Color-Coding and Laboratory Organization Go Hand in Hand
You think laboratory, and you envision a boring grayscale color scheme, right? Time to think again.
Rainbow conicals, pictured above.
We’ve all stumbled across exceptions to the drab color rules, but when was the last time you considered reimagining your laboratory color scheme? You’ve probably never selected lab supplies with color as the focus.
Better late than never…
Did you know that color schemes are thought to have psychological impacts and can be used to boost morale and improve organization? It’s a no-brainer once you mention it.
Time to go down the rabbit hole of laboratory organization again!
Color Psychology
Certain color schemes have always been associated with specific emotions, like red with anger and passion and yellow with happiness and wealth.
There is some emerging evidence that color schemes are able to influence mood and health.
However, there is not a lot of hard science behind color psychology. But we can draw from our knowledge of idea branding as a fundamental of marketing as evidence in favor of the idea that colors influence psychology.
Ultimately, there aren’t any “winning” colors. Human beings just seem to like using them. This goes back to Ancient Egypt where what was perhaps the first color trend, “Nile Blue”, hit more than 5,000 years ago.
There’s nothing particularly special about blue, but it was all the rage for a while.
Studies have been done on the intersection between marketing and culture, and it has been found that unique color schemes may be favored by children within certain groups, like this group of children from Turkmenistan.
So, the time, place, and perception of the scheme influences its success, but if we can really say anything about color schemes, it’s that WE LIKE THEM.
Anything that is new and stands out will add some excitement and make communicating about it a little bit easier. So pick any color you’d like to add to the lab.
The more, the merrier, perhaps.
Safety and Laboratory Organization is Easier with Color-Coding
Nature sometimes uses colors as a warning. Aposematic colors like those found on dart frogs and poisonous snakes are universally understood to mean “stay away”.
As humans, we’ve abstracted some of these signals to help us understand when our lab creations are dangerous.
Red and orange are two intuitive color choices for a sample or solution that requires careful handling.
Red is typically used to indicate a biohazard in the laboratory environment. Orange can be used interchangeably, or you may wish to use it to indicate that a substance is caustic or poisonous.
Chances are, you already use this color scheme in your laboratory sometimes for items that fall in those categories, so why not expand on the idea and use it to help organize your space?
Some other ideas for color coding include yellow for things that require careful handling, blue for things that need to be kept cool, and black for anything light sensitive.
You can assign different colors to different lab users so that it is easy to spot your items in storage. Or color code by protocol so that you can set up your trials faster than ever.
If you’re just tired of having a drab lab, that’s perfectly valid…
Color Coded Laboratory Products
Rainbow Colors
Every lab needs more than one pipette, so why buy them in just one color? See our Labnet multi-colored pipette set, a charming combination of candy colors that looks good enough to eat.
But of course, you shouldn’t! This isn’t actually a wonderland!
Here’s some multicolor freezer boxes to enhance your lab organization and brighten your freezer space. With five per pack, you can really add a lot to your storage space.
Need to brighten up bench work and transport? Check out our microcentrifuge tube racks, available in five assorted colors per pack, OR you can choose your favorite from among the seven available.
And can you believe it! You can even find color-coded frosted glass slides for your microscopy specimens, available in ten different colors. And these multicolored conicals are a sight for sore eyes.
So you’ve read all of this, and you still feel a call to add vivacity to your lab work? We carry packs of multicolored laboratory tape that you can use to label and secure your supplies.
Red and Orange for Hazards
It goes without saying, these colors spell danger. Some laboratory supplies are colored red mandatorily to help warn users of their function.
The tubes you store human cells, plasma, etc could be made red to match. Then they’re easy to spot, easy to collect, and easy to describe to newcomers who may not have completed required training yet.
For the must-haves like biohazard storage bags and autoclavable bags, or even benchtop biohazard bins, we have you covered.
Want to take it to the next level and keep all your work containing biomaterials identifiable? We have red cryovial caps with barcodes and conicals with red caps, too.
Make sure you browse the rest of our lab consumables for other supplies that offer color customization.
Black for Light Protection and Contrast
Black is a common color to stumble across in a lab, but not so much for consumables.
For this reason, it’s a very sleek and mysterious addition, but it can easily be used to enhance organization too!
It's recommended that black be used to protect light sensitive materials. Using a lot of black may take away from organization otherwise.
For sensitive samples, consider our black freezer boxes for long-term storage of cryovials and microcentrifuge tubes. We also have these black gel boxes for DNA and Western gels.
What do you do when you need to have those samples out in the open? Never fear, we also carry assay plates and centrifuge tubes in black.
Do you have light sensitive waste that needs protecting? We carry carboys specifically designed for this purpose.
Suppose you need some added contrast at the bench instead. This thoughtful set of black and white weigh boats can help you ease eye strain and improve your precision on the scale.
The Takeaway: Adding colorful laboratory items can be more than just a statement, but it’s perfectly fine to just add them for fun. We cater to both mindsets.
Affordable Lab Consumables for Every Experiment
Here at Stellar Scientific, we care about providing you with cost-effective options for all of your laboratory needs. We like to keep you informed, too.
Not mesmerized by the options here? We can fix that…
You can browse our online catalog of lab consumables and ask us any questions you’d like about a product. We’re always available online using the chat feature. Or you can wait to call or e-mail us using the contact us page.
Footnotes:
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Liang, L. L., & Hangeldiyeva, N. (2024). Harmonizing culture and consumer psychology: optimizing color schemes for children's product design inspired by traditional ornaments. BMC psychology, 12(1), 161. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01644-6
“How Do Colors in My Home Change My Mood? Color Psychology Explained.” Mental Health America, mhanational.org/surroundings/color-psychology-explained. Accessed 31 May 2024.
Verde, Written by Tom. “The Quest for Blue.” AramcoWorld, www.aramcoworld.com/Articles/February-2021/The-Qu... Accessed 31 May 2024.