How to Select Your Signature Ink or Font Color

Whether it's through e-mail, or less commonly, handwritten letter, we spend a lot of time each day communicating through text. We all know how enjoyable it is when you can recognize who a letter is from just from the way it's presented. Sometimes it's a stationary set that's recognizable; sometimes it's a way the subject line is worded. A beautiful, classy way to have your letters and e-mails stand out as yours is to select a signature ink or font color. It is extra chic if you use the same color for both ink and computer text. Deciding which color should mark you as you can be a difficult task. Try to keep the following in mind while choosing.

It should be legible. No one likes trying to read yellow text on a white screen or paper. It hurts, and you don't want people to associate pain with your messages. So try to pick a color that will be easy to read on more common background colors. White, beige, and pastels are the most common colors for stationary, and white is almost always the background for e-mail, so a darker color is always preferable.

It does not have to be as dark as black to be legible however. If you were to divide the shades between black and white in half, with pure colors being in the middle, the darker half would be the range to choose from. Pure colors such as red, yellow, and orange are still blinding so just a bit darker than middle is a good cutoff. Blues, greens, and purples usually are less painful when a lighter color than their warm brethren.

Be unique. Having cut out all neon and pastel colors does not mean you have an excuse to be boring. There is far more to life than navy and brown. Not to say that finding the perfect shade of blue or brown can't be a great aspiration, but don't feel yourself limited to just them. Crimsons are statements and rich golds are elegant. Dark oranges can be sultry and forest greens are subtle. Don't be afraid to experiment. Try a color out for a while and see how it feels. You don't have to commit to one color until you find one you really, truly love.

Keep in mind what the color is associated with. While you may think of red as being synonymous with the word cool, dragons, and red hot, some people can only think of the red in their bank account, the warning signs done exclusively in red, or stop signs. Pink can be flirty and fun or silly and childish. Green can be exotic, or it can be woodsy. It doesn't mean you shouldn't stay with your chosen color, but keep in mind the impressions you could be giving without even meaning it.