“Cold-hearted orb that rules the night.
Removes the color from our site.
Red is gray and yellow, white.
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion.”
--The Moody Blues

Color is a relative thing. When sunlight filters through our atmosphere, its resulting spectrum searches for pigments off which to reflect. If an object is made of red pigment, it is found by red light. When an object is pigmented with all the colors of the spectrum, that object looks white. When an object lacks pigment, it appears as black.

"You want to build a site that invokes action (buying) yet doesn't burn out the eyes of your surfer."

We see more colors in daylight because sunlight carries the full color spectrum. In moonlight the spectrum becomes gray scale. Color exists through light and colors look different in different kinds of light. Different computer monitors will display colors depending on the screen resolution. The higher the resolution, the more true the colors. Yet, no screen is able to display colors without the power of light. Bright, artificial light. It’s important to think about light when you consider the colors you’ll use to create your adult web page.

Eyestrain is a common condition among computer users. The main reason for this is that a computer monitor is basically a glorified light box. Black letters on a white background are definitely easiest to see but that black/white combo is very hard on the peepers. Weary eyeballs instinctively search for varying shades of the spectrum just to relieve the intensity of black on white. When your surfer views your web page, be cautious about light.

Think about the environment of your surfer.

Are they viewing your page in an office where overhead lighting diffuses the glow from their monitors? Or does your page scream at them from the middle of a darkened room? Look at your page in varying types of light. Does it look better in bright light than it does in minimal light? Many times we talk about the consideration of screen resolution when it comes to page color. I’m asking you to reflect on the light. On computer screens, the light is fucking intense. This makes the colors intense. Intense colors generate intense reactions.

Reds are redder. Blues are bluer. The right shade of yellow can liken the energy of the sun. Pale pink isn’t just pale pink. It’s very pale pink. Many studies have shown that we humans react to color both emotionally and physically.

Red instills energized feelings and makes blood flow faster. Blue is calming and causes introspection while it settles the synapses in our brains. Yellow conveys alarm and pushes the adrenaline button. Green has us thinking of nature and we suddenly begin to breathe easier. All the while the white sanitizes and the black evokes the definitions of our thoughts.

The colors you use for your background, your ad banners, your text links and your page decorations need to be arranged in a way that not only pleases but also sells. You want to build a site that invokes action (buying) yet doesn’t burn out the eyes of your surfer.

The biggest color mistake newbie adult webmasters make is with the color red. You know the lore. Red is the color of passion and power. Red heats the blood. Red makes you horny. Red is definitely a forceful color but that doesn’t mean you should flood your site with red. You want to use red sparingly and in the right places on your page. I’ve seen far too many adult pages with red text, red logo images and red buttons and usually all on a black background. This combo might be fine if you’re making a Goth site but it’s downright threatening when you do the red/black thing on a softcore coed page. The strong light of a computer’s monitor powers that red. Red speaks loudly and vigorously. Don’t let the red say too much or you’ll scare the surfer away.

When projected by the light of a monitor, yellow becomes more than alarm, it can become fear. Blue is a calming color but with the intensity of light it has the ability to depress the viewer. Green is supposed to make one think of money but it also makes one think of mold and broccoli and going outside to get some fresh air. Black is a great contrasting color but if black is the background, that contrast may be too dark to create an atmosphere of lust. White is a good background on which to display photos but too much white can practically burn a surfer’s retina.

We see color because of light. In real life our light is generally ambient or diffused by the size of the source. On a television or movie screen the light is strong but we view it at a distance. On a computer we’re literally sitting inches away from a direct light, staring right at it.

Color is power because of light. You can use that power to make a surfer spend money. Or you can use that power to give them a headache. You decide which is right.