Pink is the name of a flower (Dianthus) that is a pale tint of red, and it first became a colour name in the seventeenth century. During the following century, pink was the favoured colour among royalty, aristocrats and the elite of Western society. In the 1920s pink was thought of by some as a masculine colour, on a par with red. A lighter shade of red was considered suitable for boys. However, shops found that people increasingly chose to buy pink for girls and blue for boys. Eventually, by the 1940s, this became the established custom. From this period, vibrant pinks were used as a strong fashion statement.
Shades of Pink
For designing, pale shades of pink work well in conjunction with each other, and are attractive combined with navy, grey or chocolate brown neutrals. These paler pinks are seen as subtle, gentle and pleasant. But vibrant pinks can be much more difficult to handle. Different shades of hot pinks tend to compete with each other, and can easily look garish together.
It is much easier to use very bright pink shades if white or black is included as a foil. For example, in our lovely photographic greeting card, ‘Pink Hydrangea‘, bright pink heart-shaped petals are edged with white. This gives a refreshing coolness to contrast with the hot pink. At the same time, the true colour of the pink shade can be seen clearly next to white. Similarly, in ‘Lace Bouquet‘, the glowing bright pink hues are offset by black lines. Consequently there is clear definition and focus to balance the vibrant pinks.
Using Vibrant Pinks in Design
Sometimes designers deliberately make use of the brilliance of bright pinks to create a flamboyant appearance. For instance, in our vintage greeting card design, ‘Candy Twist‘, a hot pink colour is twined around a maroon shade. This produces a rather brash image. In ‘Zing!‘, vivid pink and hot orange motifs are juxtaposed. White batik-style lines control the overall jarring appearance of the two colours.
No other colour is capable of confronting us in this way. Clashing colours may oppose each other when placed side by side. But vibrant pink can be arresting and disturbing on its own. When it is combined with other feisty red or pink shades, the result may even become lurid unless handled with great skill.
Browse the Goldcrest Gallery greeting card collection, and discover the colour pink in all its glory! We’ve also gathered a selection of our beautiful pink designs in our recent edit, ‘In the Pink‘!