Examining the Effect of Color in Large Format Printing and Custom Displays

By Christine Harrell

The color palate used in large format printing and other custom displays has two jobs. It needs to look good while flowing with the other elements in the design and it needs to emphasize your marketing plan or message. Selecting the right combination of colors can turn your campaign into a highly profitable venture for years to come. Choose the wrong hues, and it could be a very costly mistake.

Bright Colors

Using bright colors in large format printing is effective at grabbing attention if it is done correctly. One of the most common mistakes made with bright hues is combining too many on the same piece. This makes the entire piece appear confusing, muddled, and simply too busy to be effective. Instead, use a single tone as the main color and use additional muted tones to compliment it. This would include the appearance of graphics as well as the text color.

Be sure the additional colors you select are easily read up close and at a distance. If you are looking to increase the attention your large format printing gets through an unusual method, use colors that don't necessarily seem to fit together to get the effect you were looking for.

Warm Or Cool Colors?

Depending on the feelings you are trying to emit from the public, consider using a cool or warm palate for your large format printing. A cooler palate can be relaxing, calming, and nurturing. Depending on what kind of colors and graphics you pair with it in your custom displays, it can also be harsh, distant, and cold. These tones are derived from blues, greens, grays, and silvers.

Warm palates often have a calming and comforting feel, but they can also promote strong emotions such as strength and violence. Colors in this palate include tones derived from yellows, reds, oranges,and even pinks, blacks, and browns. These two main classifications of colors can also be combined together into a single shade.

Representation

The colors you select for your custom displays should emphasize your message or fit in with your organization in some way. An environmentally friendly taxi company for example, may want to use earthly colors to enhance their image. A dance company, on the other hand, may like a black background with bright accents to show the energy and excitement they can create.

Many companies include colors in their branding. If that is the case, you may want to incorporate that color scheme into your displays. This helps the consumer to identify that advertising with your business. If you would like to change the color schemes around, be sure to include a logo or image that will set your organization apart from the competition.

Large format printing and other custom displays are necessary for a business to relay marketing campaigns, enhance corporate branding, and create and build a buzz around an idea, service or product. Combining the right elements of color into your designs along with the right font and graphics will not only show immediate benefits, but will also attract leads, partners, and other connections that will benefit you well into the future.

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on custom displays and large format printing, visit http://www.wlconcepts.com.