The psychology of colours
Installing a sign is about more than just having a label on your front door. Your sign is the face of your business that people see first so it is important to make a positive impression. There are a lot of elements to achieving this, but one of the major factors to consider is the use of colour. Did you know that the colours you use for your business signage have a variety of deeper meanings in different settings and cultures?
Colours Can Influence Mood and Emotion
The science of colour psychology is used in signage as a basis for choosing the perfect colours for your business. When perceiving a sign, the brain can associate its colours to certain emotions or memories, just like how warm colours can make a person feel like the temperature is warmer than it is, and this colour psychology can be used to deliver a subconscious message about your brand and personality – it’s not just about displaying the name of your business.
What colours are best for your business?
It is best to choose a colour that represents your brand or the services your business offers. Use colours that express the business personality you wish to convey. Here is a list of possible colours for your business’ signs or banners and their meanings:
Red
Red is an intense colour associated with blood and fire. It can show power and strength with energy, activity, and aggression. It can also be an emotional and romantic colour, representing love, warmth, and trust.
Orange
Orange is a warm colour associated with happiness as vibrant as the sun. It is full of energy and enthusiasm which sparks fun and creativity. Orange also suggests affordability and must be used carefully to avoid looking too cheap.
Yellow
Yellow is a bright colour of joy and cheerfulness. It is quite optimistic and uplifting, which can also boost mental activity while amplifying the feeling of being alive.
Green
Green is the colour of nature that suggests calmness and relaxation. It shows peace and hope, just like the harmony in nature. Green also represents the health and healing of the environment associated with growth. Green can also imply wealth through currency or cash (American money is green, for example).
Blue
Blue is a colour that has different meanings, depending on the shade. Royal blue suggests dependability and trust, just like the depth and stability of the sky and seas. It is a colour of honesty and understanding. Being a cool colour, it can provide comfort, confidence, faith, and serenity. Sky blue is often associated with calmness and navy blue can offer a healing tone, as well as smartness.
Purple
Purple is a royal colour associated with luxury and power, due to the rarity of the natural shells that used to create its pigment (it was so expensive, only Royal people could afford it!). This extravagance can also suggest a world of fantasy and dreams, while emphasising beauty, mystery, and magnificence. Purple is often used as a colour to denote psychic powers and magic, too.
Pink
Pink is a romantic colour associated with love, warmth, sweetness, innocence, and compassion.
White
White is purity, simplicity and it stimulates the creation of anything out of its blankness. It also implies cleanliness, while also featuring equality and fairness.
Black
Black is a bold and serious colour which suggests formality and luxury. It is also associated with the darkness and mystery of the night (since we cannot see in the dark, black symbolises the unknown). It can also suggest power and authority which is confident and strong in nature.
Let’s discuss your colours!
Make sure the colours you choose complement each other and are not in opposition to each other on the colour wheel. Two to three colours are enough as a general rule and are usually used in a 60%-30%-10% ratio. Once you have decided on the design, it is important to choose a sign and logo design team that can translate it into a physical sign or design.
That’s where Big Colour Signs come in. Big Colour can make your colour choices stand out in a wide range of signage materials. Big Colour Signs will help you transform these colours into the perfect signage for your business, so you can draw in more customers and make those sales. Talk to us today online, call 02 4969 5700 or send or email us at admin@bigcolour.com.au.