We have already established that yellow is a bright, vivacious color that immediately grabs one’s attention. This is perhaps the logic behind caution tape and yellow cabs. That said, yellow is also a surefire way to liven up any design. As we said before, less is more when it comes to this bold color – overuse can often create an overwhelming effect.

Pale Yellow

What is perhaps most interesting about this color is it’s versatility. We’ve noticed that yellow, unlike most colors which appear in a wide range of shades, has two very distinct personalities: sweet and sour. Pale yellow is very soft and friendly, inviting and warm, great for wedding invitations, business cards, etc… We suggest using it for anything you want to give that “I’m just really nice” feeling to. It is playful and charming, and just downright cute (think baby ducks or golden retriever puppies). Just look at all the pale yellow down below and tell us you don’t immediately feel happier:

Bright Yellow

Now meet the “evil” twin, bright yellow. Think of lemons: they are tart, sour, and make you pucker up whenever you eat them. Well, bright yellow works in a similar fashion. It is an eye grabber and immediately draws attention  wherever it appears. So use caution (pun intended) when applying bright yellow to your design. It works perfectly as an accent color, especially against black, so if you’re looking for a great way to electrify a print ad in a way that is less expected than traditional black white and red, use yellow!

See what we mean? Yellow in design is almost never mellow.

This is the third and final post for yellow in our color series, up next? Green!