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A new way of selecting color


GenoPal Color Picker

Ever wonder why there are so many awful color combinations on the web? One might think it is because there are so many bad web designers out there. Well, they might not be.

They may be using on of the many color matching softwareÕs out there, and trusting it blindly to find the colors they need. Even designers with a good taste of colors may be tempted to use a ÒsafeÓ match from the color wheel. The truth is the color wheel doesnÕt always give you the colors you should have, and in end leaves out much of the creativity that should be present in a designerÕs world.

As the painter Frank Bruno puts it, "Color harmony was thrown out years ago, as restrictive chains were broken forming my free style.Ó

People working with color know this, but since there are no alternative except extraordinary good taste, the color wheel has been the trusted choice. The problem with RGB is that is was developed for displaying colors in a computer screen. The sensitivities of the eye are different to the RGB system. Equal steps in RGB, results in unequal steps in human perception. Color scientists are aware of this problem and developed the LAB system to overcome this problem.

Psychologists have found out that color impression can account for 60% of the acceptance or rejection of that product or service. It is therefore crucial for a designer to pick the right colors to influence and illustrates the message, mood, and flavor off their product.

With the color picking tool GenoPal, developed by Genometri, the users are now experiencing a totally new way of exploring and matching colors based on how the human mind perceives colors. GenoPal is based on the LAB system instead of the traditional RGB system. It works on human perception instead of the technicalities of color measurements.

In nature there are no specific rules on what colors goes good together. GenoPal is not formulaic, like other tools. It lets the user play around with the millions of that the eye has evolved to see. In nature colors are complex, rich and pleasant to watch. Users of GenoPal are able to notice this quality.

"I'm completely amazed at how GenoPal works. It's by far the best color combination software I've come aroundÓ says Rasmus Skjoldan, creative director of bee3.com.

GenoPal is designed for expert and novice users with a wide range of applications in mind. GenoPal letÕs the user picks a color, and explore the colors that are related to that chosen color. In addition, the user can opt to choose similar or diverse colors to the chosen color. The Palettes can than be exported into Photoshop or any 2d or 3d software for further use.

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GenoPal is set to change the way colors are selected. About Genometri Pte Ltd: Genometri has developed patented color and generative design technology. The company is a spin off company from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and was established in 2004. The company sells software products and provides generative design services.

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Reviewed by Fred Showker for the User Group Network News Service. (C) 2006, all rights reserved. Affiliate groups may freely republish this piece so long as they include the tag line: "From the User Group Network News Service at http://www.user-groups.net/ " ... Event dates are subject to change. Some products, programs, or promotions are not available outside the U.S. Prices are estimated retail prices and are listed in U.S. dollars. Product specifications are subject to change. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, Power Mac, Velocity Engine, FireWire, AirPort, Safari, Sherlock, QuickTime, iLife, iTunes, iChat, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iCal and Apple Store are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Mention of third-party products is for informational purposes only and constitutes neither a recommendation nor an endorsement.

 

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