Choose & Use the Best Colors
by Andrew Eaton
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Published on this site: July 6th, 2005 - See
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The Psychology of Color
Are you using the best colors for your web site? Many web designers
often overlook the issues of color in web design. When choosing
colors for your web site there are three main areas that should
be addressed.
- The psychological effect of colors,
- The effect on the readability of your site, and
- The complementary choice of colors for your background, graphics,
links, and text
These are all areas that must be well satisfied to create an effective
and professional web site.
Listed below are a few characteristics of color that should always
be considered when designing your graphics.
- Colors have an effect on our emotions within 90 seconds of viewing.
- Color choices can motivate, impress, and persuade your prospect
to buy from you.
- Colors not only intensify the item, they greatly influence
our behavior.
- The effects of color differ among different cultures. Ø
Color choices alone are sending a specific message to your viewers.
Given the fact that people respond more to non-verbal cues than
verbal cues, it’s all-important that you choose the corresponding
colors for the emotional trigger you want to trip. The following
colors are associated with certain emotions or qualities in North
American culture.
- White - Suggests truthfulness, purity, clean, devotion,
mild, and contemporary. White is the best color for a background
color on the web. For business it can be refreshing and sterile.
- Black – Suggests elegance, boldness, power, authority,
seductive, evil, sophistication and classic. Black is the ideal
choice for text on a light background. It is hard on the eyes
when used as a background on web sites.
- Red – Suggests strength, sex, excitement, passion,
speed, danger, aggressiveness, and demands attention. In business
it is associated with debt. Red is the most emotionally intense
color. It stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing.
- Blue – Suggests security, trust, reliability, coolness,
faithfulness, belonging, and dignity. Blue is the most popular
color. It is the second most popular color. In business it suggests
fiscal responsibility and sanctuary.
- Green - Suggests abundance, health, fertility, freedom,
healing, nature, growth, jealously, and cool. In business it suggests
status and wealth. It is the easiest color on the eye.
- Brown – Suggests effectiveness, politeness, richness,
and helpfulness. Brown is the color of earth, and is abundant
in nature.
- Gray – Suggests earnestness, authority, and practicality.
In business it suggests traditional and conservative.
- Pink – Suggests softness, sweet, femininity, well-being,
innocence, and nurture.
- Purple – Suggests dignity, spirituality, royal,
luxury, wealth, authority, mournfulness, and sophistication. In
business it is upscale. Purple is favored by the artistic.
- Orange – Suggests playfulness, pleasure, cool, warmth,
cheer, vibrant, strength, endurance, and ambition.
- Yellow – Suggests sunshine, warmth, cheer, happiness,
cowardice, and jealousy. In business it is appealing to intellectual
types and is good for accents. Yellow enhances concentration,
increases metabolism, and is the most difficult color for the
eye to take in.
- Gold – Suggests expensive, and prestige.
- Silver – Suggests cold, scientific, and prestige.
Whenever you begin to choose your colors, think about your target
market. What emotions do you want to evoke? Give some thought to
the current emotion of your prospect and to the message you want
to send. Then choose your colors.
Andy Eaton is one of the most sought after graphic designers
on the web, not only does he create quality graphics, but he also
teaches you how to create them step by stem in his video membership
site, Right now you can get access to some FREE quality videos by
signing up to his action packed ezine Visit
http://www.graphicsecretsexposed.com/ezine
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