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Red

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Cupid and the Devil know the power of red.

Love and War:

Red is hot. It's a strong color that conjures up a range of seemingly conflicting emotions from passionate love to violence and warfare. Red is Cupid and the Devil.

Nature of Red:

A stimulant, red is the hottest of the warm colors. Studies show that red can have a physical effect, increasing the rate of respiration and raising blood pressure.

The expression seeing red indicates anger and may stem not only from the stimulus of the color but from the natural flush (redness) of the cheeks, a physical reaction to anger, increased blood pressure, or physical exertion.

Culture of Red:

Red is power, hence the red power tie for business people and the red carpet for celebrities and VIPs (very important people).

Flashing red lights denote danger or emergency. Stop signs and stop lights are red to get the drivers' attention and alert them to the dangers of the intersection.

In some cultures, red denotes purity, joy, and celebration. Red is the color of happiness and prosperity in China and may be used to attract good luck.

Red is often the color worn by brides in the East while it is the color of mourning in South Africa. In Russia the Bolsheviks used a red flag when they overthrew the Tsar, thus red became associated with communism. Many national flags use red. The red Ruby is the traditional Fortieth Wedding Anniversary gift.

Using Red:

Use the color red to grab attention and to get people to take action. Use red when you don't want to sink into the background. Use red to suggest speed combined with confidence and perhaps even a dash of danger. A little bit of red goes a long way. Small doses can often be more effective than large amounts of this strong color. Multiple shades of red and even pink or orange can combine for a cheerful palette.

Look at the use of the Color Red on the Web to find which of the named colors in the red family are the most attention-grabbing, mysterious, friendly, sophisticated, or mentally stimulating.

Using Red with Other Colors:

Although not normally considered an ideal coupling, in combination with green, red is a Christmas color — a joyful season.

Cool blues provide contrast and tone down the heat of red. Light pinks and yellows are harmonizing colors that can work well with red if not too close in value such as dark red with a pale or golden yellow. Be careful using purple. It can be an elegant combination but too much could be overpowering.

Add a dash of red to a soft but sophisticated pink and gray combo. For some countries, including the US, red, white, and blue is a very patriotic trio even if the shades of red and blue differ from those used in the flag.

Red Color Palettes:

These color palettes feature shades of red used with a variety of yellows, blues, greens, and neutrals.

Using Red in Other Design Fields:

Feng Shui Use of the Color Red

Language of Red:

The use of red in familiar phrases can help a designer see how their color of choice might be perceived by others — both the positive and negative aspects.

Good red

Red letter day - important or significant occasion
Red carpet treatment - make someone feel special, treat them as if they are a celebrity
Roll out the red carpet - same as above
Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning; red sky at night, sailor's delight - pay attention to good and bad warning signs
Paint the town red - celebrate, go out partying
Red eye - an overnight flight

Bad red

Seeing red - to be angry
Red herring - something that deceives or distracts attention from the truth
In the red - being overdrawn at the bank or losing money
Red flag - denotes danger, warning, or an impending battle

Red Words: These words are synonymous with red or represent various shades of the color red.

Scarlet, crimson, vermillion, carmine, maroon, burgundy, ruby, rose, madder, rouge, brick, blood red, blush, fire engine red, cinnabar, russet, rust, Venetian red, flame, Indian red, tomato.