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.