AMiable Solution #20: When Two Colors are Better Than Four

We admit, if given a choice, we'd choose full-color over two-color in most cases. As consumers, we're drawn to objects, documents, etc., with more color and flash. However, color and flash aren't always necessary--even recommended--when it comes to direct mail and direct marketing.


Although the cost of four-color process printing has decreased with the increase of technology, you shouldn't assume that all jobs should be printed in four colors. Two-color spot printing still has its place in marketing. Consider two-color printing when you find yourself or your project in one of the following situations:

• When you're printing logos and letterhead. Printing in two spot colors minimizes costs and creates a more standard brand color.

• When colors must be exact. Colors print truer when printed as a Pantone solid.

• When cost and quantity must be low. You'll not only save on ink expenses, but you'll also save on paper: four-color printing tends to require heavier stock.

• When you're going for a particular image. Two-color tends to look more business-like (on envelopes, for example) than four-color.

• When you use particular colors. Orange, for example, can look muddy when built in four colors. Talk to your printer if you have any questions or concerns.

• When you have tiny type or fine lines. Such delicate details can look jagged when printed as a four-color build.

• When you want to match large areas of tints between spreads. Spot colors tends to produce more consistent solids than process colors do.

For more tips on printing on two-color printing, see our blog from May 8, AMiable Solution #17: Using Colors with Care.

AMiable Solution #19: Understanding Color Translation

When it comes to printing professional materials, what you see on your screen isn't always what you get back from the printer. Sometimes you don't notice the difference. Other times, a color simply doesn't pop on the page the way it does on your computer screen.


Before you blame your old monitor or your trusted printer, keep in mind the following: most scanners, digital cameras, and computer monitors display colors and images in three colors (red, green, and blue, or "RGB") but printing presses use four (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, or "CMYK").

Minimize your disappointment and maximize the effect of color on your marketing pieces with these quick fixes:

• Design your marketing pieces using CMYK colors

• Convert photos or graphics from RGB to CMYK yourself in Photoshop to make sure you're satisfied with the results

• Ask your print vendor for samples of previous work printed in a specific color, if you have any concerns or if you can't afford for a color to print slightly "off"

If you still find you're dissatisfied with the results, talk to your vendor. You both have the same goal in mind and may just need to work out the best way to achieve it.

AMiable Solution #18: Using Color in Copy

When it comes to printing text, black type on white paper wins, hands-down, for its legibility. But what if you want to make a statement? How can you create emphasis and draw readers into your marketing copy without causing chaos or headaches?


Just as color affects the overall impact of your promotion's design, color also impacts how--and what--your readers choose to read. Color in text helps readers identify key information, sort out information, and even identify relationships between sections of text.

But to be effective, colored text must be seen. Although black type on white paper does provide the highest contrast and therefore the greatest readability, other color combinations do work: black on yellow, red on white, blue on white. The trick is to pick two colors with high contrast. The key is to use such combinations judiciously. You may have read--or started to read--a document that overused one of these non-traditional text/background combinations. And you probably stopped reading before you reached the end simply because your eyes hurt and your head ached.

Applying color to text effectively doesn't have to be difficult, if you follow a few guidelines:

• Non-traditional color combinations work best for short, high-impact messages.

• Blue text allows you to highlight important points within copy without causing a distraction.

• Coloring only the most significant text allows you to easily guide your readers through your message.

• Consistently colored content creates unity. According to Dynamic Graphics Magazine (October 2007), "Color can be used to tie several documents together. If it is coordinated with consistent typography and uniform layout, a unique scheme can help create unity among many documents, and build brand identity."

• Non-black type, particularly when used for body copy, should be printed in a bigger font size.

• The more powerful the color (red, for example), the less you should use.

Whether you use color for drop caps, pull quotes, contact information, or key points, remember to limit the number of colors you use in your copy. Too much of a good thing can be just that: too much.

AMiable Solution #17: Using Colors with Care

Even with today's affordable four-color printing options, not every direct mail or marketing piece requires the full-color treatment. In fact, in some cases, the more limiting and strategic you are with your colors, the greater the impact your piece will make.


Printing in two colors? Maximize the impact of color on your audience by using it to highlight the important information in your copy. That may include how your audience should respond to your offer, when the offer expires, how much the product or service is, etc.

You can also limit your color to illustrations or graphics. While most photos look sharpest in full color or black-and-white, other graphics--including charts, sidebars, and --work just fine with two colors.

Want another easy way to add variation to your promotion while using only two colors? Use several shades of the same color. Just be sure to consult a tint book and/or your printer when shades are used with text to ensure that the text remains readable.

How do you know which color to use in your promotion? Match your offer and message to these general guidelines for a good starting point:

• Yellow grabs attention and provides a good contrast against darker colors. However, yellow can tire the eyes and should be used with moderation.

• Green implies hope. It also represents nature and wealth.

• Blue instills confidence and safety. It's also calm, soothing, and businesslike.

• Black conveys power.

• Red incites excitement and strong emotion.

• Orange also grabs attention. It is warm and energetic.

• Pink implies romance and love.

Using Colors that Sell

When you think spring colors, you probably think in terms of greens, blues, and yellows. They evoke thoughts of freshness, new life.


But what colors come to mind when you think "price"? Do any? According to a February 26, 2010, article in Deliver Magazine, the United States Postal Service's magazine of mail marketing strategies, certain colors do carry pricing implications.

Before you start designing your next mail piece, consider these tips from the USPS:

• If you're selling an expensive product--or you simply want to give prospects and customers the impression that a product or service is more expensive, then use blue-based reds.

• If you're selling an expensive product but want to downplay the price, then use a yellow-based red.

• If you want to emphasize the value and affordability of a product, then use orange.

• If you want prospects and customers to view your product or service as sophisticated or formal, then use white. Keep in mind, however, that white also implies a higher-end product.

As with any advice you receive, it's always best to test the waters before diving headfirst into the pool. Use a smaller mailing--or your house list--to test colors before rolling out a major campaign. You may find these color guidelines work for your audience, or you may find that you need to consider other factors, including your industry, when choosing direct mail marketing colors.