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Colour Associations Cheat Sheet by

Colour associations, meanings and emotions

Blue

Emotions
Trust, Respon­sib­ility, Loyalty, Authority
Effects
Calming, Relaxing, Create order, Cognitive enhancer
Positive
Honesty, Commit­ment, Serenity, Peace
Negative
Fragile, Depres­sive, Conser­vative, Predic­table
Blue is considered the most univer­sally appealing colour on the spectrum because of its non-po­lar­ising traits. It is calming, relaxing, and it gives the soothing feeling of peace, but also the impression of authority.

Green

Emotions
Harmony, Growth, Freshness, Energy
Effects
Relaxes, Revita­lises, Reassures, Enhances cognition
Positive
Prospe­rity, Safety, Hope, Balance
Negative
Greed, Envy, Materi­alism, Judgem­ental
Green is the colour of life. It is associated with nature, health, growth, and prospe­rity. It represents hope for a better future, and it has become more than a colour in recent years, it has become a verb. The colour green is the result of blue and yellow, hence why it has traits of both colours, being relaxing but also energi­sing.

Black

Emotions
Mystery, Power, Formality, Authority
Effects
Boost confid­ence, Depres­sing, Hide vulner­abi­lities, Intimi­dates
Positive
Sophis­tic­ation, Elegance, Protec­tion, Strength
Negative
Pessimism, Fear, Evil, Loss
As a powerful and versatile colour, black charms with ease concealing its vulner­abi­lities. It calls for sophis­tic­ation and is often attributed to expensive products. More often than not, black evokes authority and formality, intimi­dating others by its mysterious aura.

Grey

Emotions
Wisdom, Seriou­sness, Boredom, Safety
Effects
Damps the mood, Depresses, Isolates, Neutra­lises emotions
Positive
Tranqu­ility, Wisdom, Libera­lism, Intellect
Negative
Indiff­erence, Sadness, Coldness, Decay
As a sleek and timeless colour, grey is the perfect neutral and many times it goes unperc­eived. It is an elegant colour that is associated with wisdom and conser­vatism. Yet, because grey is between two polar opposites - black and white - it has a diplomatic nature.

Royal Blue

Emotions
Sophis­tic­ation, Trustw­ort­hiness, Royalty
Effects
Relaxes, Comforts, Depresses
Positive
Calming, Honest, Reliable
Negative
Cold, Depend­able, Author­itative
With its roots in the British royal family, this colour exudes sophis­tic­ation. As a shade of blue, this regal colour is relaxing and calming. Royal blue has a lower saddening impact when compared to true blue because of its vibrancy.

Turquoise

Emotions
Serenity, Energy, Balance, Creativity
Effects
Uplifts the mood, Boosts relaxa­tion, Heals, Comforts
Positive
Positive energy, Transp­arency, Well-b­ala­nced, Tranqu­ility
Negative
Flight­iness, Childi­shness, Naïveté, Unreal­istic
Calm and serene, turquoise embodies the qualities of a tropical sea. It instils mental clarity and encourages honesty and transp­arency. Because it is a blend of three colours, turquoise manages to radiate the feeling of new growth that green evokes and the bursting energy of yellow while mainta­ining the calm of blue.

Teal

Emotions
Wisdom, Seriou­sness, Boredom, Safety
Effects
Relaxes, Calms down, Brings clarity, Promotes renewal
Positive
Unique­ness, Open-m­ind­edness, Objective, Elegance
Negative
Stand-­offish, Edgy, Alert, Uptight
Because of its common­place in nature, teal is a timeless colour. It evokes a sense of cleanl­iness and elegance that only a few colours can do. Teal conjures images of a luxurious vacation in tropical regions, which is why this colour conveys relaxa­tion, revita­lis­ation, and rejuve­nation.
 

Red

Emotions
Action, Energy, Passion, Power
Effects
Draw attention, Caution, Stimulate, Provoke
Positive
Vitality, Sexuality, Excite­ment, Confidence
Negative
Dangerous, Aggres­sive, Impulse, Dominance
Red is an emotio­nally intense colour that demands attention like no other colour of the spectrum. It is stimul­ating, energetic, and enhances our physical needs, increasing the appetite, for example.

Purple

Emotions
Spirit­uality, Imagin­ation, Royalty, Mystery
Effects
Encour­ages, Uplifts, Inspires wisdom, Enlightens
Positive
Creati­vity, Wisdom, Compas­sion, Mystery
Negative
Emotional, Arrogant, Immature, Overly vigilant
Because of its rarity in nature, purple is seen as a mysterious and supern­atural colour associated with royalty and religion - yet some people perceive it as artifi­cial. It's an uplifting spirit that invokes devotions but also intimi­dates for its superi­ority. It can convey arrogance, immatu­rity, and an emotional state of mind.

Pink

Emotions
Uncond­itional love, Femini­nity, Innocence, Romance
Effects
Calming, Uplifting, Comfor­ting, Energising
Positive
Compas­sion, Sympathy, Playfu­lness, Delicacy
Negative
Over-o­pti­mism, Unconf­ident, Childish, Unreal­istic
Feminine and sweet, pink is the colour of nurture and uncond­itional love. The blend of red and white relates to the love for oneself, family, and a partner, but unlike red, pink is more about romance than passion. The influence of white makes pink a calming colour that comforts those who have obstacles ahead of them.

Brown

Emotions
Honesty, Reliab­ility, Warmth, Security
Effects
Relaxes, Stimulates appetite, Stabil­ises, Comforts
Positive
Open, Warm, Strong, Reliable
Negative
Dull, Predic­table, Depend­able, Overly conser­vative
Brown is an abundant colour in nature that evokes feelings of safety, reliab­ility, and honesty. It's a down-t­o-earth colour that is naturally humble, conven­tional, and predic­table.

Magenta

Emotions
Unders­tan­ding, Femini­nity, Intensity, Power
Effects
Overst­imu­lating, Irrita­ting, Eye fatiguing, Inspiring
Positive
Harmon­ious, Kind, Passio­nate, Uplifting
Negative
Stressful, Arrogant, Impatient, Volatile
Magenta is a vibrant colour full of intensity, which stimulates people to take action. After all, it is a toned-down version of red. This colour is associated with femininity and accept­ance. Magenta is the colour of cheerf­ulness, apprec­iation, and universal harmony.

Coral

Emotions
Joy, Freshness, Femini­nity, Dynamic
Effects
Uplifting, Sense of warmth, Comfor­ting, Stimul­ating
Positive
Bold, Lively, Humani­tarian, Friendly
Negative
Flighty, Irresp­ons­ible, Brash, Mischi­evous
Vibrant and bold, coral is a lively colour that enchants with its feminine energy. It has a friendly and humani­tarian spirit thanks to pink, but it also embodies dynamism and vivaci­ousness thanks to orange.

Burgundy

Emotions
Intensity, Sophis­tic­ation, Indivi­dua­lity, Ambition
Effects
Increases appetite, Accele­rates heart, Stimulates physic­ally, Excites
Positive
Powerful, Unique, Sophis­tic­ated, Intense
Negative
Malicious, Unfrie­ndly, Uptight, Pride
Connected with the wealthy and renowned, burgundy is sophis­ticated and refined. It is an indivi­dualist and attent­ion­-getter filled with powerful intensity. Burgundy is not for the faint of heart.
 

Yellow

Emotions
Happiness, Optimism, Creati­vity, Intellect
Effects
Inspires commun­ica­tion, Energises, Sharpens memory, Mental stimul­ation
Positive
Joy, Enthus­iasm, Commun­ica­tiv­eness, Origin­ality
Negative
Cowardice, Fear, Betrayal, Impatient
Yellow is the colour of happiness, cheerf­ulness, and fun, but also the colour of the mind and intellect. It is a striking colour that enhances creativity and helps with clear thinking.

Orange

Emotions
Optimism, Emotion, Adventure, Creative
Effects
Encour­ages, Enhances creati­vity, Stimul­ates, Uplifts
Positive
Positi­vity, Creati­vity, Warmth, Sponta­neity
Negative
Insinc­erity, Exhibi­tio­nism, Superf­icial, Impatient
Cheerful and optimi­stic, orange is energetic, sponta­neous, and dynamic. It's a colour that resonates with young people, but that can also be arrogant and prideful. It stimulates us, mentally and physic­ally. Still, it can be superf­icial, insincere, and exhibi­tio­nist.

White

Emotions
Purity, Virtue, Innocence, Delicacy
Effects
Calms, Balances, Purifies, Brings clarity
Positive
Cleanl­iness, Elegance, Simpli­city, Goodness
Negative
Bland, Unfrie­ndl­iness, Emptiness, Coldness
As the purest of all colours, white is a serene and calming hue that symbolises new beginn­ings. It marks a new cycle and declutters our minds bringing clarity to solve problems.

Beige

Emotions
Neutral, Clean, Organised
Effects
Relaxes, Calms, Pleases the eye
Positive
Welcoming, Friendly, Orderly
Negative
Bland, Cloist­ering, Boring
With the warmth of brown and the crispness of white, beige is a relaxing and dependable colour. In addition, this neutral colour prefers to blend in with the crowd, and sometimes, it can be perceived as bland conven­tional.

Lavender

Emotions
Femini­nity, Gentle­ness, Tranqu­ility, Elegance
Effects
Relaxes, Calms down, Brings order, Promotes healing
Positive
Grace, Beauty, Delicacy, Cleanl­iness
Negative
Indeci­sive, Imprac­tical, Childish, Lethargic
Full of grace and youth, lavender is a lighth­earted colour that symbolises tender romance, femini­nity, and delicacy. As the colour of self-care, lavender instils a sense of regalness, relaxa­tion, and cleanl­iness. It's an excellent colour for medita­tion.

Amber

Emotions
Safety, Energy, Optimism, Maturity
Effects
Uplifting, Comfor­ting, Energi­sing, Feeling of warmth
Positive
Wisdom, Confid­ence, Happiness, Caring
Negative
Edgy, Frustr­ating, Annoying, Upsetting
True to its name, amber is an earthy tone found in abundance throughout nature. It's a colour that instils feelings of confidence and safety while energising and embracing people with its warmth. Amber is bold and makes you feel secure and homey.
 

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