Yellow is frequently used by fast-food restaurants to create a welcoming atmosphere. It suggests light and activity, especially in its redder shades and tints.
Green is associated with living things, and therefore, freshness, youth and purity. It is the predominate color of nature (and therefore should be used judiciously in a rural setting, so that it does not fade into the surroundings). It is powerful in suggesting naturalness and vitality, and yet it connotes peacefulness.
Blue’s coolness tends to connote dignity, serenity, wisdom and quite. While its use might not be appropriate for a business which wishes to emphasize speed and efficiency, it might be used by a business which wants to suggest that it has a leisurely pace and a general atmosphere of cultivation and calm. It also tends to suggest stability and is a color often used by banks and large corporations.
Purple has come to be associated with royalty, pomp and luxuriousness. Its visibility factor is low, making it unsuitable for freeway signs, but it is often used for personal service business such as beauty salons.
Brown is the color of the earth and tends to connote naturalness and strength. Businesses which want to indicate their strength and mainstream value system often use brown and wood hues in their signs. Brown often connotes ranching and farming. Some fast-food franchises have used brown on their signs to suggest the ranch association of their foods.
Brown is basically neutral due to its association with the earth and wood. It is not a color to catch your eye or to suggest action.
White, in Western society, has been the color of innocence. On a sign it can be used to suggest cleanliness and purity.
Black can be used effectively in signage to create an impression of low-keyed crispness and sedateness.
Sophistication also is suggested, if large areas are used.
In assessing these colors, remember that fairly subtile shifts in tint and tone can create large differences in how a color is perceived. While red is appropriate when used in a fairly limited area, when used over too broad an area, it can be overpowering. Simply, pale yellow can suggest daintiness, whereas a deeper yellow becomes a very sensuous and powerful color.
In choosing the color to be used on an outdoor sign, the sign designer or advertiser must keep in mind the characteristics of the group toward whom he is directing his advertising. Research has shown that older people tend to prefer blue because it is easier for them to see. Men prefer deep shades of a color, while women prefer more delicate tints. In addition, there is some evidence that people in lower-income brackets prefer bright, undiluted, pure colors, while those in higher-income brackets prefer more subtle shades and tints. Children also react to certain colors positively. Bright colors attract and hold their attention. Yellows and reds are especially attractive to young children. Some fast-food establishments have selected color combinations which appeal to young age groups; for example, McDonald’s emphasizes yellow and red.
It is also important to remember that how people feel about a color is very much influenced by the context. When people list their favorite colors, red has very high rating. But when red is associated with a kitchen, its preference rating drops considerably. Colors of the peach-pink family also receive increased preference ratings when associated with cosmetics, but drop in preference when associated with hardware.
Colors used on illuminated signs are also influenced by the time of day. Many spectacular night time displays look poorly constructed or maintained under the harsh light of day. If a 24-hour image is important, attention should be paid to how a sign looks throughout the entire day.
