Crafting a logo is tough. You have to consider the iconography, the size, how well it fits with your brand overall, and more. But you also need to think about the colors that will comprise your logo.
In fact, logo colors can determine whether or not your logo overall fits with your brand and can be a benefit or a detriment. With this in mind, let’s go over what logo colors might best fit your brand and learn how you can determine ideal colors in the first place.
How Does the Color of Your Logo Work for Your Brand?
Color plays a much bigger role in brand identity and communication than you might think. We humans are visual creatures and we’re hardwired to associate colors with certain moods, activities, or even dangers due to our evolutionary past.
While we now live in a much more civilized world, color still affects us in a primal way. You can use this to your advantage and have color work for your brand instead of against it.
By utilizing colors in your logo correctly, you’ll:
- communicate the mood or energy of your brand – bright colors evoke a light, fun atmosphere while darker colors are more serious and suited to high-end products
- draw in customers attracted to one color another, particularly colors that are already associated with certain industries (i.e. green with gardening or organic food)
- make people more likely to purchase your products
Color Combinations
As you decide the colors to use in your logo, keep in mind that you can combine them in multiple ways for different effects:
- Complimentary color combinations occur when two colors that are on opposite sides of the color wheel are used together. This creates contrast and can result in a desirable, dynamic energy for your brand
- Analogous colors (usually between two and five) are those that sit next to each other on the color wheel. They are more harmonious and can evoke a sense of balance
- Triadic color accommodations rely on three colors and can create vibrant, rich aesthetics with both contrast and harmony at the same time. Typically, logos that leverage triadic designs have one main color and two accenting or supporting colors
Be sure to contact a logo design company or graphic design agency, such as Penji. These experts can design a custom logo that perfectly adheres to these principles if you don’t know where to start.
Things to Consider When Choosing Logo Colors
When picking colors for your logo, be sure to ask yourself certain questions about your target audience and how you want your brand to be received.
For instance, is your brand likely to be perceived as more masculine or feminine? This could direct you farther from or closer to colors like pink and blue.
Or you could consider the tone of your brand. Darker colors are better for more serious aesthetics and logos while lighter colors are more playful by default.
You can also look into “loud” colors if you want them to pop on the page and make your logo more instantly recognizable. More subtle colors might come across as more confident and self-assured, however. Look at works of various logo design firms to get more examples.
Example Logo Colors and Their Meanings
Let’s break down a few color examples to consider with your logo design:
- Red is traditionally associated with excitement, anger, passion, romance, and so on
- Blue, in contrast, is typically a calming color associated with the water, nature, and the sky
- Green is another calming color typically associated with vegetation and the natural world
- Yellow is a bright, happy color. It’s sometimes used with brands that leverage sun iconography, but it can also be used for toys and games
- Orange is similar to yellow and is often used for fruit, toys, or sometimes for more romantic aesthetics, such as sunsets
- Black and brown are darker, more serious colors associated with masculinity, luxury items, and fine clothing
In the end, if you keep all of this in mind, you’ll be much more successful when designing your logo and choosing colors that successfully complement your brand without compromising its identity. Good luck!
