very powerful
colors - black gives a very aggressive color scheme.
Black is generally considered
a mournful, heavy and depressing color, but in the right context,
can be sophisticated and mysterious. Studies have shown that
online reading can be difficult on a black background, but
many sites have been done successfully using colors which
contrast heavily (white, neon green). Usage of black as a
predominant color should always be carefully considered -
if you are designing a children's bookstore, black is the
worst possible choice, but if the site is a gallery of photography,
black might be an excellent choice... after all, black is
the preferred backdrop for an artist's work. In addition,
a site which is highly technical, or has an underground feel,
would work well in black.
Gray is a neutral, balanced
color. It is a cool, conservative color that seldom evokes
strong emotion although it can be seen as a cloudy or moody
color.
Dark, charcoal gray carries with it some of the strengh and
mystery of black. It is a sophisticated color without some
of the negative attributes of black.
Silver, especially a shiny, metallic silver, is cool like
gray but livelier, more playful. Silver coupled with turquise
evokes the Southwest (U.S.). Silver can also denotes riches,
just as gold does. Silver can be earthy, natural or sleek
and elegant.
Taupe, a grayish brown neutral is a conservative, slightly
earthy color.
Gray and silver work well with other cool colors such as blue
or teal.
Gray is the most conservative
of neutral shades, and represents practicality, sadness, security
and reliability. It is a boring color, routine and lifeless.
Its often hard to believe that gray backgrounds were all that
web developers had to work with once! Unless you WANT to convey
lackluster or conservatism in your site, you would do better
to choose another neutral tone like beige or white as a background.
Of course, if gray is used properly in a palette of cool tones
like blues and purples, it can be quite successful, however
staid.
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Corporate
Identity Design 
