Red is the color of passion, energy, power, desire and love…
No wonder Christmas has all the red… And of course February with Valentine’s day.
The study of color is important in our business, because we print lots of color, every day!!! And this time a year, we print lots of red on Holiday Greeting cards of all types. So when it comes to color, we love to learn and talk about it…
RED is for Intensity
As we just mentioned, red is associated with energy, power, passion, desire, love, determination, but also with other types of strength and energy, like: fire, war and even danger… So you can definitely say that red is an intense color.
When you are surrounded by red, your respiration rate increases (love, energy, desire, passion… maybe even anger?). Red messes with your metabolism and can even raise your blood pressure. And there are good and bad ways of working it. If you enhance red in a scene with blood, there may be some negative reactions for more normal non-vampire individuals. Unless you are watching an awesome war scene, then vibrant red blood makes it more energetic, lively and exciting.
RED is a highly visible color
Red doesn’t happen as often in nature as green, for example. So that’s maybe why a bright red calls our attention. Maybe that’s the reason why words like “Beware”, “Stop” or “Danger” and usually written is big red bold letters… Stop signs and stop signs are suppose to call our attention, even in a sea of lights, signs, cars and people. Fire equipment, fire trucks, fire helmets… all red, all bright all very energetic and evoking “danger” but also “passion for life”… You see how colors can do so much for or against us?
RED in graphics
Red letters, symbols or images for your designs and prints need to be used very strategically. Reds bring words to the foreground. But red images can also be distracting if they weren’t intended to be the focus point, because your eyes get easily drawn to the red. Our graphic designers at CO Print Press can help you think your red designs to make them balanced and effective.
Red in Christmas
Christmas is loaded with love, passion, friendship and desires. It’s also a time that makes you think of people you care about, or ever lust over… And that’s natural, because red is a very erotic, romantic color. That’s why red lips, red nails and red dresses are such an effective marketing tool… And what about the lights?
Most trees and houses are not decorated with just red lights, because this color lighting is related closely with “red zones, red light districts, danger, sexuality or extreme passion. When you plan on lighting up your tree you might not be thinking of those. However, you’ll find red in the gift wrap, the bows and the decor, that is for sure! After all, can you imagine a Christmas with no red at all? Not many people can.
We know how to print RED well at CO Print Press
To design well you must understand color. And RED is an energetic and intense color, which can work for you or against you. Understand red better and get amazing prints! We say this because red is also a difficult color to print. It’s easy to tell when the red is off, when it’s not bright enough or when it has been contaminated with another color. Bad reds are not just visually off, it can also be the difference between someone looking closely at your design, and feeling the urge to respond or buy… or it can just create an uncomfortable or visual noise and drive them away without even getting the message across. But do not worry, we are the pros, and few places in Denver will know how to design and print your REDS as well, as as FAST as we print your reds as CO Print Press. In either of our two locations: Lakewood or Littleton.