Tips for Choosing a Color Scheme in Graphic Design
As you begin to design your sign or graphic, one of the first elements you’ll need to consider is the color scheme you want to use. If you do not have a lot of design experience, you’ll soon find it’s harder than you might expect to create a color scheme for a design that flows well and gets across the general brand image you want to exude.
Here are some factors to consider as you begin choosing your color scheme:
- Your target market. First and foremost, consider whom you are marketing your business and its products and services to. The age, gender, income level, profession and other demographics of your target audience could have a big impact on the colors you want to choose. Bright, whimsical colors probably don’t mesh with a sign for a personal injury law firm, for example.
- Use color symbolism and psychology. There are certain associations with colors that you might consider as you choose your color scheme. Deep purples are reminiscent of opulence, and dark blues indicate stability and safety. Green usually represents freshness and youth, while light pinks and purples often are associated with femininity. These are just a few examples.
- Keep a limited palette. One of the most common mistakes you see inexperienced designers make is that they try to use far too many colors in a single design or logo. Instead, keep your palette limited, and make good use of color wheels. You can find plenty of online tools to help you develop a palette for your designs. The general rule of thumb is that you should try to stick to three primary colors in your scheme. More than three can work if done well, but it gets increasingly harder to make a good-looking design with more than three colors.
- Make use of different color shades. If you must go beyond your three allotted colors, you can cheat a bit by introducing shades and tints of existing colors in your palette. They will fit better in your color scheme than completely new colors.
For more tips about how to create visually appealing designs through smart use of color, contact our team at Erie Custom Signs today.
