Are you a fan of how Black looks sophisticated and professional? Or do you find it too depressing and ominous to use in your branding? We have an insider secret on using this traditional colour to your advantage, and in this blog, you will finally know whether you should use Black for your branding.

We have developed a three-part system that takes a deep dive into Black’s meaning, varieties and how to use this information in your branding. After that, you’ll know for sure whether Black could be the perfect addition to your branding.

Ready to dive into the stylish world of Black? Let’s go!

Before we start – missed a part of our Branding Colour Series? Catch up below.

• 1. Should you use Blue as your Branding Colour?
• 2. Should you use Red as your Branding Colour?
• 3. Should you use Yellow as your Branding Colour?
• 4. Should you use Green as your Branding Colour?
• 5. Should you use Pink as your Branding Colour?
• 6. Should you use Orange as your Branding Colour?
• 7. Should you use Purple as your Branding Colour?
• 8. Should you use Grey as your Branding Colour?
• 9. Should you use White as your Branding Colour?
• 10. Should you use Black as your Branding Colour? (this is the blog you’re reading)
• 11. Should you use Beige as your Branding Colour?
• 12. Should you use Brown as your Branding Colour?

Want to start using Black as your Branding Colour now?
Download our FREE Guide

Here’s what we cover

MEANING OF BLACK
The psychological meaning of Black
Meaning of Black to you
Black in Business

VARIETIES OF BLACK
Jet Black to Onyx, we share our favourite Blacks
Black & The Colour Wheel
Colours that go with Black

BLACK IN BRANDING
Matching to the Tone of Your Business
Picking the Perfect Palette with Black
When not to use Black in your Branding

Should you use Black as your Branding Colour?
1. Meaning of Black

The Psychological Meaning

 Black is an elegant, fashionable and timeless colour that always feels in – (no matter what the latest colour trend is). And being a neutral colour means it acts as a blank canvas for you to either make a statement or blend in with the crowd. The varied meanings, however, can sometimes feel conflicting.

We believe it is based more on the Tint of Black rather than the colour itself. And to make it a little easier, we’ve created an icon guide below and broken it into Light, Medium and Dark Black.

Original unedited icons from the Noun Project

Light Black Meaning

Medium Black Meaning

Dark Black Meaning

Want a Black Branded Website?

Meaning of Black to You

The meaning of Black varies from being lucky to bad luck. Scary to sophisticated through to elegance to moody, so where do you stand? Firstly, Black can be a polarising colour, with some people loving it and others keeping as far away from it as possible. Secondly, it often steems back to your first encounter with the colour.

And finally, for more guidance answer these three questions.

1. How were you introduced to Black?
2. Was it a positive or negative experience?
3. Have your feelings for Black changed over the years?

What type of business do you have?

If you’re a personal brand the key is to find a balance between the colours you like and the ones that will attract your ideal client.

In conclusion, look at the icons above and pick which words sum up the way you feel about Black.

Or even consider the way you want your business to be perceived. Doing this will be a great way to determine the shade of Black that’s right for you.

Colour Clues

Every colour makes us feel a certain way. Once you learn how to use the Indoor Clues, it will open your eyes to new options and feelings about colour.

A great place to start is in your home or office. More than likely, Black makes a strong presence. From electrical equipment to cabinets to throw pillows, Black acts as an anchor to an array of colours bringing everything together in perfect harmony. And this is another way how you can use Black in your visual branding.

Would your ideal client like Black, how would it make them feel?

In Part 1 of our Colour Guide series “How (& where) to pick the perfect colours for your brand.” we explain everything about Colour Clues. Click here to download it – it will be super helpful.

Black in Business

Black is a popular choice in visual branding, especially in high-end brands that want to express a feeling of prestige and glamour. It also shouts quality and a higher price.

This traditional, timeless colour is also perfect for brands that want to display trust and reliability.

Some companies that use Black as their branding colour include the following below:

Even more companies within the Fashion, Technology & Beauty arena can be found below.

Should you use Black as your Branding Colour?
2. Varieties of Black

Jet Black to Onyx, we share our favourite Blacks

Many varieties of Black may look similar but have different names. From light to dark Black we’ve compiled a cheat sheet of our favourites below (and included a few you may have never heard of!).

And to make it easy, we added the hex numbers. So you can start using them in your branding today. Check out the below.

Press play on the image below or get all the colour breakdowns in our FREE Guide.

Black & The Colour Wheel

Unlike most colours in our Branding Colour Series, Black is neutral, and neutrals don’t appear on the colour wheel.

It is also the darkest colour in this series and has a total absence of light.

Insider Tip

If you want to make any colour darker, simply add black.

Colours that go with Black

Blending Blacks

Black with Black is always a stylish combination. It is also known as a monochromatic palette due to using only one colour. You could also try mixing in different shades of Black to create harmony and balance.

Black Colour Combinations

Let’s start with the ultimate classic pairing – Black and White. After that, we’ll show you how to combine Black and Red, then Black and Yellow, followed by Black and Blue, Black and Green and finally ending with Black and Purple.

Want more Black Colour Combination ideas? Click on the image below.

Should you use Black as your Branding Colour?

Matching to the Tone of Your Business

As discussed earlier, we break Black into three options, light, medium and dark. You can use the breakdown as a guide to help you pick the right tint of Black for your branding.

Firstly, Light Black
Balanced, conservative, dignified, graceful, loyal, mature, neutral, pure, responsible, secure, solid, simple, stable strength and trustworthy.

Secondly, Medium Black
Authoritative, classy, committed, composure, dependable, dominant, forceful, modest, moody, mysterious, professional, sassy, serious, uncompromising and weighty.

Finally, Dark Black
Chic, classic, elegance, expensive, fashionable, high-quality, luxury, powerful, prestigious, social status, sophistication, style, timelessness, tradition and wealth.

Picking the Perfect Palette with Black

Our 5-step Perfect Palette Process

Need help to choose your Brand Colour Palette? We’ve created a simple step-by-step process. Grab our free guide as a handy download.

Step 1
Pick the Main Brand Colour

So you’ve picked Black. Now you have to decide on the type of Black, is it light, medium or dark?

Step 2
Pick a Support Brand Colour

If you feel stuck at this stage, just remember this colour creates harmony with the MAIN. Refer back to our tips earlier on Colours that go with Black to help you decide.

Step 3
Pick a Light Neutral Brand Colour

Why do you need neutrals in your brand colour palette? Because it creates balance.
Not sure which neutrals to pick? Go to page 16 of our free guide.

Step 4
Pick a Dark Neutral Brand Colour

Your light neutral colour needs a partner. So now it’s time to pick a dark neutral colour for even more balance. Our guide on page 16 explains everything.

Step 5
Pick an Accent Colour

This colour is used to make something on your website pop. Therefore it’s only used sparingly. Page 22 of our free guide will explain more.

Web and Print Branding

Once you have picked the right Black for your business, add the hex code to your website.

View how it looks on both desktop and mobile. To create consistency only, use the one hex code number to ensure the Black you chose is always the correct shade.

For print, instead of a hex code, you will need the CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black) or Pantone, colour breakdown to ensure the Black will print out the way you want.

Insider Tip

A way to avoid getting a washed-out CMYK Black when printing, use a Rich Black.

In a graphics program such as Indesign, use this breakdown – 100% K (Black) and 60% C (Cyan). to create a rich black.

When not to use Black in your Branding

If your brand has a light and airy look and feel, Black may not be your best option. And combining too much Black can have the opposite effect and make everything feel heavy, depressing and even dark and gloomy.

Brands that have children as their target market may need to let Black take the back seat and act as a secondary colour and instead incorporate other playful colours into their brand to inject some fun back into their branding.

You Did it!

That’s a wrap on Should you use Black as your Branding Colour?

How do you feel about Black now? Would it suit you and your branding? Let us know. And in the meantime, follow us on Pinterest for more blog posts like this.

Where to now?

1. How to choose your brand colours – Find out here
2. 3 Tips for picking your perfect brand colours – Check it out here
3. Website Branding: How to use your Brand Colours to make your site Pop!

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