Choosing a Color Scheme

Choosing the right colored patterned paper and cardstock can be a daunting task especially if you are trying to create that "perfect" scrapbook page. With a few basic tips and tricks you can be whipping up the ideal page in no time.

Use your photos as a guide for choosing a color scheme. Choose one or two main colors from your photos. Look for patterned paper that incorporates those colors.  Once I find the patterned paper that complements my photos, I look for cardstock to match. It is important to find paper combinations that create color harmony, or in other words, colors that are pleasing to the eye.

Choosing two colors that are similar in hue can make a lovely color combination for a scrapbook page. A hue is a pure color that has no white, black or other color added to it.  For example, if my patterned paper is primarily blues and greens, then I might choose cardstock that is in a pale shade of blue. This is called an analogous color scheme. It happens when the colors are next to each other on the color wheel.

You can match your cardstock to your patterned paper by choosing papers from the same hue or color family. This is called a monochromatic color scheme. For example, I might choose papers in a variety of shades of blue to create a monochromatic scrapbook layout.

For a more striking look, you might choose a complementary color scheme for your papers. Complementary colors are opposite each other on a color wheel; for example yellow and violet are complementary colors.

Mixing the cool greens and purples with the warmer pinks and yellows on this layout creates a split complementary color scheme that is muted yet still pleasing to the eye.