Psychology of Color in Neon Sign Design

Aside from being an effective interior design material and serving as a source of light, neon sign colors have a unique way of influencing your mood, perception, and behavior as humans. Understanding the psychology of colors  in neon sign design goes a long way in eliciting different kinds of emotional responses in people. No matter the mood you wish to set for the people visiting your space, the different neon sign colors you use play a major role in helping you actualize those different emotions. 

In this article, we will be explaining what neon colors are, the different types of colors that can be used in neon sign design, and the psychological effects they have in neon sign designs.

What Are Neon Sign Colors?

Before we can understand neon sign colors, we need to understand what is called a neon sign. A neon sign is a design tool that is made by putting noble gasses in a glass tube and passing electricity through the gas to give off a luminous color. The tool is called a neon sign because neon gas was the first gas used in making it before other noble gasses were used. Examples of other noble gasses that give such luminous colors are Argon, Krypton, Xenon, etc. 

Each noble gas gives a specific luminous color when electricity is passed through them, but you can combine different noble gasses in the glass tube to get other colors. The ability to combine different noble gasses to create the desired luminous lights of various colors lets individuals, designers, businesses, and other users create attention-grabbing and mesmerizing displays of neon signs. 

Colors Used in Neon Sign Designs

As earlier mentioned, when electric current is passed through neon gas, the gas emits red-orange color. It is important to note that other gases can be mixed with neon gas or used instead of neon gas to get other colors. All ultra-luminous and fluorescent lights used in creating designs and advertisements are called neon sign lights, although they have different gas compositions. Now, the following are some of the different neon sign colors you can get:

• Red Neon Sign Colors

Red neon signs are produced when electricity is passed through neon gas contained in a glass tube. This neon sign color comes in different shades (bright red, orange-red, dark red, etc.) and can be used on different occasions, depending on what the occasion represents. It could be an occasion of love and passion, festive celebrations (e.g. Christmas), etc. Generally, red can also be used to represent danger. 

• Pink Neon Sign Colors

To get luminous pink neon signs, electric current is passed through helium that is placed in a glass tube. A pink neon sign color often represents playfulness, love, and romance. Pink color is also known to be a “girly” color because it is associated with femininity. Pink neon sign color comes in different shades, including coral pink, rose pink, etc.

 

• Yellow Neon Sign Colors

Yellow neon sign color is obtained when Helium is used instead of neon gas. If you wish to depict joy, cheerfulness, and energy, you can opt for yellow neon signs. The color can also mean caution and warning, which makes it useful for road contractors and in making road traffic signs. There are also many shades of yellow neon sign color available to you, including golden yellow, lemon yellow, etc.

• Blue Neon Sign Colors

Blue neon signs are created by using Mercury as the main noble gas used in making neon signs. This means when Mercury is put in a glass tube and electric current passed through it, the Mercury gas gives a blue luminous color. Blue neon signs are quite popular, and can be used to set different moods in a place as they represent calmness, peace, and relaxation. Moreover, its dark shade can create a sense of authority and power. The different shades of blue neon sign colors are baby blue, dark blue, navy blue, etc.

• Green Neon Sign Colors

To create green neon signs, different quantities of Krypton are used instead of neon. Generally, green represents nature, growth, harmony, and beauty. It is also believed that this color can help in promoting healing and reducing stress by creating a calm atmosphere. The different shades of green neon sign colors are lime green, olive green, emerald green, etc. 

Psychology of Color in Neon Sign Design

While you may not feel the impact of the color around you immediately you enter a place, it is widely believed that colors influence human psychology. Therefore, in designing your neon sign, the emotions you want to achieve must be put into consideration when choosing your colors. Below are some of the ways neon light colors can impact human psychology:

• Emotions

The color of the neon light in a place can create different emotions such as excitement, sadness, joy, love, etc. For example, the feeling of excitement and energy is often felt in places like sports events, dance clubs, festivals, etc. That is why specific colors, which can stir-up feelings of excitement inside people and ginger them to be more active in the event, are used for such occasions. Therefore, when you want to design your neon sign and your goal is to light-up people’s mood, then you should choose colors that fit that purpose.

• Brand Recognitions

When you use a neon sign color that fits what your brand represents, it creates a distinct visual identity and helps put your business in people’s mind. When people come across that color, they may be able to recall the brand it represents.

• Safety

The color used in neon signs can also help in informing people about the presence of danger or safety. This is why neon signs are used as signage to provide important information to people. Moreover, neon lights of various colors can be used to give navigation directions to people and lead them to the right place. In construction sites or intersections, it helps drivers and pedestrians to beware of potential hazards and decreases the risk of accidents.

• Gender Correlation

For businesses that want to target a particular gender when designing their neon sign, it is important to know the right colors to use that will grab the attention of the target audience. The pink color is often used to describe the female gender, while blue is often used for their male counterparts.

• Atmosphere

When designing a neon sign to be placed in a particular location, the color you use can affect the atmosphere of the place. An example is the use of blue and green neon colors. These colors will create a calm and peaceful atmosphere as opposed to red and yellow colors that encourage an energetic atmosphere.

Conclusion

Indeed, the color of your neon sign has a significant impact on how people respond to the sign. Understanding the psychology of color will help you as an individual or business create neon signs that will connect with your target audience and let you create the perfect mood that you want. You can talk to us at Echo Neon so that we can guide you on the best way to use neon lights to influence the psychology and emotion of your target audience.