Using Colors in Email Marketing: A Marketer's Complete Guide

Ever noticed how colors can instantly shift your mood? It's not just some random observation—it's science! And guess what? Harnessing the right colors in email marketing campaigns can do wonders for your business.

Your emails are like little canvases, and the colors you splash on them can make a huge difference. They can attract leads, bump up your conversions, and make your brand shine brighter than ever before.

Nearly all initial impressions, up to 90%, are influenced by color. Also, color can boost brand awareness and recognition by a whopping 80%. Plus, an overwhelming 93% of people rely solely on visuals when making purchase decisions.

But hold on, you don't need to be an artist or spend ages tinkering with your email builder. We've got you covered with a foolproof guide on using colors to optimize your emails across all email clients and devices, whether they’re set on dark mode or not.

To start, let's delve into the significance of each color typically used in email marketing campaigns.

The meaning of colors

Colors carry meaning! And we humans attach subjective meanings to different colors. It affects us in three main ways: biologically (like how red might evoke fear), culturally (for example, in some Eastern cultures, red symbolizes wellbeing), and personally based on our own experiences.

Emails marketers can tap into this symbolism to craft emails that not only inspire trust but also captivate the attention of subscribers.

Here’s what each color symbolizes.

Black

Black typically embodies sophistication, formality, boldness, elegance, and mystery.

While black is technically the absence of color, it can still pack a punch in your emails. Using it in headers or backgrounds can give your emails a sleek and professional vibe while making them easier to read.

White

White typically conveys positive vibes, like purity and innocence. Plus, it's the perfect blank slate for all your colorful content to shine on!

However, relying too much on white can make your email seem dull or uninspired, so if you're using a white background, spice things up with some tasteful color combinations to make your email stand out.

Red

Red is scientifically linked to dominance and urgency. That's why it's perfect for buttons like "Buy Now" or "Click Here" that need to stand out and prompt action, as well as promotional emails.

Blue

Blue, known for its calming associations with water, is a great choice for instilling a sense of reassurance. In email marketing, incorporating blue in your designs can create a soothing atmosphere, making subscribers feel comfortable and at ease when engaging with your content.

Green

Green, along with blue and white, brings a sense of tranquility and calmness to email marketing. It signifies relaxation, protection, freshness, and improvement, making it perfect for health-related and "green" products.

This nature-inspired color not only soothes but also boosts positive associations and can even uplift mood. Additionally, green's association with money makes it a go-to for expressing financial wealth and growth.

Yellow

Yellow is linked to joy, playfulness, and creativity, making it an excellent choice for infusing positivity into email content. In email design and marketing, incorporating yellow can evoke a sense of happiness and energy, capturing the attention of recipients and leaving a memorable impression.

It's particularly effective for promoting cheerful messages, offers, or products, helping to create a vibrant and engaging experience for subscribers.

Purple

Purple usually stands for beauty, royalty, luxury, and wealth. As it is historically reserved for royalty, purple brings an element of prestige and sophistication to your email design and marketing.

Incorporating purple into your emails can create a sense of exclusivity and luxury, appealing to subscribers who seek high-quality products or services.

Whether it's through using purple accents in visuals or highlighting key offers with the color, leveraging purple can help your brand stand out and leave a lasting impression of elegance and refinement.

Brown

Brown, a warm and earthy color, is often associated with stability, reliability, and comfort. Brown signals trust, especially for finance or security brands. Moreover, it can also hint at natural, organic, and eco-friendly values in your emails.

It can feel fancy and cozy, making people comfortable and eager to connect. Acting as a neutral backdrop, it helps other colors pop, making it a versatile choice for creating visually appealing and credible email marketing content.

Pink

Pink represents different emotions and concepts depending on its shade and context. Overall, it's linked to femininity, love, kindness, and sweetness.

Pink's ability to catch attention, along with its connection to breast cancer awareness, makes it great for highlighting important parts and backing meaningful causes. This enhances overall engagement and brand perception.

Types of color schemes

Monochromatic colors

Monochromatic colors in emails use different shades of one color, making them easy to read and visually appealing. Choosing the right color can add depth and make visuals pop. With a clean and simple design, these emails grab attention and boost conversion rates. Take Aēsop's email, for example, where they use various green tones to create a cohesive look, perfect for promoting their natural skincare products.

Triadic color palette

A triadic color scheme in emails means using three colors equally spaced on the color wheel. Typically, these colors are opposites, creating a balanced mix of warm and cool tones. You can choose two warm colors and one cool, or vice versa, to strike that balance.

This scheme helps emphasize your message by focusing on the dominant color. A neat trick is to use this dominant color where you want your subscribers to look first, like in headlines, call-to-action buttons, or special offers.

Complementary colors

Complementary colors are like perfect opposites on the color wheel. Think yellow and purple, blue and orange, or red and green. You can pick the pair that suits your campaign or audience best.

When using these colors in emails, make sure to highlight important stuff like CTAs, links, or headers. Just use them smartly to catch your readers' attention.

Creative ways to use colors in emails

Besides those three color combos, here are a few more things to keep in mind when designing your email:

Check Pantone colors

Every year, the Pantone Color Institute selects a color that reflects global trends and feelings. This year (2024), the chosen color is “Peach Fuzz.”

This gentle color between pink and orange, celebrates Pantone's Color of the Year program's 25th anniversary. It's a soft, heartfelt hue that symbolizes kindness, compassion, and connection, bringing a cozy feeling as we strive for a peaceful future.

Combine shades of the same color

Another creative way to make your email pop is to stick to one main color with different shades of it. Even though it may not have much contrast, it gives your email a sleek and refined look. Brands love it because it makes their emails minimalistic, classy, and stylish.

Combine opposite colors

Contrary to common belief, mixing opposite colors can create beautiful outcomes. When it comes to color psychology:

Experiment with dark shades like black alongside vibrant ones such as orange or yellow. Also, consider pairing opposing colors like red/green or blue/yellow. Just remember to balance their brightness and intensity. For instance, matching a subdued green with a bright red can feel like a misstep rather than a deliberate choice. The same applies to blending light pastels with deeper tones.

Get this template here.

Use mood boards

Another fun and creative way to mix colors is by using mood boards or color boards. Originally from fashion and interior design, they're perfect for experimenting with color combos and seeing how different shades play off each other.

To find the perfect palette for your design, try searching on Pinterest, Google, or Instagram. Nature photos are a great choice because they naturally blend harmonious colors.

Use colors to highlight important content

Colors are a powerful tool for getting your message across in emails. That's why choosing the right bulletin colors is crucial as they make important messages in the email text pop and grab attention. Moreover, highlight key points in your copy by using different colored fonts.

For example, if you're promoting a new mascara, make words like "clump-free" or "long-lasting" stand out with a different color.

To ensure clarity, use white font on dark backgrounds and vice versa. This way, your subscribers can quickly spot the important info in your emails.

Use colors to differentiate between different sections

Using colors to divide sections in your emails is a great way to help your readers navigate through different parts. This is particularly useful for email newsletters.

Likewise, choosing appropriate border colors around images and important sections can add a pop of visual interest while keeping everything neat and tidy.

Check out this example from Google Store where they use colors to distinguish between sections. It's a smart way to keep things organized and engaging for your subscribers.

Use colors to make the CTA prominent

Picking the right color for your CTA button is crucial because it can determine if users will click through or not. You might need to experiment with different colors to find what suits your brand best.

Common choices like red, green, yellow, blue, and black are often used. For instance, black might work for a travel company, while yellow might be better for a SaaS company, depending on how your audience reacts to these colors.

Take a look at this email from Athletic Brewing Company. They use different colors to divide sections, and the CTA buttons stand out in contrasting colors. It's a smart way to catch attention and encourage clicks.

How to create your email’s color palette

Use your brand colors

Your brand colors should be your anchor. Brand guidelines are designed to ensure that your brand stays consistent and recognizable across all channels and campaigns.

Sticking to the same color scheme in your emails boosts brand recognition. It's like embedding your brand in your subscribers' minds so they can spot you in their inbox without even reading the message or checking the logo.

Check out these four email campaigns from Everlane. Notice how they rock the same colors and style in each one? They're sticking to their signature look no matter what.

Holiday-themed color palette

Another tried-and-tested approach is to use popular combinations. For instance, think about Halloween – black and orange are a no-brainer. Or Valentine's Day, where red and pink reign supreme. By using these classic color combos, you’re not just designing emails but creating holiday vibes that everyone loves and enjoys.

Check contrast

Contrasting colors, also known as complementary colors, come from opposite ends of the color wheel.

Incorporating contrasting colors into your email design adds excitement and makes your content stand out. It's a great pick for playful emails aimed at younger audiences.

Plus, it is crucial that you check the contrast ratio between your email text and background colors as it can affect readability, accessibility, and usability of your emails.

Draw inspiration from nature/art

Nature is a goldmine of color inspiration. Take a peek outside, and you'll find tons of vibrant combos, like those in fruits or the sky. These colors naturally make us feel good and cozy. So, why not sprinkle some of that natural magic into your emails to leave a sunny impression on your recipients?

Keep a balance

Creating a balanced color palette for your emails is key. You don't have to stick to just light or dark colors – mix it up! Make sure you've got at least one light and one dark shade for contrast. Once you've got those, the rest is all about what looks good to you.

Keep dark mode in mind!

When picking colors for emails, think about dark mode because it changes how your content looks to users. Light colors pop on dark backgrounds, but dark colors might fade away. Good contrast between text and background makes emails easier to read, especially in dim lighting. And matching colors with dark mode keeps things looking smooth for everyone, enhancing the overall user experience and engagement with your emails.

Conclusion-How to create beautifully designed emails with Chamaileon

In short, colors are a game-changer in email marketing. They affect mood, boost brand recognition, and capture attention. By understanding color meanings and considering factors like dark mode, marketers can create emails that stand out and resonate with subscribers. So, whether it's using classic combos or drawing from nature, thoughtful color choices make all the difference in crafting compelling email campaigns.

And Chamaileon sets the stage for top-notch email creativity: with its streamlined workflow, you can craft stunning emails while still having time to tweak messages, understand your audience better, experiment with new ideas, and boost your return on investment. Learn more here.

Frequently asked questions about colors in email marketing

What are the best colors for email marketing?

Pairing colors that complement each other can make your emails pop. Basic complementary colors include yellow with purple, blue with orange, and red with green. You can mix and match these based on your campaign or who you're targeting. Be smart about it though—use them to make important stuff stand out, like CTAs, email headers, and links.

What do the colors in email mean?

The colors you use in emails can make people feel different things, shaping how they see your message. By understanding the meanings behind different colors, you can strategically use them in your email designs to evoke specific emotions, capture attention, and reinforce your brand identity.

What is the best color for email text?

Black and white are popular choices for email text because they create clear contrast and are easy to read. While they're great for most situations, don't feel limited—there are plenty of other color options to explore.

What is the best background color for emails?

Opt for a single background color throughout your email. Choosing a consistent, non-white background color is effective because it makes the contrasting text and links easy to read. Lighter shades give the email a light and airy feel, similar to a white background.

Which color attracts the most attention?

Red, orange, and yellow bring the heat, stirring up urgency and excitement—perfect for flashing those limited-time deals. Meanwhile, cool colors like blue, green, and purple chill things out, fostering trust and calmness. They're your go-to for building loyal customers and sharing helpful info.