10 Best Colour Combinations for Sign Boards
- 7 Jul 2022
10 Best Colour Combinations for Signs
When you are thinking about your sign board artwork and poster design, there are quite a few factors to consider. The font of your text, the size of your logo, and the types of images you select – all of these will affect the look and feel of your branding materials. However, no one factor is as important as the colour scheme that you choose.
Colours are one of the most important aspects of branding and marketing. Do you think that McDonald’s and Subway happened upon the colour yellow by accident? How about Waitrose, Starbucks, or BP – did they choose green on a whim? Does M&S stick with simple black and white for lack of any better ideas?
The answer to these questions is a resounding ‘of course not.’ These multinational corporations spend a huge amount of time and money researching the colours of their logos, branding, pavement signs, and marketing materials.
How colours evoke and influence emotion
Colours are extremely influential on our mood. Some people report that they feel more calm and collected when they are in a blue room, or more anxious and prone to overeating in a yellow (now McDonald’s and Subway’s colour schemes make even more sense).
Pablo Picasso one said, "Colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” They really do have an effect on your mood, and on the behaviours that you exhibit.
Table of 12 colours with meanings of use and emotional influence |
|||
---|---|---|---|
COLOUR: |
EMOTION: |
INDUSTRY: |
USED TO: |
RED |
EXCITEMENT ENERGY PASSION COURAGE ATTENTION |
ENTERTAINMENT FOOD SPORT FIRE PROTECTION CHILDRENS PRODUCTS |
STIMULATE CREATE URGENCY DRAW ATTENTION CAUTION ENCOURAGE |
ORANGE |
OPTIMISTIC INDEPENDENT ADVENTUROUS CREATIVITY FUN |
ART ENTERTAINMENT FOOD SPORTS TRANSPORTATION |
STIMULATE COMMUNICATE FUN DRAW ATTENTION EXPRESS FREEDOM FASCINATE |
YELLOW |
ENTHUSIASM OPPORTUNITY SPONTANAITY HAPPINESS POSSITIVITY |
FOOD SPORTS TRANSPORTATION TRAVEL LEISURE |
STIMULATE ENCOURAGE RELAXATION AWAKE AWARENESS ENERGISE AFFECT MOOD |
GREEN |
SAFETY HARMONY STABILITY RELIABILITY BALANCE |
ENVIRONMENT BANKING REAL ESTATE FARMING NON PROFIT |
RELAX BALANCE REVITALISE ENCOURAGE POSSESS |
LIME GREEN |
GROWTH HARMONY FERTILITY KINDNESS DEPENDABILITY |
ENVIRONMENT LEISURE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY ENTERTAINMENT EDUCATION |
RESTORE ENERGY PROMOTE GROWTH NATURE REJUVENATE |
LIGHT BLUE |
FREEDOM SELL EXPRESSION TRUSTWORTH WISDOM JOY |
ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNICATION CHILDRENS PRODUCTS TECHNOLOGY AEROSPACE |
DRAW ATTENTION INSPIRE TRUST SUGGEST PRECISION COMMUNICATE CONSCIOUSNESS STIMULATE PRODUCTIVITY |
DARK BLUE |
TRUST RESPONSIBILITY HONESTY LOYALTY INNER SECURITY |
SECURITY FINANCE TECHNOLOGY HEALTH CARE ACCOUNTING |
REDUCE STRESS CREATE CALMNESS RELAX SECURE CREATE ORDER |
VIOLET |
IMAGINATION SPIRITUALITY COMPASSION SENSITIVITY MYSTERY |
HUMANITARIAN PSYCHIC RELIGION |
ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY INSPIRE COMBINE WISDOM AND POWER CREATE IMPRESSION OF LUXURY INTUITION |
PINK |
COMPASSION LOVE IMMATURE PLAYFUL ADMIRATION |
CHILDRENS PRODUCTS WOMANS PRODUCTS BEAUTY FASHION |
COMMUNICATE ENERGY INCREASE PULSE MOTIVATE ACTION FASCINATE ENCOURAGES CREATIVITY |
BROWN |
RELIABILITY STABILITY HONESTY COMFORT NATURAL |
AGRICULTURE CONSTRUCTION TRANSPORTATION LEGAL FOOD |
STABILISE IMPLY COMMON SENSE SUPPRESS EMOTIONS CREATE WARMTH |
GREY |
NEUTRAL PRACTICAL COSERVATIVE FORMAL QUIET |
ALL INDUSTRIES *MOSTLY USED IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER COLOURS |
CREATE SENSE OF COMPOSURE DEPRESS ENERGY ASSOCIATE TIMELESS COMMUNICATE MATURATION |
BLACK |
POWER CONTROL AUTHORITY DISCIPLINE ELEGANCE |
ALL INDUSTRIES *MOSTLY USED IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER COLOURS |
HIDE FEELINGS INTIMIDATE RADIATE AUTHORITY CREATE FEAR ASSOCIATE WITH MYSTERY |
How do colours affect consumer behaviour?
The field of colour psychology suggests that different shades and tones affect our mood in many ways. They can soothe and relax the mind, or they can rile you up and cause anxiety. Experts say that they can even affect the things that you buy, and how much you are willing to spend. We all have preferences about the colours that we like to wear and surround ourselves with, but maybe there is even more than just preference as to why we choose them.
Here are some of the most common consumer behaviours and feelings associated with different colours:
- Blue: Blue is stable, and can evoke a feeling of safety and confidence in a product.
- White: White is fresh, clean, and sophisticated, and can bring youth and modernity to mind.
- Silver: Silver evokes a sense of modernity and can even feel futuristic and innovative. This is a cutting edge colour for your branding and signage.
- Yellow: Yellow is associated with bright, sunny emotions, and can make people feel happy and bold.
- Black: Black is timeless and sophisticated for a reason, and is associated with power and wealth.
- Red: Red is powerful, bold, and sexy! It screams ‘look at me!’ and helps catch anyone’s attention. There is a reason that red is associated with high heels, lipstick, and sports cars.
- Grey: Grey might be understated and a bit bland, but it can suggest stability, timeless reliability, and simplicity. It’s perfect for products and brands that are associated with ‘flying under the radar.’
How do colours catch the eye?
When choosing colours for your window signage and pavement signs, you need to consider how effective they will be at grabbing the attention of potential customers and passersby.
As we evolved into modern humans, we have retained some of the more ‘animalistic’ aspects of our ancestors. For instance, we tend to see bright colours more easily and with more prominence than we see neutrals. In our ‘lizard brain,’ they signify a bounty of food, or a potential predator approaching us in the distance. There is a reason that apex predators, such as lions and tigers, evolved to blend in with the background!
As a result, we don’t tend to notice neutral colours with as much interest as we do with bright and bold hues. Red tends to be the colour associated with sale signage and price tags, because we tend to see red from a great distance, and it really catches our attention.
The means that the best colours for pavement signs and outdoor signage in general are bright and bold. Fire engine red, neon green, bright yellow, and electric blue are all popular and effective choices.
However, don’t write off black, white, tan, and grey so quickly. There are plenty of successful brands and businesses that use these shades to great effect, such as the aforementioned M&S and its black and white logo. The key to making these shades work is using contrast. By choosing the right contrasting neutrals, you can strike a balance and create the perfect signage.
The basics of colour theory
You might remember learning about the colour wheel back in primary school. The primary colours red, blue, and yellow are the source of all other shades ad hues, and secondary colours come from mixing these colours together – think blue and red making purple, yellow and red making orange, and yellow and blue making green.
From there, you have tertiary colours, which come from missing primary and secondary colours. For instance, you can mix blue and purple to make a vibrant blue violet. Adding white to any of these will create a pastel version of the colour. Shades that can be found on the opposite sides of the colour wheel are called complementary or contrasting colours. Examples of contrasting colours include blue and orange, or red and green.
Contrasting colours for signage
Now that you are familiar with the very basics of colour theory, it’s time to start thinking about contrasting colours for signage. Colours look and feel different depending on the context in which they are placed, and the other colours that are near them.
For example, if you place a specific shade of yellow on a blue background, it will look more bright and bold. However, the same yellow on a plain white background will seem washed out, and almost imperceptible. It’s the same shade, but the experience for the viewer is very different.
Now you can see why, when it comes to designing your signage, choosing your colours is important. The text is the most important element on the sign, so make sure that it really ‘pops’ and is the easy to read, especially at a distance. The highest legibility necessitates a brightness difference of 70% or higher. This means that you should place a light colour on a dark colour, or vice versa. It may sound simple, but you would be surprised how many people neglect to consider this when designing their pavement signs!
Here are some of the most visible and high contrast colour combinations for signage and logos:
- Black background with white lettering
- Black background with bright yellow lettering
- White background with black or dark grey lettering
- White background with dark blue or bold red lettering
- Red background with white or yellow lettering
- Dark blue background with crisp white lettering
- Light blue background with black lettering
- Yellow background with black or dark blue lettering
- Forest green background with yellow or white lettering
- Pale pink background with navy blue lettering
Feel free to play around with the combinations above in order to really make them your own! Remember to keep your existing branding colour scheme in mind.
Keeping your signage consistent with your brand
In order to present your business in a professional manner, you always need to think about ‘putting your best foot forward.’ When elements of your branding are disparate and disjointed, it can really send the message that you don’t pride yourself on your work. It’s easy for things to start looking messy and disorganised, which is the opposite of what most customers want to see.
In order to enhance your brand, keep your branding, colour scheme, and font choices consistent across all signage. This should include (but is not limited to) your business cards, letterhead, name tags, and website.
While you might have started off doing your own design in the early days of your business, when it comes to building a successful brand, it pays to go professional. In order to take your business to the next level, you should pay an expert to design your logo, branding, and sign design. Everything will look and feel more cohesive, and you will attract a higher echelon of clientele.
Are you struggling to design your own pavement signs? Get in touch with the expert team here at Red17. We have the knowledge, experience, and creativity to ensure that your signs stand out from the crowd – and catch attention. Call or email us today!