How to Make A Protest Sign: Color Considerations

This is part of a series of articles designed to help you craft powerful and engaging protest signs.

Now you are ready to design your sign. Here are some considerations to keep in mind as you pick a color scheme for your sign.

Readability Is Key

Limit your color scheme to 2-3 colors to ensure that the letters on your sign pop. More colors on a sign might look attractive, but will slow down readers of your sign.

Picking a background color other than white can make your sign standout in a crowd. But be sure that your text is in a color that highly contrasts with the background. Notice how much easier the text is to read in the first image below than the second.

Examples of high contrast color schemes are provided in four different boxes. The first box has a black background with white text that reads, "White on Black". The second box has a white background with text that read, "Black on White." The third box has a black background with yellow text that reads, "Yellow on Black". The final box has a purple background with yellow text that reads, "Yellow on Purple". — Image by Anchor Pointe

This illustration presents four examples of low contrast color schemes that are hard to read. The first box has a black background with gray text that reads, "Gray on Black". The second box has a white background with text that reads, "Gray on White". The third box has a red background with dark orange text that reads, "Orange on Red." The final box has a blue background with dark green text that reads, "Green on Blue" — Image by Anchor Pointe

Because colors convey emotions, they can be incredibly useful in conveying a political idea or sentiment. For more background, check out this article by Giorgia Lombardo that examines the use of color in international protest movements in modern history.

Visibility Brigade Signs: Organizers recommend using white letters at least 2-feet tall placed on a black background for creating signs that will hang on an overpass. These signs need to be easily read by drivers passing by at least 55-mph. For more guidance on creating signs for Visibility Brigade Actions, see this guide. Before starting a new local Visibility Brigade, check in with organizers of the North Shore Visibility Brigade who can be reached at northshorevisibilitybrigade@gmail.com.

Next: Legibility Considerations