This principle may seem confusing at first glance - is that a face or a lamp? Either view as foreground or background. Cool colors tend to recede while warm colors tend to approach. One of the first things your mind must make sense of. This principle tells us what to focus on and what we can let fade into the background. A common tactic used to create order is to layer shapes behind text. Even a semi-opaque unifying background can make it much easier for a viewer to read text.