Yellow is a primary color. It sits between orange and green on the color wheel. Being associated with the sun, it stands for optimism, joy, and enlightenment, but also for duplicity, cowardice, and betrayal. Colors that relate to yellow are yellow-green and orange. The hex code for yellow is #FFFF00.
Symbolism And Meaning Of Yellow
All the world over, yellow is associated with the sun and its life-giving warmth. Yellow also stands for caution, and it’s used for traffic warning signs and traffic signals in nearly every country. Yellow is optimism and the cheerfulness of a sunny day.
History of the color yellow
Yellow was one of the first colors used in art due to the wide availability of yellow ochre pigment. Ancient Egyptians painted their gods in yellow so that it would resemble gold. From the 14th century onward, yellow has become the color of envy, jealousy, and treason, the color that cannot be trusted. Once the color of the sun and gold, yellow became one of the least popular shades. Its dubious reputation has endured until today; compared to other colors, yellow often stands as a symbol of negative personality traits.
Yellow Color Symbolism in Different Cultures
- In Brazil, yellow symbolizes intellect, and communication, but also wealth. Locals wear yellow/gold during New Year’s Eve to attract money in the new year to come.
- In India, yellow means good fortune for merchants.
- In Japan, yellow represents courage.
- In Islam, yellow is the color of wisdom.
- In Egypt, yellow conveys happiness but also mourning.
- In Greece, yellow is considered a negative color.
- In Mexico, yellow is also a color of mourning.
- In Russia, yellow is used to describe the sensationalist press.
Physical Effects of Yellow
- Affects mood – Yellow rooms tend to cause irritation in people. According to W. Newton Suter, a professor at the University of Arkansas, “students’ behavior is negatively affected in yellow rooms.”
- Energizes – It is perceived as a high-energy color and, therefore, often used in products intended to create a sense of excitement.
- Stimulates mental activity – The color highlights what’s important and increases the analytical processes.
- Sharpens memory and attention – People are more likely to remember an object in a warm color, such as yellow, than in a cool color.
- Encourages communication – Because it is an open, outgoing, and optimistic color, yellow encourages communication. It is an excellent color for networking events.
Information about Yellow / #FFFF00
In a RGB color space (made from three colored lights for red, green, and blue), hex #FFFF00 is made of 100% red, 100% green and 0% blue. In a CMYK color space (also known as process color, or four color, and used in color printing), hex #FFFF00 is made of 0% cyan, 0% magenta, 100% yellow and 0% black. Yellow has a hue angle of 60 degrees, a saturation of 100% and a lightness of 50%.
Looking for a different hue? The following colors are related to yellow.
- Yellow Green
- Orange