Logo Design - Use of Colour

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When designing new business stationary it is best to use two colours for the following reasons. 1. The logo/literature has more visual impact and interest 2. The cost of printing in two colours is much more reasonable than going to full colour.

Leave full colour designs for advertising companies or large organizations with big bank balances. A two colour design can be professional and imaginative and also cost effective to print. It is also possible to use many variations of a colour within one design i.e. light blue fading to dark blue. This will cost you a little more in printing however sometimes the effect is worth the extra money.

Keep in mind that the colour you use will help form part of the image of the company. You wouldn’t expect a gym using a pink logo to attract many male weight lifters! (Quite possibly they don’t want male customers so the logo can still work). Most people have some knowledge of what is right and wrong but here is a little bit more information to help you with your selection.

Red

Red is the colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is associated as being aggressive, assertive, intense, strong, vital, life-sustaining, passionate, courageous, insightful.

Orange

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

Yellow

Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings. You can choose yellow to promote children's products and items related to leisure as it is very effective for attracting attention. Men usually perceive yellow as a very lighthearted, 'childish' colour, so it is not recommended to use yellow to promote prestigious, expensive products to men. Yellow is useful if you want to associate with healing, fun, discovery, positivity, sunshine, joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.

Green

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. Green logos work best when advertising drugs and medical products, “green” products, services or companies that are directly related to nature. Darker green is commonly associated with quality and wealth. Use green in your logo if you want to project emotional healing, protection, peace, environment, motion, wealth, nature, tranquillity, health, freshness, growth harmony

Blue

Blue is the colour of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Unlike emotionally warm colours like red, orange, and yellow; blue is linked to consciousness and intellect. It is an excellent colour for logos that need to suggest precision when promoting high-tech products.

Blue is a masculine colour; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. When used together with warm colours like yellow or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant logo designs.

Purple

Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

Light purple is a good choice for a feminine design while bright purple is useful when creating logos for children’s products.

White

White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. mIn advertising, white is associated with coolness and cleanliness because so you can use white to suggest simplicity. It is an appropriate colour for charitable organizations. White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and sterility, so you can use white to suggest safety when promoting medical products. White is often associated with low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.

Black and Grey

Black contrasts well with bright colours. Combined with red or orange – other very powerful colours – black gives a very aggressive scheme. We would recommend against the overuse of black in any logo designs however shades of grey have become increasingly popular over the last 2-3 years. Grey (silvers) have become associated with cleanliness, hi-technology, modern, contemporary images.




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