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From Jim Hance Graphic Communications:

By Jim Hance, Graphic Designer

Choosing a color is one of the first things I consider when designing a logo, or any kind of graphic communication. The psychological effect colors have on people has been studied and documented, and it has been found that people commonly respond to colors in certain ways.

With thousands of color tints and hues to choose from, the
"exceptions to the rule" dominate. But just for fun, here are the primary colors and what authorities say they mean to people.

Yellow. Bright yellow produces feelings of warmth, energy, light, and the sun. The eye is drawn to yellow first. It is lively, cheery, and stimulating. It increases energy.

Red. Bright red is hot, passionate, bold and begs for attention. It has been shown to boost the body's metabolism and raise blood pressure. Red is empowering, motivating, energetic and dramatic. It's also best as an accent color as too much of it can be agitating.

Blue. Blue is viewed as calming, strong, intelligent, and relaxing in most cultures throughout the world. It produces feelings of tranquility and peacefulness. It is thought to connotate trust, and is regarded as therapeutic.

Violet (Purple). Purple is thought of as mysterious, royal, individual, sexy and sophisticated. It is comforting. Purple is often a favorite of artists and people considered to be less conventional. On the down side, it is the color of mourning in six Asian countries and isn't recommended in large doses for that market.

Orange. Orange is a combination of sunny yellow and bold red. It cheers and commands. It's a color enjoyed by the young and is commonly used to show affordability to the consumer. It is enthusiastic, good natured and joyous. It has been shown to stimulate the appetite.

Green. Green can be both fresh and clean or it can represent nature, environment and ecology. Green balances, refreshes and normalizes. It is one of the colors favored by the trend-setter market. Yellow-green is favored by youth but not adults.

Note: Jim Hance is one of San Diego's best graphic designers. To see his website, go to:

www.wowpromotions.com

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