Colors convey emotion as well as information. This is a true fact in nature and it is a true fact in color printing as well. We know that bright colors can attract insects to flowers, or people to posters. Red means stop for most of us while red insects usually mean a bad time if animals and people come into contact with them. So as you can see, there are a lot of things that can said through the use of colors. This means you can't take color printing lightly. Designers should not choose random colors, or colors that they favor. Choosing a certain shade for color printing should be a conscious and targeted decision. You must know what colors mean, and what they contribute your color printing design.

Of course this knowledge should be pretty basic to any designer. If you are just starting out with your color designs then here is a little primer on the relationships of colors and the emotion that they carry. For this article, we'll list the major colors that are commonly used today starting of course with the primary ones.

1. Red – When you think of red or when you see something red, you already feel some kind of intense emotion from it. It actually has many meanings, like passion, excitement and Love. Of course, since it is the color of blood, it also has connotations of violence and war. No matter what the meaning though, the emotion it conveys is always intense. It is a color that requires immediate attention and it always invokes something primal in us. So if you want to convey that intense and primal emotion, use red in your color printing.

2. Blue – The color blue and its other shades like light blue or sea blue usually conveys the feeling of calmness and serenity. Since it is the color of a clear sky, or a calm ocean this is hardly surprising. Most of our racial experiences with the color blue has always been pleasant so it is natural that these colors immediately cause those emotions in us. If you message is about calmness and peace, then the cool colors of blue should be used.

3. Yellow – The color of our sun is yellow hence it is the color that conveys the most energy and warmth. Most people integrate this color in their design to convey happiness and joy in their color printing designs. If you ever enjoyed a happy sun drenched day at the beach or the first rays of sun after a winter storm, then you should understand this feeling. So if you want your design vibrant with energy the color yellow is your candidate.

4. Green – The color green is another “cool” color like blue. However it conveys this in a different aspect. Green feels cool to our eyes since it is related to plants and trees. Being among plants and trees is always a refreshing feeling taking away the heat of the sun and cooling bodies down. So people relate the color green with comfort, growth, nature and of course life itself.

5. Orange – The color orange is basically the combination of red and yellow. This also means it is a combination of the emotions of those colors. Orange has the energy of yellow with the increased intensity of red. Of course a lot of people relate this color to the fruit orange, but moreover it is the color of mid-afternoons when the sun is about to set. Orange is usually used as a compliment to yellow and red conveying warmth and contentment.

6. Purple – The color purple has a unique meaning since it is related to history. In ancient and medieval times, the color purple was hard to produce. That meant it was expensive so only royalty usually had the right to wear them Hence, purple has always been about royalty and elegance. Since religion was also part of the high classes it also conveys spirituality and meaning.

7. White – The color white of course for any color printing design means empty space. Though in contrast with other colors it also can convey energy and luminosity.

8. Black – Lastly, we have black. This is basically the absence of color. It usually means the absence of life and the color of the night. Thus it also represents mystery and the unknown. So use this color in more serious and dark messages in your image. It is also the color that can contrast to any kind of color that you match it with.

So remember these colors and their meanings when you make designs for color printing. Use them with purpose and exploit the emotions that they invoke in people. This should help you make designs that have more impact.