Show Menu
Cheatography

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.
 

Comments

No comments yet. Add yours below!

Add a Comment

Your Comment

Please enter your name.

    Please enter your email address

      Please enter your Comment.

          Related Cheat Sheets

            DaVinci Resolve 10 Cheat Sheet
            RGB Hex Colour Chart Cheat Sheet by Dave Child and addedbytes.com

          More Cheat Sheets by RainyMoons

          German Vocabulary Cheat Sheet
          Film Studies Lecture Cheat Sheet
          Archaeology Timeline Cheat Sheet