Colour and Typography Basics

Choose type and colour on purpose instead of by mood.

What the course covers

8 modules, 32 topics. Open any one to see what sits inside it.

1. 1.1 How colour works, physically and perceptually
2. 1.2 Hue, saturation and value
3. 1.3 Colour models, and where each applies
4. 1.4 Colour is always contextual
1. 2.1 Colour relationships on the wheel
2. 2.2 Dominant, secondary and accent
3. 2.3 Neutrals, and how they carry a palette
4. 2.4 Limiting yourself deliberately
1. 3.1 Contrast and legibility
2. 3.2 Accessibility requirements
3. 3.3 Colour meaning across cultures
4. 3.4 Consistency across media
1. 4.1 The parts of a letterform
2. 4.2 Serif, sans, script and display
3. 4.3 Weight, width and style
4. 4.4 What actually makes a typeface readable
1. 5.1 Matching a typeface to a purpose
2. 5.2 Pairing two typefaces
3. 5.3 Type families and systems
4. 5.4 Licensing and web fonts
1. 6.1 Size, line length and line height
2. 6.2 Tracking and kerning
3. 6.3 Alignment and justification
4. 6.4 Hierarchy through type alone
1. 7.1 Text on a coloured background
2. 7.2 Contrast ratios in practice
3. 7.3 Emphasis without shouting
4. 7.4 The combinations that always fail
1. 8.1 Analysing work you admire
2. 8.2 Building a reference library
3. 8.3 Defending a colour or type decision
4. 8.4 Avoiding trends that will date badly

By the end of this course you will be able to explain and apply:

Two hours, not two months Eight short modules. Finish in a day, or do one module a night for a week.

Job-ready from the first module Everything here is a task you will actually be asked to do at work, not theory you will never use.

Built for a phone Watch on the bus, pause mid-module, pick up where you stopped. No download, no lab.

A certificate that can be checked Every certificate carries an ID your college or an employer can verify on our site.

About two hours in total — eight modules of roughly fifteen minutes. You can do it in one sitting or spread it across a week. Your place is saved either way.
No. There is no prerequisite course and no software to install. A phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection is enough.
Yes. This course is placed at Pre-degree / Foundation for India, and the content is written for that level. If you are at a different stage, change your level at the top of the page and the courses will change with it.
A certificate for the course, carrying an ID that your college or an employer can check on our verification page. You keep access to the material afterwards.
Yes — ₹450 for this course on its own, or ₹1,450 for all five in this set, which works out cheaper if you want more than one.
There is a short quiz at the end of each module so you can check what stuck. It is not timed and you can retake it.
Change your country using the picker at the top. Level names, degree names and prices all switch to that country, and the courses adjust to its education system.

Wording shown for India. Pick a different country at the top and the terms, currency and programme names change with it.