You know that your ebook cover plays an important role in whether or not your ebook sells. You also know that you need a professional looking ebook cover design to make a GREAT impression on web visitors.
However, there is another important element to consider when you create your ebook cover design and that is the role of COLOR.
Color plays an important role in design because the use of color has a measurable effect on people. Color can affect emotions and appetite. (Blue and yellow are definite “no no’s” in the world of food marketing!)
Whether it’s an ebook cover or the packaging of a product, the colors used in the design are carefully chosen to “carry” the message of the design.
There’s more to the “art” of color psychology than might originally meet the eye. Different cultures interpret colors differently. For example, in Japan – white is the color of mourning while in the United States, we dress brides in white to symbolize purity.
So where in the world you (or more importantly – your customers) are affects which colors you use to carry your intended message.
For the sake of simplicity, this article is going to use the color red with a United States point of view.
Ah – the color red. When you hear read – what do you think?
Do you think of this clear and “pure” color?
This is a “pure” clear red…ff0000.
This shade of red is the shade used for stop signs and it’s used for a reason. This shade of red literally GRABS your visual attention.
If you’re thinking – “Hey! My ebook cover should be pure red then! I really want to capture people’s attention” – STOP! It’s not that easy.
Have you ever noticed how FEW products you see that use this strong red color?
While it’s true that red does capture attention – it also carries a message.
Think for a moment of the big brands that you’ve seen which use this shade of red.
The corporate giants of McDonalds and Coca Cola come quickly to mind.
See, a clear pure red like the color above carries a message and that message, while subtle, tends to say “this is inexpensive”.
So using this shade of red in designing the ebook cover for “How to Use Free Software to Create your Ebook” would be a good thing.
However, if your ebook is targeted towards a more “upscale” market – one that showcases your expertise – like Lauren Jordan’s A Self Help Guide to Boosting Low Libido in Women, then using this shade of red would not be a good choice. (Notice how Lauren’s ebook cover – and website – both use another shade of red -which is commonly called purple. Purple tends to be a favorite amongst female CEO’s and other strong, intelligent women. The choice of color in Lauren’s site and ebook was carefully chosen.)
As you can see, when it comes to red – you’ve got a lot of options.
This is also red – but this shade of red doesn’t carry the same meaning as the shade of red above.
This “red” is a much better choice for the professional who wants to give the impression of high class and quality.
This is also another shade of red and it’s obvious that this shade of red obviously carries a completely different message than either of the two reds featured above.
While red with blue makes purple, red with yellow makes orange. Orange carries a completely different message than the other “reds” shown above.
As you can see – there’s a lot to consider when choosing the color for your ebook cover design. Try to think about who your target audience is and what you’re wanting to communicate to them. You’ll find that the right choice of color can say a LOT about the contents of your ebook.
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