Better Banner Colours

All Things Bright and Beautiful: How to Use Colour to Create a Better Banner.

You know your banner must be bright and bold but did you know that its success could depend on your choice between electric blue and playful orange? Colours matter more than you think. The colours on your banner are so powerful they can even influence your customers. Many people (even designers) miss a trick and choose their favourite colours rather than focus on how colour helps sell, tell a story, and inspire.

Colour psychology states that every colour affects mood, creates a reaction, and shows emotion in a different way. The colours you use on your banner help to influence how people read your message and perceive your brand. The important part of the process of communication is perception. It’s all about how the observer of your banner will take in your message. Here we discuss the importance of the right colours for your banner – which colours you should use, and which ones to avoid so that your banner design is most effective.

The dramatic power of colour

Think how you feel when you see an advertisement bathed in earthy greens, cool blues and soft white shades. Do you feel angry and ready to take action? Probably not. You are
more likely to feel like taking a deep breath and relaxing. People make an initial judgement of a person or message within 90 seconds of looking at it, according to the Institute for Colour Research, and a massive 62 percent to 90 percent of the reaction is caused by colour.

While different shades will affect different people in different ways, according to their background or personality, some colour effects are true across the board.

• Yellow – it’s bright and it’s cheerful. Yellow reflects optimism. It also helps to activate memory, stimulate the nervous system, and spark creativity. It is a great colour for imparting a new message to people, and for getting people inspired to take action. Beware, however, because too much of it can be irritating to the eyes.
• Orange – it’s warm and enthusiastic, so feel free to use it when you want to make friends. However, it’s not always great for promoting an image of stability – orange is ideal for a creative and innovative brand which also wants to project a youthful image.

• Red – it’s got passion, it stands out, and it appeals to our basic instincts. It is linked to anger but it also signifies importance. Red can actually change your physical response, too, increasing your breathing rate and heart rate. It actually makes you feel more energized.

• Purple – this royal colour is associated with wisdom, loyalty, and luxury. Think elegance and grandness as well, plus spirituality and expressiveness.

• Pink – it isn’t necessarily feminine and soft. Various shades of pink give different impacts. For example, hot pink or fuchsia is often used for active young women, whilst a lighter shade of pink is often a great colour for babies and the elderly.

• Brown – it’s Mother Nature at its best, and tends to produce a nurturing and comforting effect. Earthy tones soothe both the eye and the mind and brown has a positive and wholesome image.

• Green – it stands for growth, rebirth, and prosperity. Think of spring – and the coming of new things. Green has the calming influence of blue but some of the zinginess of yellow, too.

• Blue – is stability and reliability. That’s why blue is often utilised in the automotive industry, in the medical field, and other sectors that want to evoke solidity and trustworthiness.

• Black – technically, black is the absence of colour. It plays against other colours to powerful effect and works well with yellow, and can make a great design statement for your banner.

• White – simplicity and purity, as well as security. White can also be elegant, especially when combined with bolder, brighter colours.

Remember, however, that it’s not just about the colours themselves – various shades of the same colour could have a very different impact, and it’s proven that certain colours
or shades don’t go well when they are combined in contrasting designs. It’s a matter of taste, yes, but you should remember most of all that it’s a matter of consumer preference. Do your research and see what your audience appreciates. Then you will be using colour to create the ideal banner for your needs.

Image attributed to – designed by freepik