Producing impactful business documents is not all black and white

While for many sophisticated people black and white has always been considered the "classic" design choice, a new report suggests that for businesses it may be the quickest way to put their clients offside.

The report is the latest in a series issued by OKI Printing Solutions and world established colour psychologist Angela Wright, to help businesses crack the colour code and get the most out of their printed communications.

It explains how businesses should be mindful of the paper and font colours they choose for their printed communications, so that they can influence their readers` response. It goes on to explain how black and white can in fact be cold, hard and uncompromising and should be offset with appropriate corporate colours.

Wright explains: "Many businesses don`t realise you can use colour to influence reader responses to your documents.

"For instance, anyone who has ever opened a bill to discover that formidable red print inside, will recognise that familiar feeling of dread. Billing agencies use colour in this way to influence recipient responses and the results indicate it works, as red-lettered invoices are paid 80% faster than all others," she said.

In a similar way, Wright suggests a hearty dose of green in a document`s design will reassure its recipients - something local dentists might want to bear in mind.

Wright offers the following hints and tips for businesses designing their own in-house colour documents:

One of the most common mistakes businesses make is forgetting their corporate colours when producing promotional documents. For every graphic design project, the colours of the company`s logo must be the starting point to ensure the document enhances and reinforces the company values and there are no mixed messages. Remember - while there are no bad colours, there are bad colour combinations.

Colour documents in general provoke between 60% and 70% more response than black and white. However, using colour for the sake of colour can be counterproductive. Be selective in choosing not just your colours, but the tone of colours you want to combine.

The biggest assumption businesses make is that black and white are neutral. All colours have their own psychology which stimulates different emotions among those viewing it. This means that adding black to a document that contains warm, rich colours can be detrimental. Businesses should instead use subtly tinted paper and different coloured fonts.

Andrew Montgomery, Managing Director of Oki Europe Ltd, says: "Since partnering with Angela, we`ve learnt that colour is the first thing people respond to when they receive a printed communication. This means if you don`t get it right from the start, all of the other design factors, such as typography and layout, will have to work twice as hard to get your message across."

"She`s shown us that putting aside a little time to select consistent colours for your business` printed communications can certainly pay dividends and is a smart choice for businesses serious about their corporate image," Montgomery said.

OKI Printing Solutions last month released a `best in class` range of A4 and A3 colour printers to empower businesses of all sizes to produce professional colour documents in-house.