Color meaning....

[sscheer]

What do the different colors mean to you? Why I am asking is because I am trying to pick out a color that would be best as just one color as a background for my logo. As I told you before, my logo is just a simple "S" shape.

[Keyare]

Good question! I think it's different for everyone, depending on mood and what you've been exposed to before too.


Brown=Earthy
Greens=Plants/trees/nature
Reds=Warm
Blues=Cold

Green&Red=Christmas
Black&Orange=Halloween
Red&Yellow=cheap

Primaries=simple, childlike
Duotones=subdued

Blues=Business
Greens=Money
Reds=Debt

I tend to think that you take any colour and the more black you add to it the more serious you are. Kinda wierd huh? Like you take red 032,that's a pretty garish colour, good for getting attention if used carefully, but it's kinda cheesy - add 40% black to it and it becomes a dark blood red, much more serious.


Look ata bright green vs. a dark green.


Personally,I would NEVER use purple in anything. But that's just me. My tastes have even changed over time. I used to love blue. Now I don't.


To me you can explain almost anything away. I think you should just pick whatever you like. I think it's like an opinion, you can't really say your choice is wrong.

Now that didn't help at all did it! Really good question. I wonder what other people's pallettes are like.




Welcome to Earth. There will be a parking fee.

[Kool]

Don't over think this. As Keyare says pick a pleasing shade of a color you like, some people will love it, some people will hate it and the vast majority won't give it any thought at all. In all my years in this business no one ever said "I like your rates and I like your skills but the color in your logo is terrible so I won't hire you"<img border="0" src= "smileys/smiley16.gif">

<img border="0" src= "http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/sig.jpg">

"I used to be with it. But then they changed what it was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it seems weird and scary to me." Abraham Simpson

[unicorn]

As Kool and Keyare have already said but I'll say it again anyways... Just go with your instincts and choose any color....


I agree with Kool's perspective - majority won't give it a thought....


so be yourself... let it be the color u want it to be...

[Jeffhalmos]

This might help a bit:

www.jeffhalmos.com/method/color.html (http://www.jeffhalmos.com/method/color.html)

Jeff Halmos, Brand Strategy & Identity Design
www.jeffhalmos.com (http://www.jeffhalmos.com)
AIM/iChat: jshalmos

[PrintDriver]

Whoa now this was an old post.
Anybody seen Scheer lately?

PrintDriver is a large format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[sscheer]

Yeah, this topic was talked about awhile back. But that is fine, I am always trying to understand the meaning of colors. So, thank you.

[Magnus]

Well, colours mean different things to different people. For example, after taking a poo, and looking at what I made, brown, normal poo means I ate well. Anythign green or yellow makes me wonder. So as you can see, colours can sometimes frighten a person

"The function of a warrior is to eliminate an exterior enemy presence. A warrior is an antitoxin, a protector. The warrior does combat where and when necessary and not otherwise. "


- Ambrose Hollingworth Redmoon

[sscheer]

I am not suprised with the way you responded. Its funny.















Magnus said...
Well, colours mean different things to different people. For example, after taking a poo, and looking at what I made, brown, normal poo means I ate well. Anythign green or yellow makes me wonder. So as you can see, colours can sometimes frighten a person

[Cathy]

If you'd like to learn more about color theory, read about Johannes Itten a bit. He was the color theorist who modified the already existing color wheel & the first (well-known person anyway) to apply subjective meanings to objective colors. He also was the first to assign seven different color contrasts to the elements of color application (contrast of hue, of light-dark, of cold & warm, of complementary, simultaneous, saturation, and extension).

He taught at the famous Bauhaus and wrote a book based on his teachings - the books entitled 'The Art of Color', in case you want to check it out, or you can read 'Itten: The Elements of Color' which is based on his book.

Here's a link to a site that sort of sums up Itten's theories: poynterextra.org/cp/colorproject/color.html (http://poynterextra.org/cp/colorproject/color.html)

It is a very easy way to get a quick grasp on the usage of color. Enjoy!

[snypa]

someone, a couple of weeks ago, suggested the pantone guide to communicating with color. i picked it up from amazon fro like 9 bucks and i think its great. it goes through different emotions and the common colors that invoke them. the second have of the book has all kinds of interesting color palettes. they printed it in hexacrome. i definitely recommend it

I'm not a real graphic designer, but I do play one on tv

[SigPho]

I agree with Snypa, it's a great book! We have it at our office. The color palettes they've put together really help when conceptualizing. They help me to get my brain juices flowing. I even look at the art within the book for inspiration, not just the color palettes. For example, on page 112 (maybe you want to take a peak snypa) there is a shopping bag for via in the layout. The bag has 6 horizontal color bars. I covered up different parts of the bag and came up with my color scheme from that for a university system project. Fun stuff. I'd like to post it, but my employers would not be happy. Snypa, I used these tones from the bag: light yellow, white, red-orange. Then I added a dark navy blue because I liked that. Use the book as much as you can...I love looking through at all the colors. Colors and color theory make me very happy. :)

[snypa]

funny you mention that bag, it always stands out to me too. didn't even have to look it up
every young designer needs to check out this book

I'm not a real graphic designer, but I do play one on tv