The Psychology of Color in Business Card Design (Part 2)

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Have you ever wondered how the use of color affects your business card design? Every color has its own psychological implications and can impact viewers in different ways.

In a recent post, I blogged about the psychology behind the colors black, white, purple and yellow and shared tips for using colors in business card designs.

Now in part two of this series, I'll share the same information for the colors blue, red, green and orange. Below are some examples of colorful business cards and helpful hints about what each color expresses and which industries might benefit from the hue.

1. Blue

Because it reminds many people of the sky and the ocean, blue is a relaxing and calming color. Psychologically, it represents a whole host of positive traits, including trustworthiness, security, wisdom, confidence, spirituality, sincerity and intelligence.

Light blue, dark blue, electric blue and navy blue all provide ample room for creativity in the design and allow designers many options when it comes to font choices and even other accent colors.

Industries that can benefit from a blue business card: Anyone in the legal, insurance financial, real estate or medical industries can benefit from the trustworthiness that the color blue conveys in a business card design.  Businesses such as salons, spas, resort and travel, and even therapy, can use blue to communicate relaxation through their business card design.

Finally, if your business involves cleansing or purifying, such as home cleaning or water filter installation, then blue is also a good choice for your business cards. [Image via bakingnoodles.com.]

2. Red

Did you know that the color red actually increases a viewer's heart rate, metabolism and respiration? That's why a lot of fast food restaurants like McDonald's use red in their branding and interior design.

Psychologically, red represents excitement, courage,  passion, fire, ambition, speed, danger and revolution. That's a lot of conceptual meaning packed into one color choice!

Industries that can benefit from a red business card: Any person in a creative industry like design, architecture, photography or marketing can benefit from the excitement that red generates. Because of the color's power, it can be difficult to execute a red business card design successfully. The sample above does a good job of balancing red with white, but some cards can look too heavy if they are too red. Industries like law, medicine, finance and anything that involves trust, security and authority should stay away from this daring hue! [Image via inkd.com.]

3. Green

Scientifically, green is one of the easiest colors for the eyes to process because it occupies more space in the  spectrum of color. Because it's "easy on the eyes" the color is also relaxing and calming.

Some psychological associations that people have with green are refreshment, nature, harmony, trust, fertility, peace, wealth, generoisty and luck.

Industries that can benefit from a green business card: Businesses dealing with money and trust, such as banks, accountants and law firms, can use dark green to indicate trust and wealth at the same time. Green is obviously a good color for any type of eco-friendly business or product. Lime green or bright kelly green can both be used in almost any industry because these shades are so positive, upbeat and easy to look at. [Image via hybridlava.com.]

4. Orange

Orange is a mix of red and yellow and contains the best of both colors. A bright orange represents fun, happiness, passion, excitement and creativity.

An orange hue is reminiscent of sunshine, citrus fruit, the fall season and warmth or heat (but not as much as the color red!) Viewing the color orange also tends to produce an invigorating effect on people and stimulate social interaction.

Industries that can benefit from a green business card: Because it is so bright, noticeable and happy, orange is a great color for any industries involving children. Orange is also a great color for the travel industry because it conjures up images of sunsets and warm destinations. Any creative professional can use orange well in a business card, however more serious industries may want to stay away from orange, or temper the use of orange with a more subdued cool color like blue. [Image via liquisoft.devianart.com.]

Featured photo credit: Capture Queen ™