Color Meaning and Symbolism: How to Use the Power of Color7 min read

Every color has its unique charm, meaning, and significance. The use of colors can prove impacting, provided you know what each color stands for, where to use it, and how do you leverage the power of the right color in the right place, and at the right time. If you are a brand, or an individual looking forward to using the power of colors across social media platforms, graphics, etc. keep reading to know different color meanings and symbolism.

How do colors get their Meanings?

Colors do not get a particular meaning all of a sudden. They are often the result of factors including psychological effects, cultural beliefs, experiences, biological conditions, etc. that have been developed all along.

For instance, the moment we see red, we sense danger. It is because of the natural impact that the color red has on our minds. On the other hand, green or blue seem soothing, as they have that kind of effect on our mind. Similarly, every color has some or the other meaning, and indication, based on the impact that it has on our mind. Let us proceed to look at the meanings of ten of the most common colors that we deal with every day.

Color Categories

Colors are divided into three broad categories – warm, cool, and neutral. Of course, each of these categories represents the emotion and mood for which the color is used. The warm colors include orange, red, yellow, and pink, whereas cool colors include blue, green, purple, and violet. Neutral colors, on the other hand, include white, black, and gray. Although neutral, these colors, too, represent strong expressions, and emotions.

10 Colors, their Meanings, and Symbolism

Remember, using inappropriate colors, and color combinations may ruin the show, conveying an incorrect meaning. Besides, every color has a cultural implication. For instance, while red signifies love and passion in European, North, and South American countries, it denotes sacrifice and violence in South Africa and Nigeria. So, while using colors, you must know these cultural variations, or else, you may end up meaning offensive.

1.   Orange

Let us begin with orange. How do you feel when you see orange? Fresh, enthusiastic, and energized, isn’t it? Of course, like every other color, orange has its shades, each of which has its unique meaning. For instance, peach-orange is looked at as conversational, and sweet, whereas the vibrant counterpart signifies energy and freshness. Orange goes well with delightful and youthful products, and not with something serious.

2.   Red

Red is considered to be the most expressive color.  It represents a lot of emotions, including anger, love, passion, danger, heat, and many others, depending on the culture in which it is used. Red is an eye-catching color, and hence, it is the color of a lot of beauty products and brands that aggressively promote their products.

3.   Pink

In the western world, pink is associated with femininity and is used to create awareness on a lot of beauty products and breast cancer. Pink, too, has its unique shades that signify various emotions and expressions. For instance, while hot pink relates to youthfulness, the dusty shade of the color represents romanticism. The pale shade of pink, on the other hand, points at little girls.

4.   Green

Green, as we all know, is nature’s color. Green is soothing and often evokes delight. We feel fresh and energetic while we look at the green. However, with green too, you’ve got different shades that symbolize various emotions and aspects of life. For example, dark green indicates wealth, and the lighter counterpart signifies growth, freshness, and life. You must choose your shade based on your expression.

5.   Blue

Blue is associated with professionalism, military, the sky, water, and majesty. Some of the most popular and largest brands global brands across the world use blue in their logos, brand communication. However, along with these applications, blue is a color that also signifies sorrow and depression. But, if you want to use blue, you must stay careful with the shade you use. You don’t want your brand to appear otherwise, do you?

6.   Yellow

Yellow, like red, is another attention grabber. Yellow represents optimism, hope, friendliness, energy, and happiness. It is a vibrant color that adds aesthetic value to the brand that uses it. But yellow has got another side as well. It is a color the also denotes caution and alertness. So, ensure that you use the right shades not to let your brand convey a different message.

7.   Purple

Purple is a color associated with spirituality, opulence, and elegance. It represents softness and luxury, and hence, it is used by a lot of real estate brands to enhance the look and feel of their brochures, and also a background to improve the visual appeal of their social media graphics. Another dimension of pink is mysticism. You can see it a lot on the cover page of a lot of books based on topics such as mystery, cosmic elements, etc.

8.   Black

Here comes black! Black is a diverse color and expresses many different emotions. For instance, on the one hand, where it signifies luxury and shades of comfort, on the other, it also depicts sadness, dissatisfaction, and protest. Black has its own significance when it comes to representing big brands. The use of black with white says more in less, and which is where black proves an effortless winner.

9.   White

Of course, how could we forget white, while talking about colors? White denotes purity, peace, simplicity, and minimalism. It is a color that expresses that more, no matter whether independent or in combination with another color. White is another color that a lot of brands use either individually, or blend it with other colors either as foreground or background. White’s charm is simply unbeatable, and when teamed up with white, it creates a combination that goes a long, long way!

10. Mixed Colors

Multiple colors express many different emotions, and but their use proves vibrant, taking brand visibility to a whole new level. Usually, multiple colors are used when you’ve got a lot of elements in the graphic, or the creative, and when the promotion aims at engaging children who love it when there are several colors involved in a particular image.

Leverage Colors to your Brand Image with GlorifyApp

Can’t wait to use the above colors? Sign up with GlorifyApp, and make the best use of colors. Glorify opens access to a range of tools that help you choose colors and color combinations for images. Besides, it also enables you to use color palettes used and approved by professional designers.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Which color represents nature?

Green, undoubtedly, is the color that signifies nature and its elements. Over the years, its association with nature has grown to the extent that going green symbolizes environment conservation and healthy eating.

2) Which colors are associated with liveliness, positivity, energy, and delight?

The colors include bright yellow, orange, green, and white.

3) Which is the most stressful color?

Red is associated with stress. It evokes a lot of emotions and thoughts, and hence, must be used wisely.

4) Which color signifies hope?

In many places, yellow is related to hope, as, in some countries, people use yellow-colored ribbons to denote that they have their loved ones at war.

5) How do I know if a particular color is the most appropriate in a specific image?

GlorifyApp has tools that apply the right color, depending on the image, to make it look attractive and create the desired effect.

6) Why is pink associated with feminism?

Pink is soft in appearance, and which is why, perhaps, the color stuck to feminism. It signifies friendship, harmony, and affection, and hence associated with love, and the softer side of an individual.