Color Education

Editor's Notes

• #2: Here’s a crash-course covering what I consider to be the six most important colors, what they represent, and the best ways to use them in SHOWING your idea. The first two, Black & White, are not actually colors, but they are still the most important. Any visuals you produce should reproduce well in Black & White for quick photocopying, faxing, and any decision makers who may be color-blind.
• #3: White, Black, and Blue are considered safe colors.
• #4: WHITE represents purity, cleanliness, and simplicity.
• #5: For example, brides wear White to convey purity.
• #6: Hospitals use a lot of white to reinforce cleanliness and sterility.
• #7: Apple computer uses White to convey simplicity.
• #8: White is the background of our word processors, and most web pages, simulating paper. Traditional text is almost always Black on a white background. As a background, it’s more about the empty “White spaces” than filling with content. Nine times out of 10, you’ll choose a White background to SHOW your idea.
• #9: BLACK is the absence of color and represents elegance, sophistication, and mystery.
• #10: Black as a background can be very strong as it sets a formal tone and makes other colors appear brighter.
• #11: BLUE represents honesty, trust, and stability. Blue is primary color of choice for corporations around the world.
• #12: To this day, IBM is known as “Big Blue.”
• #13: Blue is common color for uniformed paramedics, firemen, and police.
• #14: Blue suggests precision and intellect and it’s no wonder that American Express named their new cash rewards card, “Blue.” Blue is a considered a safe color – use it for accents and sometimes in place of Black.
• #15: So there are your safe colors, White, Black, and Blue.
• #16: The next set of colors, Green, Yellow, and Red, are persuasion colors…
• #17: … and their meanings are best related to a traffic signal, “Stop – Caution – and GO!
• #18: RED (my favorite color) represents danger, power, and passion.
• #19: In a traffic signal, it means, “stop”
• #20: … and on signs it means “danger.”
• #21: Red is the color of fire trucks, emergency lights, and fire.
• #22: In accounting, Red means negative or losing money – a bad thing in business. Red is generally a negative color, associated with downward/backward movement…
• #23: but can be effectively used to stimulate or draw attention, as in “sale” or “buy now.” Use Red sparingly and carefully.
• #24: YELLOW represents alertness, energy, and happiness.
• #25: In a traffic signal, it means, “slow down.”
• #26: On signs it means, “caution.”
• #27: Taxicabs are yellow to get your attention.
• #28: Yellow is cheerful and optimistic – highlight your gold nuggets with yellow!
• #29: GREEN represents growth, health, and the environment.
• #30: In a traffic signal, it means “go!”
• #31: In accounting, Green means positive cash flow, so Green means money – especially in U.S. dollars. Green is generally a positive color and is usually associated with upward/forward movement.
• #32: As well as nature and the environment. Highlight your gold nuggets with green!
• #33: Add in, what are my colors saying? And since you made it this far, I’ll give you the best tip of them all…