Red

The Meanings of Red

red-magic-fire-blood

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.

Red districts sell sex and pornography in every European culture.

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 Bridal Wear - Asia

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:

Tomato red and Berry 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.

3-red-squares

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 Fire Engine

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.

More at Color Matters

Experience the magic of red! See the red square at Color & Vision Matters.

Also ...
Explore the meanings of more colors!

From Color Matters

Trustworthy color formulas for logos and branding
An eCourse from Jill Morton, Color Matters author & consultant.

Yellow

The Meanings of Yellow

Yellow - Nature & Today

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 China, adult movies are referred to as yellow movies.

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.

When you add black to yellow you get gunky dirty green

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.

More about Yellow:

Does yellow taste sour?
How Color Affects Taste and Smell

Why Are School Buses Yellow?

Could mellow yellow be the color of insanity?

Curious Yellow

Also ...
Explore the meanings of more colors!

More from Color Matters

We just launched two new online courses about color for logos and branding. Learn how to empower your brand with color in two hours time or less. See "Color Psychology for Logos and Branding" and "Color Harmony for Logos and Branding"

Become a Color Symbolism Pro
Learn online in this course from Color Matters

Blue - The Versatile Color

by William Stroupe

There is no record that blue represents versatility in any culture, but it should. The late Sydney J. Harris described several emotions that blue connotes.

First there is sadness. To expand Mr. Harris's point, jazz has given us "Am I Blue," and music provides an entire category called the blues. Individual compositions salute the color, from Bobby Vinton's pop song "Blue on Blue" to Gershwin's classic "Rhapsody in Blue" to the sad, yet suggestive, "Blues in the Night," leading to another connotation of blue.

Blue suggests obscenity in the phrases "blue language" (although naughty words are also called "purple prose") and "blue movies."

Finally, Sydney J. Harris pointed out that blue expresses amazement in the French phrase "Sacre bleu!"

But the shades of blue extend beyond Mr. Harris's comments. We have "blue laws," roughly the opposite of blue language. Most blue laws prevent certain activities for religious reasons, such as prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages until after church.

"Blue bloods" are aristocrats. An old phrase for the upper class of society was "blue-stocking." (Nowadays, if a guy wears blue stockings we call him a transvestite -- but that's another matter.)

Blue implies speed in "blue streak" and loyalty in "true blue." True automobile values are found in a "blue book," and a blue ribbon recognizes excellence. The meanings of blue are as varied as its hues.

A huge chasm would extend through our language without that flexible color, blue.

by William Stroupe
(who jokingly refers to red as "impaired blue."

Pink

Think Pink

Pink is a combination of the color red and white, a hue that can be described as a tint. It can range from berry (blue-based) pinks to salmon (orange-based) pinks. Its symbolism is complex and its popularity is subject to so many influences.

We can begin an analysis of pink by looking at natural and contemporary souces of this delicate color. First, regardless of your skin color, some part of your body is pink. So are sunsets, watermelons and Pepto Bismal. Depending on your age and culture, you may remember pink Cadillacs, pink flamingos (once considered in bad taste in American culture but now retro-chic), Pink Floyd, the Pink Panther, and the pink triangles of the Third Reich (which were used to identify male homosexuals).

pink doll In almost every culture, one stereotype emerges: pink is associated with girls, blue with boys. Unfortunately, there is no consensus of opinion on its origin.

According to Jean Heifetz, for centuries, all European children were dressed in blue because the color was associated with the Virgin Mary. The use of pink and blue emerged at the turn of the century, the rule being pink for boys, blue for girls. Since pink was a stronger color it was best suited for boys; blue was more delicate and dainty and best for girls. And in 1921, the Women's Institute for Domestic Science in Pennsylvania endorsed pink for boys, blue for girls. (When Blue Meant Yellow. pp. 20 -21)

One could argue that contemporary color symbolism confirms these associations. Blue is considered a calm, passive color, hence feminine. Red (pink derived from red) is considered active hence masculine.

alt

On the other hand, the idea of associating blue with male babies may stem back to ancient times when having a boy was good luck. Blue, the color of the sky where gods and fates lived, held powers to ward off evil, so baby boys where dressed in blue. In Greece a blue eye is still thought to have powers to ward off evil. The idea of pink for girls might come from the European legend that baby girls were born inside delicate pink roses.

Another theory states that the sexual origins can be found in ancient China. At a time when certain dyes were quite rare, pink dye was readily available and therefore inexpensive. Since blues were rare and expensive, it was therefore considered to be more worthwhile to dress your son in blue, because when he married the family would receive a dowry.

The origin of the English term "pink" is as valuable as any discourse on symbolism. Here are some interesting analyses:

In English, the word "pink" could be derived from the Dutch flower pinken dating back to 1681. The flower's name could have originally been "pink eye" or "small eye." Another possibility is the verb "to pink" - to prick or cut around the edges, as with pinking shears. The jagged petals of the flower looked as though they had been cut, thus explaining why it became known as the "pink." (Jean Heifetz, When Blue Meant Yellow, p 110)

pink flamingo Finally, going back to the ancient Egypt, the flamingo was the hieroglyph for the color red.

In colloquial language, to be "tickled pink" describes a state of joy, a "pink slip" is a notice that you've been fired from your job, to be "in the pink" suggest good fortune and health, and a "pinko" is a person who is extremely liberal, a socialist or a communist.

Visitors to Color Matters provide some interesting information about pink:

"Amongst the Owambo people (of Namibia), traditional wealth for the women has come in the form of a particular pink snail shell which is found in the extreme north and up into Angola. These snail shells are collected then cut into circular pieces, rubbed until they are all perfectly round and the same size and then beaded together. The richer the woman, the more strands of snail shell necklaces she has. They are very precious. These days the shops sell plastic versions, of course! What I have also seen in recent times is Owambo women in dresses which they say are traditional dresses, which have quite a bit of pink in them."

"With parakeets the male's nose is blue and the female's is pink."

"In Belgium they dress boys in pink and girls in blue. "

In conclusion, consider the following: Although sunburned skin and watermelons are pink's natural associations, the color is loaded with historical meaning, knee-jerk reflexes and cliches. In some cases, it is quite appropriate; in others, perhaps the only cliche worth using is one, which is ripe for a vivid transformation.

More about pink:

Can pink jail cells calm angry prisoners?
See Drunk Tank Pink

Also from Color Matters

Download this eBook in seconds.

Learn Online

Trustworthy color formulas for logos and branding
An eCourse from Jill Morton, Color Matters author & consultant.