Red
The Meanings of Red
Red is the color of extremes. It’s the color of passionate love, seduction, violence, danger, anger, and adventure. Our prehistoric ancestors saw red as the color of fire and blood – energy and primal life forces – and most of red’s symbolism today arises from its powerful associations in the past.
Red is also a magical and religious color. It symbolized super-human heroism to the Greeks and is the color of the Christian crucifixion. Red was almost as rare and as expensive as purple in ancient days – a fact that may explain its magic and power. Paradoxically, today’s intense red dyes come from crushed insects (the lac beetle and the cochineal).
Global Meanings of Red
Red’s global similarities are significant:
Red is one of the top two favorite colors of all people.
Red is the most popular color used on flags in the world. Approximately 77% of all flags include red.
Red is the international color for stop.
The history of languages reveals that red is the first color after black and white. (All languages have words for black and white. If a third hue exists, it is red.)
Unique Meanings of Red in Different Cultures
Red is the color of good luck in Asia and is the most popular color in China.
Most Japanese children draw the sun as a big red circle.
In East Asian stock markets, red is used to denote a rise in stock prices. (Note: In North American stock markets, red is used to denote a drop in stock prices.)
Red is an auspicious color for marriage. Brides in India and Nepal wear red saris; in Japan, a red kimono symbolizes happiness and good luck.
Designing with Red
All reds are not created equal. Aside from light and dark shades of red, there are two kinds of red:
Yellow-based reds are “tomato” reds. Blue-based reds are “berry reds.” Some say that males are more attracted to the tomato reds: females to the berry reds.
Context is everything when using red. For example, when red is place on a black background, it glows with an otherworldly fire; on a white background, red appears somewhat duller; in contrast with orange, red appears lifeless. Notice that the red square appears larger on black.
Regardless of how it is used in a design, a little bit of red goes a long way.
How Red Affects Vision
Red captures attention. It is one of the most visible colors, second only to yellow - which explains why it is used on fire engines and stop signs to trigger alertness.
Red focuses behind the retina which forces the lens grows more convex to pull it forward. Therefore, we perceive that red areas are moving forward. This may explain why red captures attention.
Note: Eight percent of the male population has a red-green color vision deficiency and cannot see red at all
Myths about Red
“They” claim that red raises your blood pressure and quickens your heartbeat. Yes, red is a strong color but its immediate effects are only temporary and do not apply to everyone.
Tidbits - Points to Ponder
In Russia, the word for "red" means beautiful.
Yellow
The Meanings of Yellow
Yellow is the most luminous of all the colors of the spectrum. It’s the color that captures our attention more than any other color.
In the natural world, yellow is the color of sunflowers and daffodils, egg yolks and lemons, canaries and bees. In our contemporary human-made world, yellow is the color of Sponge Bob, the Tour de France winner’s jersey, happy faces, post its, and signs that alert us to danger or caution.
It’s the color of happiness, and optimism, of enlightenment and creativity, sunshine and spring.
Lurking in the background is the dark side of yellow: cowardice, betrayal, egoism, and madness. Furthermore, yellow is the color of caution and physical illness (jaundice, malaria, and pestilence). Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the sources of yellow pigments are toxic metals - cadmium, lead, and chrome - and urine.
Global Meanings of Yellow
Yellow's global similarities are significant:
In almost every culture yellow represents sunshine, happiness, and warmth.
Yellow is the color most often associated with the deity in many religions (Hinduism and Ancient Egypt)
Yellow is the color of traffic lights and signs indicating caution all over the world.
Unique Meanings of Yellow in Different Cultures
In Japan, yellow often represents courage.
In Russia, a colloquial expression for an insane asylum used to be "yellow house."
Bright “marigold” yellow may be associated with death in some areas of Mexico.
Those condemned to die during the Inquisition wore yellow as a sign of treason.
A yellow patch was used to label Jews in the Middle Ages. European Jews were forced to wear yellow or yellow “Stars of David” during the Nazi era of prosecution.
Designing with Yellow
Although there are strong mustard yellows and deep yellow ochres, there are no dark yellows.
Yellow is the only color that reacts badly to black: Add a little black and it becomes a sickly yellow-green.
How Yellow Affects Vision
Yellow is the most visible color of the spectrum.
The human eye processes yellow first. This explains why it is used for cautionary signs and emergency rescue vehicles.
Peripheral vision is 2.5 times higher for yellow than for red.
Yellow has a high light reflectance value and therefore it acts as a secondary light source. Excessive use of bright yellow (such as on interior walls) can irritate the eyes.
Myths About the Effects of Yellow
It is not true that babies cry more in yellow rooms, or that yellow causes diarrhea, or that husbands and wives fight more in yellow kitchens.
Tidbits - Points to Ponder
U.S. law prohibits coloring margarine to look like butter.
Blue
The Meanings of Blue
Blue is the favorite color of all people. It’s nature’s color for water and sky, but is rarely found in fruits and vegetables. Today, blue is embraced as the color of heaven and authority, denim jeans and corporate logos. It is cold, wet, and slow as compared to red’s warmth, fire, and intensity.
Blue has more complex and contradictory meanings than any other color. These can be easily explained by pinpointing by the specific shade of blue.
Dark blue: trust, dignity, intelligence, authority
Bright blue: cleanliness, strength, dependability, coolness
(The origin of these meanings arise from the qualities of the ocean and inland waters, most of which are more tangible.)
Light (sky) blue: peace, serenity, ethereal, spiritual, infinity
(The origin of these meanings is the intangible aspects of the sky.)
Most blues convey a sense of trust, loyalty, cleanliness, and understanding. On the other hand, blue evolved as symbol of depression in American culture. “Singing the blues” and feeling blue” are good examples of the complexity of color symbolism and how it has been evolved in different cultures.
Global Meanings of Blue
Blue's global similarities are significant:
Blue is the #1 favorite color of all people.
53% of the flags in the world contain blue.
Blue is the most commonly used color in corporate identity.
A dark blue suit is professional business attire.
Blue jeans are worn all over the world.
Aristocracy is blue-blooded in all European languages.
Unique Meanings of Blue in Different Cultures
Greeks believe that blue wards off "the evil eye.
The English “to feel blue” has no equivalent in other languages.
Dark blue is the color of mourning in Korea.
The god Krishna has blue skin.
Shades of blue are described as shallow or deep instead of light or dark in China.
Blue is for a baby girl; pink for a baby boy in Belgium.
“Prince Charming” is called “The Blue Prince” in Italy and Spain.
Designing with Blue
Blue ranks so high as a favorite color that you can’t go wrong if you use blue. However, blue can be over-used and may wind up a design cliché if used alone. Combining blue with another color creates a more creative effect.
Blue is the only color which maintains its own character in all its tones... it will always stay blue;” Raoul Dufy, French Fauvist Painter, 1877-1953
How Blue Affects Vision
Blue is sharply refracted by the eyes. This causes the lens to flatten and to push the blue image back. We perceive that blue areas are receding and smaller.
The same refraction causes visual fog if used excessively in interior spaces.
Myths about the Effects of Blue on the Body
Unfortunately, there are many “pseudo studies” that suggest that blue rooms can calm or depress people. Under closer scrutiny none of these have stood up. However, there’s lots of money to be made telling people otherwise.
Some Truths about the Effects of Blue
Blue has very few connections to taste or smell. Therefore it may act as an appetite suppressant. (Find out more about how blue affects appetite atColor & Appetite Matters)
Tidbits – Points to Ponder: Supposing the color blue was removed from the world, specifically the sea and sky ... what color would fill the void?
Green
The Meanings of Green
The Green Man and Vegetation
Green is no longer just a color. It's now the symbol of ecology and a verb.
Since the beginning of time, green has signified growth, rebirth, and fertility. In pagan times, there was the "Green Man" - a symbol of fertility. In Muslim countries, it is a holy color and in Ireland, a lucky color. It was the color of the heavens in the Ming Dynasty.
Today's greens can be found in a wide range of objects: pea soup, delicate celadon glazes, sleazy shag carpet, sickly bathroom walls, emeralds, wasabi, and sage. The English language reflects some strange attributes: Would you rather be green with envy, green behind the ears, or green around the gills? (Idiomatic American English for extremely envious, immature or nauseated.)
Global Meanings of Green
· Green is universally associated with nature.
· Green symbolizes ecology and the environment.
· Traffic lights are green all over the world.
Unique Meanings of Green in Different Cultures
· In China, Green may symbolize infidelity. A green hat symbolizes that a man's wife is cheating on him.
· In Israel, green may symbolize bad news.
· In Japan, the words for blue and green ("ao") are the same.
· In Spain, racy jokes are "green."
Luck or Bad Luck?
· Green is a lucky culture in most Western cultures. A green shamrock symbolizes this.
· You won't find many green cars at racetracks because they are considered unlucky.
· Circus and traveling showmen in Australia may consider green to be bad luck.
· An old English rhyme about wedding colors: "Married in green, Ashamed to be seen."
Designing with Green
There are more shades of green than that of any other color. Greens range from yellow-greens, such as lime and avocado greens, to those with a blue tinge (such as emerald). Aqua or turquoise are colors that are typically half green and half blue.
How Green Affects Vision
Color Blindness
Approximately 5% - 8% of men and 0.5% of women of the world are born colorblind. People who are protans (red weak) and deutans (green weak) comprise 99% of this group.
Some European countries have outlined certain traffic light colors so that it is clear which is green and which is red, by the color that has a rectangle around it. Some states in the U.S. have placed diagonal lines through green traffic lights as an aid for the colorblind.
Signage: Green vs. Red Exit Signs
Green exit signs have an important advantage when there is smoke in the air (in other words, when a fire is burning). With red exit signs, it looks like a fire - firemen have actually rushed into burning buildings and tried to put out the signs! With a green sign, people know it isn't the fire itself but the way to safety.
Not only should Exit signs be Green to correspond to the established International Standard for Safety Signs since the early 70's but they should also have the International Standard Graphical symbol for exit as given in ISO 6309 and ISO/DIS 3864 Part 1 and Part 2. It is time to consider that all exit signs should be the same throughout the world. Time to wake up USA and join the International Community. (www.means-of-escape.com)
Myths about the Effects of Green on the Body
· When one sleeps on a pea-green pillow, it prevents baldness.
· Green is the best color for pregnant women.
Tidbits – Points to Ponder
Feng Shui claims that green eases absent-mindedness, nervousness and rudeness.
Purple
The Meanings of Purple
Purple’s rarity in nature and the expense of creating the color and has given purple a supernatural aura for centuries. Purple is also the most powerful wavelength of the rainbow – and it’s a color with a powerful history that has evolved over time. In fact, the origins of the symbolism of purple are more significant and interesting than those of any other color.