Humans hate wasps. It seems that their only purpose is to get trapped in the thong of your flip-flop, deliver its agonising venom and then fly off to get drunk on the nearest fermenting windfall of apples.
At least wasps are easy to spot. They advertise their presence with vivid stripes of black and yellow across their thorax and abdomen. The warning is not for us but for their predators – chiefly birds and the occasional stupid labrador. The idea is that the predators associate the pain of the sting with the vivid colours and remember in future not to eat anything that has black and yellow stripes. It’s called Aposematism, and it’s used by poisonous frogs, snaked and even skunks. The system is so effective that some creatures have exploited it with Müllerian mimicry: garden birds often avoid hoverflies as they have the same warning stripes as wasps and bees – even if they don’t have the sting.
Wasps teach us that if you want something to stand out, black on yellow is your go-to combination. It comes, however, with connotations of danger. Not just wasps, either: think skull and crossbones labels on poisonous chemicals, traffic diverted around an accident and other warning signs. Next time you are in the library or a bookshop, stand back and scan the shelves to see which titles jump out at you. Odds are that the light-coloured spines with dark writing will be the first to capture your attention.
The main reason these colour combinations stand out is contrast. Contrast is the degree to which a particular object in your field of vision stands out from its neighbours due to its difference in colour – just like the wasp on the lawn. This is a key consideration in whatever you are printing. You want it to be seen. You want the print to be easily read. You want your brochure to be the one that is noticed and picked up first.
If you would like to know more about contrast or have any questions about the printing process, don’t hesitate to contact us on 01603 488001 or drop us an email to websales@col-print.co.uk
