Wristband Colors Explained: When To Use What Color

The world of wristbands may seem straightforward on face value because it’s true there are only a select few types of wristbands to choose from.

 

However, on the other hand wristbands can get extremely complicated as you get into the different reasons to use X type of wristband or Y color.

 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of the colored wristbands world and walk you through the most common colors and what they are typically used for.

Red Wristbands

Red wristbands are  one of the more common colors you may see being used for wristbands and its reason does not necessarily reflect love as many would think. Red wristbands are most commonly used for charity. One the most common charities to see use this is foundations for AIDS as first seen in 1991 when the color red was placed on the charity ribbon for the fight against AIDS.

Green Wristbands

Green wristbands have been used for several years to show awareness for eco-based events. The color can be associated as far back as woodstock - with some of the earlier drafts of the woodstock logo containing a green headstock on the guitar to represent peace on earth and love to the world.

Orange Wristbands

Orange wristbands are commonly used in self injury awareness and are also used in expressing cultural diversity and uniqueness.

Blue Wristbands

No blue wristbands don’t mean free water and swimming, unfortunately. They do however tend to be used for something much better than swimming and that’s general awareness for a lot of different illnesses or traumatic situations. Blue is typically associated with sadness but in this instance, blue is used for pride, survival and hope. 

Pink Wristbands

Pink wristbands while gorgeous carry a lot of hope behind them. They are frequently used for breast cancer awareness and used in various mother awareness programs.

White Wristbands

White wristbands are more broad and typically have more customization options when it comes to their imprint capabilities and overall print quality which would make white wristbands more popular for generalized wristbands - however one crowd tends to show more than others for these sparkling white bands’ and that would be churches and a few other cause-based organizations such as awareness for the blind and awareness.

Black Wristbands

Black wristbands have been known to emphasize loss and mourning. It’s also commonly used for awareness surrounding sleep apnea and insomnia. Black wristbands have been used as memory from the events of 9/11. Another powerful use of black wristbands has been for the use in anti-gang related awareness which is to avoid the colors red, orange, blue, green and yellow - to take a stand and be a neutral color.

Rainbow Wristbands

Rainbow wristbands are typically used for a wide variety of things but the most popular one is for pride. Rainbow wristbands have been a great way to show support to the LGBTQIA+ and be an awesome ally. Rainbow wristbands have also been used in several autism awareness events.

Thinking About the Color to Use? Think Of This!

Wristbands come in thousands of colors and when you order wristbands from EventWristbands.com you have access to custom wristbands that use the RGB format or over 8 million color options. 

 

When choosing the color of wristband for your event, you should know that every color is universal and that these colors by meaning, or simply color by most frequently used for. If you want to use red and you aren’t a charity, please do! 

 

At the end of the day, if you’re hosting an event, you’re likely offering something fun and fun is what we all need in this world. Besides, if red stands for charity, and your event attendees think of that, something positive is on their mind. 

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How To Choose The Right Colored Wristband

The process for choosing a color for your wristband is pretty simple but there are a few variables to consider.

1. Do you want to follow the “most frequently used for” color trend?

If your event is for awareness, you must ask yourself if it’s better to use the most frequently used for colors. 

If your event is awareness based, coloring by the MFUF (most frequently used for) might be your best option. If you aren’t running any awareness-based events, any color is totally acceptable.

2. Do you have brand colors?

If you’ve answered no to the first question the second one to ask yourself is if you have established brand colors. Is your logo blue and you use yellow as a secondary color? Perhaps consider doing a yellow wristband with a blue imprint

Using your brand colors is a great way to ensure that your wristbands are recognizable. They also act as great keepsakes as long as they are removable without being destroyed.

3. Will your event have visually impaired guests?

If you’ve answered yes or even no to the last question then this question may still apply. If your event will have visually impaired guests your colors might be more important. 

These colors are favored for a lot of visually impaired people:

  • Orange
  • Yellow

  • Red

  • Green

There are a few excellent color options we suggest for wristband/imprint coloring:

  • White Text / Black Wristband
  • Black Text / Yellow Wristband

  • Green Text / Black Wristband

  • Blue Text Yellow Background

If you can work your brand colors into these in any way that would be preferred! 

4. Will you need a lot of customizations such as images, logos or custom imprint colors?

The last question to ask yourself regardless of any yes or no’s is how much customization do you need on the wristband? If you need the most customization options, the best color to choose is pure white, the reason is because it’s statically white the majority of the time with minimal dye - this means that printing quality is often times higher and white is the most universally compatible color in the spectrum.

If you do not want a lot of customization, then black is a great choice as well. 

Order The Entire Rainbow From Event Wristbands

If you’re ready to get started with your colored wristband adventure, shop at Event Wristbands today and find the best colored wristband for you and your event.

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