In matters related to safety at the workplace, hi-vis clothing becomes very important in keeping workers visible, especially where there is involvement of heavy machinery, moving traffic, or low light. Among the most popular hi-vis garments are polo shirts, combining comfort, style, and safety.
Not all men’s hi-vis polo shirts are made the same. However, the colour of such shirts is not a matter of preference; the main focus is worker’s safety. In this blog post, we explore the best colours for hi-vis polo shirts and explain the importance of such colours at work.
How Colour Affects Hi Vis Clothing
Hi-vis clothing is designed for the wearer to stand out against the background so a driver, machine operator, and other workers can easily recognise them. The choice of colours for hi-vis clothing is essential as it affects the effectiveness of a garment in different environments.
Two things tell how well hi-vis colours work: contrast and visibility. Contrast is a measure of how much the colour of the clothing stands out against the background. Visibility tells how quickly and easily someone identifies the wearer. That one correct colour could make all the difference between being seen or missed altogether; this is why picking the right colour for mens hi vis polo shirts is significant.
The Most Common Hi Vis Colours
1. Fluorescent Yellow
Fluorescent yellow is mainly used in hi-vis clothing for many reasons. This bright and catchy colour is apparent during the day and at night. It also goes well with most natural backgrounds like greenery, soil, and water, which makes it a perfect choice for outdoor workers.
Advantages
- Daytime Visibility: Being of fluorescent yellow colour, it is so bright even during the day and has high visibility.
- Night-Time Visibility: Fluorescent yellow colour remains visible under low light or at night time when used along with reflective strips.
- Versatility: It goes with a variety of construction sites and road work.
- Where It Works Best: Fluorescent yellow is perfect for outdoor workers such as construction workers, road maintenance crews, and utility workers. It is also used in warehouses where workers need to be visible at all times.
2. Fluorescent Orange
Another trendy colour for hi-vis clothing is fluorescent orange. Targeted effectiveness has been observed in environments with a high presence of natural yellow or green, which might occur in wooded areas and grassy fields. There is a huge difference between orange and most such natural colours, making fluorescent orange outstanding.
Advantages:
- Contrast: There is an extreme difference between fluorescent orange and the majority of natural backgrounds, thus making it very well noticeable with many backgrounds.
- Recognition: This colour is bright and often connected to safety. It’s easy for people to recognise and associate with warnings and cautions.
- Night Visibility: Just like fluorescent yellow and fluorescent orange, fluorescent green is also identifiable with suitable reflective materials.
- Where It Works Best: This colour is popular with bridge workers as well as personnel working with chemical disposal and in other specialised fields.
3. Fluorescent Green
Fluorescent green, unlike yellow or orange, finds an increased usage and application in some sectors or industries. Fluorescent green offers the ability to give a much more increased visibility level—opposite to the situation with yellow or orange in those environments. This colour is bright and commonly associated with safety, though it is not overly intense compared to other bright colours—like sandy, rocky environments.
Advantages
- Uniqueness: Fluorescent green produces a huge visibility difference where other hi-vis colours can’t do much to help in such a situation.
- Eye-catching: Because of its brightness and freshness, people are likely to notice this colour more often.
- Night-Time Visibility: Just the same as other fluorescent shades, poor nighttime visibility may be experienced using fluorescent green, which is when it is not compounded with reflective strips.
- Where It Performs Best: Fluorescent green will find much usage in places where there is less greenery. It is also expected to suit particular markets that are for specific functions, e.g., emergency response teams.
Why Colour Choice Matters in Hi-Vis Polo Shirts
Not only will choosing the right colour for hi-vis polo shirts help one to stand out, but it will also ensure safety. Various environments come with their varying challenges, and hi-vis clothing colour must rise to the occasion to offer maximum protection.
1. Safety and Visibility
The whole idea behind hi-vis clothing is to make sure that the wearer can be seen easily. Different colours provide different levels of visibility depending on the surroundings. For example, fluorescent yellow might work great on a construction site but would need to do better in heavily wooded areas where fluorescent orange might be better.
2. Regulations in the Industry
The guidelines and regulations of numerous industries are directly related to coloured hi-vis clothing. For example, the HSE in the UK guides hi-vis garments and commonly demands specified colours for some types of work.
3. Branding and Identification
Hi-vis polo shirts serve another purpose other than just safety; they can become a part of your corporate branding. Many corporations like to use specific colours for their hi-vis clothing so that it matches their identity. For example, a company that has blue as its logo colour might decide on hi-vis polo shirts with blue accents.
4. Comfort, Wear
Similarly, in the case of hi-vis polo shirts, colour can affect comfort. Dark colours absorb more heat, meaning they are less comfortable in hot conditions. On the contrary, the light colours of yellow and green that these come in should be more comfortable for working in warm conditions.
Customising Hi Vis Polo Shirts with Direct to Garment Printing and Embroidery
The hi-vis polo shirts highlight not just through the colour but the factor of custom design clothing. Customising them with the print of your company’s logo or name or even some identifying information can contribute towards branding and identification. Some popular methods of customising men’s hi-vis polo shirts include Direct to Garment Printing (DTG) and embroidered workwear.
Direct to Garment (DTG) Printing
Direct to garment printing is a technique that uses specially-made printers to deposit designs directly into the fabric. The most benefit from this technique includes complex multicoloured and delicate detail designs. Hi-visibility polo shirts are great for DTG printing.
- Detail and Colour: High-quality images with fine details and vibrant colours can be produced using DTG.
- Durability: The prints are long-wearing and will not fade with regular wear and washing.
- Flexibility: DTG printing can accommodate small and large orders; therefore suitable when customising men’s hi-vis polo shirts.
- Best Use Cases: DTG printing will suit companies that want to include detailed logos, slogans or other designs on their Hi-Vis polo shirts.
Embroidery
Embroidery shows a design stitched directly onto the material. This method stands out both in its durability and professional look. Highly embroidered workwear lifts the quality and aesthetic standards of companies that search for ways of showing both professionalism and quality in the services they offer.
Advantages
- Professional Appearance: Embroidery in hi-vis polo shirts looks professional and refined.
- Durability: The design is durable and rigid, which helps it last longer, especially when there are more dot sizes in the working conditions.
- Customisation- It can be designed with logos, names, or any other station marks of identification.
- Best Use Cases: Embroidery is ideal for a professional and timeless look for your hi-vis polo shirts and is suitable for companies looking to add names or job titles to the fronts of shirts.
Conclusion
Your choice of colour in these high-visibility polo shirts must be an important decision in the making process, as this directly impacts safety and comfort. Yellow, orange, and green—are all excellent for their reasons based on the environment. They’re not just the safety, though; features like DTG printing or embroidery on your hi-vis polo shirts can improve their functionality and turn them into a branding asset.
Hi-vis polo shirts should be chosen based on the needs of the work environment, industry regulations, and the comfort of the workers. Your workers will feel comfortable, safe, and professional when you choose the appropriate colored custom design clothing for your job site requirements.
