Do you know what subliminal messages you are sending out with each colour you use?

The effect of colour is immediate and if used wrongly can destroy the image you are trying to project.

To project a sense of a solid, stable, trustworthy and powerful company use Royal Blue, think how government departments use Royal Blue on its logos & letterheads giving an impression of honour and power. Team it with red to add a hint of danger and excitement to the message.

Pale blue and pale pinks remind us of childhood, babies and children and are ideal for businesses that want to create a more caring, sharing image of young families' etc.

Yellows can be cheerful and bright or brash and deceitful with undertones of cowardice - remember the play ground taunts of 'cowardy, cowardy custard'. Use soft yellow tones and gold's with strong colours like Royal Blue, Burgundy and Green for a fresh, bright image.

Green is seen as peaceful, passive, restful but boring and dull unless mixed with warmer flower colours of apricot, orange and reds. Remember the saying "Green with Envy"!

Avoid browns to express your business identity. Browns are earth colours, warm, solid, dependable, sensible but are found by most people to be unimpressive, dirty, dull, boring, unexciting.

Reds, blue-reds and orange-red tones are vibrant, hot, passionate, exciting, aggressive, dangerous, can evoke a 'don't touch' image. Used in moderation they can be warm but firm at the same time.

Violet, Mauve and Purple colours are used to express mourning and grief, are dignified, mysterious, wise, solitary, authoritative colours and best used with tons of white.

Orange is a warm, sensual, joyful, passionate, lively welcoming colour. E Bay uses orange tones on its front page!

Grey, Grey Mauve & Grey Green colours are sad, old, mournful colours and invoke images of lonely, dull, lifeless times. Prime Minister John Major was nicknamed 'The Man in Grey'!

Black is a powerful, dramatic, sophisticated, serious, dignified, elegant colour but can also invoke images that are wicked, sad, evil, gloomy and withdrawn.

White is a pure, innocent, youthful, faithful, simple, honest, peaceful colour.

Choose strong warm colours to work with strong cool colours. Primary colours of red, yellow and blue will draw the eye. Black as a background colour will absorb all the other colours whilst white reflects other colours. Think how white writing on a black background will stand out better than blue on a black background. Yellow does not work so well on a white background but would work with contrasting colours of black, blue and green on a white background.

Also think about the placement of words and graphics. Placed on the right of the page invokes an image of a powerful and long lasting business, the same words and graphics placed on the left of the page invoke images of a young, fresh and snappy company. Why? What is seen on the right is acknowledged by the left-hand analytical side of the brain, whilst what is on the left is acknowledged by the right-hand creative side of the brain.

Try it and see!