Ad design To use 4-color or to not? To obtain any measure of success, an ad's first step is to capture attention. The use of 4-color is one of the more successful attention-getting techniques. In a recent study, two ads, one black and white and one 4- color, appeared in the same magazine, and on the same page of their respective issues. The 4-color version scored 61% on attention getting and 46% on informative, whereas, the black and white ad scored 50% on attention getting and 34% on informative. There is potential for big gains in readership when 4-color is used. The magnitude of the gain cannot be predicted, but the data does show that readership can be positively influenced with the addition of 4-color. Source: "Does The Use of 4-Color Really Help Increase Readership of An Ad?" The Readex Review, Copyright 2001