Color me blue...or red or green? Lessons from the literature on color and usability

Color is a complex and powerful phenomenon that can have profound effects on human beings. With the spread of low-cost color technology, many technical communicators, interface designers, and others have the ability to use color in their work, but they may lack basic knowledge of how to use color effectively for their audiences. This paper surveys the literature in technical communication and psychology and suggests ways that color can be used to improve the usability of documents and interfaces.