Some Guidelines
nSelect a color palette according to some method, typically by choosing some contrasting and/or some similar colors
nLight-dark contrast more important than hue contrast
–Especially important for text. Text MUST have value contrast!
–Red-green differences not discerned by many people
–Hue differences lost in small areas
–When in doubt, avoid color (less is more)
nGroup similar items by using similar colors or backgrounds
nUse brightness and saturation (sparingly) to draw attention
nBe aware of task or cultural contexts that influence interpretation of color codings
n
similar colors theme
contrasting colors theme
http://www.colormatters.com/colortheory.html