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Special Effects for Color
Necessity may be the mother of
invention, but it is our continual quest
for change that leads to innovation. This
principle has governed color research
over the ages.
In ancient Egypt, Cleopatra couldn’t
exactly send a slave to the drugstore for
a new lipstick. So the Queen of the Nile
turned instead to her cosmetic wizards,
who transformed flower blossoms and
fine clay into a cornucopia of lip and
cheek rouges and crushed ant eggs
into eyeliner.
Artists spent centuries as veritable
prisoners in their studios until the inven-
tion of pigment tubes, which finally
allowed them to paint
en plein air. The
Impressionists’ extraordinary marriage
of color and light would have been
impossible had they not taken their
palettes and brushes outdoors.
Today’s technological advances in
printing have left no new colors to create,
so where do we turn for the next wave in
color innovation? Just as the ever-changing
sunlight on a landscape inspired the
Impressionist painters, metallic, opalescent,
and fluorescent special effects can trans-
form the way we perceive color. These
shimmering finishes catch our eye in
subtle or dramatic ways, capturing and
reflecting light while adding surface interest
and a fresh dimension to the spectrum.
The psychological implications of
these special effects also offer designers
a new avenue for reaching out to their
target markets. Fluorescents pop with
an energizing youth and vitality, while
metallics and opalescents speak quietly
of refined taste and exclusivity.
Do you want to imply affluence?
From antique chalices and crowns to the
cry of “Eureka!” in the gold rush days,
shiny metallics have always held a special,
moneyed allure for both the obvious
intrinsic value of the ore itself and its
use as coin of the realm. But today, the
very mention of the word
gold or silver
conjures images of power and success.
These colors adorn the best athletes in
the world at the Olympic Games and
are reserved for the most prestigious
customers by credit card companies.
Interestingly, even though gold is
the more precious of the two metals, silver
has greater appeal to luxury car buyers in
Asia, Europe, and the Americas, accord-
ing to DuPont’s annual Global Color
Popularity Report. Since icy grays con-
tain none of the warmth associated with
gold tones, silver implies an aloofness that
sets it apart from the mass market. After
all, we say the rich are born with silver
spoons in their mouths, not gold.
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Job no:59657 Title : Rockport-Complete Colour Harmony Client : Provision
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175 Size : 171.45(w)228.6(h)mm Co : M8 Q O/P: V
Dept : DTP D/O : 04.10.03 (Job no:000000 D/O : 00.00.02 Co: CM0)
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DuPont suggests that silver also
offers “sophisticated automotive styling
cues that express technology driven
lifestyles.” The association of metallics
and optical effects with the Computer
Age adds to this message of state-of-the-
art innovation.
In printing, “things that sparkle and
shine tend to get noticed,” affirms
Ink
World
magazine. But unlike eye-catching
reds or oranges, metallics connote money
and currency, giving them an impression
of extravagance. Silver or gold ink on
wedding invitations speaks of ballrooms
and chandeliers, while metallic wrapping
paper suggests a precious gift inside.
Of course all that glitters goes well
beyond gold, or silver for that matter.
Metallic finishes can add depth to any
hue in the spectrum and are best used
to express wealth or breakthrough
technology.
Opalescents provoke similar reac-
tions, reminding one of gemstones and
lustrous pearls. Even the luminescent
interior of an abalone or conch shell lying
on the beach gives the impression of
buried treasure. In addition to pleasing
the eye, opals and pearls can be either
classic or unique, so those ethereal finishes
appeal to a wide range of tastes.
Consider that style icons like
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey
Hepburn popularized wearing a single
tasteful strand of pearls, always
de rigeur
in proper society. But at the same time,
iconoclasts have given pearls a more
unconventional twist, as exemplified by
provocative dancer Josephine Baker, who
wore ropes and ropes of pearls in her act,
and not much else.
An attraction to opalescent finishes
isn’t exclusive to women. Lustrous sheens
in products and packaging also appeal to
men who want to express a sense of non-
conformity without being overt. When
men buy sun- or eyeglass frames, for
example, they prefer interesting surface
finishes that mottle the color, making it
more distinctive.
And for that all-important automobile
purchase, metallic or opalescent effects
exude class and originality. Anyone can
own a white car, the thinking goes, but
one that has a pearlized cream finish that
changes color depending on the time of
day makes more of a statement sitting in
the driveway.
If you really want to catch your neigh-
bor’s eye, though, fluorescents are the way
to go. No other colors command immedi-
ate attention as effectively.
Favored by children, playful designers,
and athletic-wear manufacturers, fluores-
cent colors offer a kitschy, retro feeling
reminiscent of neon signs and roadside
diners. But there’s a practical side as well.
As the most conspicuous color effect, Day-
Glo brights are ideal for running shoes
and outdoor apparel to make athletes
and children more noticeable at night.
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Job no:59657 Title : Rockport-Complete Colour Harmony Client : Provision
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175 Size : 171.45(w)228.6(h)mm Co : M8 Q O/P: V
Dept : DTP D/O : 04.10.03 (Job no:000000 D/O : 00.00.02 Co: CM0)
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That’s why fluorescents are the finish
of choice for emergency equipment and
signs. Brilliant yellow road signs pop out
against the pavement, rapidly alerting
drivers to potential hazards, while high-
intensity orange life preservers silently
call out to rescue boats. Construction
workers and crossing guards would be
in greater danger if their bright orange
vests didn’t set them apart from oncom-
ing traffic.
Lime green is the ideal choice for
billboards or equipment that need to
be seen at night. Research has proven
that reflective fluorescent lime is the
most visible color in the dark, as well as
in poor weather conditions such as fog.
In fact, safety-research studies of
fire engines found that when they were
painted lime green, the trucks were
involved in half the number of traffic
accidents, especially at night. So why
aren’t all fire trucks now painted lime?
Because red proved too iconic with the
public, which psychologically couldn’t
accept such a major color change.
That can be a great advantage of
special-effects finishes: Applying them lets
you change the look of an existing prod-
uct without altering its accepted color.
A French rosary manufacturer did
precisely that in the 1600s by artificially
creating pearlescent pigments to give its
beads a suitably ethereal presence. The
desired effect was achieved by scraping
the skin and scales of whitefish.
Today, mica crystals, both natural
and synthetic, produce all light-reflecting
iridescence. But as was true in the seven-
teenth century, the popularity of these
finishes is due in part to our renewed
spirituality in troubled times.
Luminosity is prized for more down-
to-earth reasons as well, with mica being
seen as an indispensable ingredient in
cosmetic foundations that promise a
“youthful glow.”
Car finishes, however, need to last
a lot longer than makeup applications.
It took years of research for the automo-
tive industry to develop pearlized effects
that could pass the standard three-year
durability test for heat stability and
weather-fastness.
Metallic car colors underwent their
own ingredient makeover to guarantee
longevity. The metal flakes used in the
1950s required so many clear top coats
that the top coats often cracked and yel-
lowed. Mylar-coated flakes are used today.
A leader in the science of color man-
agement, DuPont used knowledge accumu-
lated while researching automotive finishes
to make special-effects printing more
predictable. The performance of metal-
lic inks has also improved in recent years,
resulting in substantial market growth.
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