Shades of blue
Blue | |
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Wavelength | 440–490 nm |
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Hex triplet | #0000FF |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 0, 255) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (240°, 100%, 100%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (32, 131, 266°) |
Source | X11 |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Varieties of the color blue may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation, intensity, or colorfulness), or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint being a blue or other hue mixed with white, a shade being mixed with black. A large selection of these various colors is shown below.
Tints of blue
In this section, the term tint is used in its technical sense as used in color theory, meaning a blueish color mixed with white or light gray.
Periwinkle
Periwinkle | |
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Hex triplet | #CCCCFF |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (204, 204, 255) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (240°, 20%, 100%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (84, 42, 266°) |
Source | Maerz & Paul |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Shown in the right is the color periwinkle, or periwinkle blue. Another name for this color is lavender blue. The color is a mixture of white and blue. It is named after the Periwinkle flower and is also commonly referred to as a tone of light blue.
Powder blue
Powder Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #B0E0E6 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (176, 224, 230) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (187°, 23%, 90%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (86, 26, 202°) |
Source | X11[1] |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
The web color powder blue is shown on the right.
The first recorded use of powder blue as a color name in English was in 1774.[2]
Light blue
Light Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #ADD8E6 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (173, 216, 230) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (195°, 25%, 90%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (84, 28, 216°) |
Source | X11 |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
The web color light blue is displayed in the color box at right. Variations of this color are known as sky blue, baby blue, or angel blue. Within the X11 color system, with a hue code of 194, this color is closer to cyan than to blue.
The first recorded use of "light blue" as a color term in English is in the year 1915.[3]
Baby blue
Baby blue | |
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Hex triplet | #89CFF0 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (137, 207, 240) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (199°, 43%, 94%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (80, 48, 227°) |
Source | Maerz and Paul[4] |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Baby blue is known as one of the pastel colors. With a hue code of 199, this color is a tone of azure.
The first recorded use of baby blue as a color name in English was in 1892.[5]
Computer web color blue
Blue (RGB) (X11 blue)
Blue (RGB) (X11 blue) | |
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Hex triplet | #0000FF |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 0, 255) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (240°, 100%, 100%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (32, 131, 266°) |
Source | X11 color names[6] HTML/CSS[1] |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/RGB_illumination.jpg/140px-RGB_illumination.jpg)
The color defined as blue in the RGB color model, X11 blue, is shown at right. This color is the brightest possible blue that can be reproduced on a computer screen, and is the color named blue in X11. It is one of the three primary colors used on the RGB color space, along with red and green. The three additive primaries in the RGB color system are the three colors of light chosen such as to provide the maximum gamut of colors that are capable of being represented on a computer or television set.
This color is also called color wheel blue. It is at precisely 240 degrees on the HSV color wheel, also known as the RGB color wheel. It is a spectral color which lies at, or near, the short-wave (violet) end of the traditional "blue" and possibly was classified as "indigo" by Newton.[7] Its complementary color is yellow.
Additional definitions of blue
Blue (CMYK) (pigment blue)
Blue (CMYK) (Pigment Blue) | |
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Hex triplet | #333399 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (51, 51, 153) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (240°, 67%, 60%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (28, 73, 266°) |
Source | CMYK |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/SubtractiveColor.svg/140px-SubtractiveColor.svg.png)
The color defined as blue in the CMYK color system used in printing, also known as pigment blue, is the tone of blue that is achieved by mixing process (printer's) cyan and process (printer's) magenta in equal proportions. It is displayed at right.
The purpose of the CMYK color system is to provide the maximum possible gamut of color reproducible in printing by the use of only three primaries.
The color indicated is only approximate as the colors of printing inks may vary.
Blue (NCS) (psychological primary blue)
Blue (NCS) | |
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Hex triplet | #0087BD |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 135, 189) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (197°, 100%, 74%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (53, 65, 237°) |
Source | sRGB approximation to NCS 2060-B[8] |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Opponent_colors.svg/140px-Opponent_colors.svg.png)
The color defined as blue in the NCS or Natural Color System is an azure-like color shown at right (NCS 2060-B). The Natural Color System is a color system based on the four unique hues or psychological primary colors red, yellow, green, and blue. The NCS is based on the opponent process theory of vision.
The “Natural Color System” is widely used in Scandinavia.
Blue (Munsell)
Blue (Munsell) | |
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Hex triplet | #0093AF |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 147, 175) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (190°, 100%, 69%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (56, 52, 220°) |
Source | Munsell Color Wheel |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/MunsellColorWheel.png/140px-MunsellColorWheel.png)
The color defined as blue in the Munsell color system (Munsell 5B) is shown at right. The Munsell color system is a color space that specifies colors based on three color dimensions: hue, value (lightness), and chroma (color purity), spaced uniformly in three dimensions in the elongated oval at an angle shaped Munsell color solid according to the logarithmic scale which governs human perception. In order for all the colors to be spaced uniformly, it was found necessary to use a color wheel with five primary colors: red, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
The Munsell color displayed is only approximate as this spectral color have been adjusted to fit into the sRGB gamut. In 21st century, this hue is classified as an intermediate between azure and cyan.
Blue (Pantone)
Blue (Pantone) | |
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Hex triplet | #0018A8 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 24, 168) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (231°, 100%, 66%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (22, 82, 265°) |
Source | Pantone TPX[9] |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Blue (Pantone) is the color that is called blue in Pantone.
The source of this color is the "Pantone Textile Paper eXtended (TPX)" color list, color # Blue C, EC, HC, M, PC, U, or UP—Blue.[10]
Blue (Crayola)
Blue (Crayola) | |
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Hex triplet | #1F75FE |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (31, 117, 254) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (217°, 88%, 100%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (52, 120, 258°) |
Source | Crayola |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Blue (Crayola) is the color called blue in Crayola crayons.
"Blue" was one of the original Crayola crayons formulated in 1903.
Shades of blue
In this section, the term shade is used in its technical sense as used in color theory, meaning a blueish color mixed with black or dark gray. The colors arranged in order of their value (brightness) (V in the HSV code), the brighter colors toward the top and the darker colors toward the bottom.
Medium blue
Medium Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #0000CD |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 0, 205) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (240°, 100%, 80%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (25, 101, 266°) |
Source | X11 |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Displayed at right is the web color medium blue. It is a shade of the standard (h = 240°) blue.
Spanish blue
Blue (G&S) | |
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Hex triplet | #0070BB |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 112, 187) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (204°, 100%, 73%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (46, 76, 249°) |
Source | Gallego and Sanz[11] |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Spanish blue is the color that is called Azul (the Spanish word for "blue") in the Guía de coloraciones (Guide to colorations) by Rosa Gallego and Juan Carlos Sanz, a color dictionary published in 2005 that is widely popular in the Hispanophone realm. It is a shade of azure.
Liberty
Liberty | |
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Hex triplet | #545AA7 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (84, 90, 167) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (236°, 50%, 65%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (41, 64, 264°) |
Source | ISCC-NBS[12] |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
At right is displayed the color liberty.
The first recorded use of liberty as a color name in English was in 1918.[13]
The source of this color is: ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names (1955)--Color Sample of Liberty (color sample #196)
Egyptian blue
Egyptian Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #1034A6 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (16, 52, 166) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (226°, 90%, 65%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (28, 82, 263°) |
Source | Internet |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Egyptian blue is a pigment that was used in Ancient Egypt.
Ultramarine
Ultramarine is a blue pigment in use since medieval times.
Dark blue
Dark Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #00008B |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 0, 139) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (240°, 100%, 55%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (15, 60, 266°) |
Source | X11 |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Dark blue is a shade of the standard (h = 240°) blue. The name comes from the word "Dark" (which originated from Old English dark, derk, deork; Anglo-Saxon dearc, and Gaelic and Irish dorch, dorcha) and "Blue" (taken from French and originated from the Indo-European root bhlewos).
Resolution blue
Resolution Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #002387 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 35, 135) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (224°, 100%, 53%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (20, 64, 263°) |
Source | Xona.com Color List |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
At right is displayed the color resolution blue.
This color name first came into use in 2001 when it was formulated as one of the colors on the Xona.com Color List.
Navy blue
Navy Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #000080 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (0, 0, 128) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (240°, 100%, 50%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (13, 52, 266°) |
Source | HTML/CSS[1] |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Navy blue is a shade of the standard (h = 240°) blue. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue (contrasted with white) worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 (originally called marine blue before 1840) and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world.
The first recorded use of navy blue as a color name in English was in 1840.[14]
Catalina blue
Catalina Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #062A78 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (6, 42, 120) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (221°, 95%, 47%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (20, 55, 261°) |
Source | Xona.com Color List |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
At right is displayed the color Catalina blue.
This color name first came into use in 2001 when it was formulated as one of the colors on the Xona.com Color List.
Midnight blue
Midnight Blue | |
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Hex triplet | #191970 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (25, 25, 112) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (240°, 78%, 44%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (16, 49, 266°) |
Source | X11 |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
At right is displayed the color midnight blue.
This is the X11 web color midnight blue.
This color was originally called midnight. The first recorded use of midnight as a color name in English was in 1915.[15]
Independence
Independence | |
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Hex triplet | #4C516D |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (76, 81, 109) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (231°, 30%, 43%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (35, 23, 260°) |
Source | ISCC NBS |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
At right is displayed the color independence.
The first recorded use of independence as a color name in English was in 1927.[16]
The source of this color is: ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names (1955)--Color Sample of Independence (color sample #204).
Space cadet
Space Cadet | |
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Hex triplet | #1D2951 |
sRGBB (r, g, b) | (29, 41, 81) |
HSV (h, s, v) | (226°, 64%, 32%) |
CIELChuv (L, C, h) | (18, 29, 259°) |
Source | Resene |
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) |
Displayed at right is the color space cadet.
Space cadet is one of the colors on the Resene Color List, a color list widely popular in Australia and New Zealand. The color "space cadet" was formulated in 2007.
This color is apparently a formulation of an impression of the color that cadets in space navy training would wear.
Variations of blue in culture
![Group of approximately 20 blue berries](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/Bunch_of_blueberries%2C_one_unripe.jpg/220px-Bunch_of_blueberries%2C_one_unripe.jpg)
Note: For blue in general in culture, please go to the main article on the color blue
- In historical atlases published in Germany, light blue is traditionally used as a color to represent Germany, as opposed to pink for England and the British Empire, purple for France, and light green for Russia.[17]
- Dark clothing for males such as black, brown, or dark blue business suits have become much more popular since the mid-1990s, as opposed to the pastel colored business suits worn in the 1970s by major leaders in such institutions as the United States Congress (the vast difference in the clothing worn in the 1970s as opposed to the 2000s (decade) can be readily seen by looking at a videotape of the Watergate hearings).
![A man wearing a blue shirt with the word "POLIZEI" written on it, Epaulets with 5 stars on them, and a blue peaked cap with a 12-pointed star on it. He is holding a radio.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/HH_Polizeihauptmeister_MZ.jpg/170px-HH_Polizeihauptmeister_MZ.jpg)
- In many parts of the world, police wear dark blue uniforms.
- In Russian, the word for sky blue, голубой, can be used to mean a 'male homosexual'.[18]
- In English, phrase "blue joke" means dirty joke (a joke intended for adults; see blue comedy).
- In Western civilisation, those in the upper classes in high places of political or economic power often wear dark blue suits. Ordinary members of the working class (especially those who work in the computer industry) often refer derisively to these management functionaries as the suits.[19] This terminology is also used in the television industry—the network executives are often referred to by the creative people (actors, directors, and screenwriters) as the suits.[20]
- Dark blue or medium blue can also represent the working class. A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who typically performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage. Industrial and manual workers wear durable clothing that can be dirty, soiled, or even scrapped at work. A popular element of such clothes has been a light blue or navy blue work shirt and blue is also a popular color for work coveralls, the shirts and coveralls both typically made from denim.
- At the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames in London, dark blue is the color of the University of Oxford and light blue is the color of the University of Cambridge. Dark blue and light blue are also nicknames for students of these respective universities.[21]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "W3C TR CSS3 Color Module, HTML4 color keywords". W3C. 2003. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
{{cite web}}
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ignored (help) - ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 202. See color sample of powder blue, Page 95--Plate 36 Color Sample H2
- ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 190
- ^ The color displayed in the color box above matches the color called baby blue in the 1930 book by Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill; the color baby blue is displayed on page 93, Plate 35, Color Sample E2.
- ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 190; Color Sample of Baby Blue: Page 93 Plate 35 Color Sample E2
- ^ "X11 rgb.txt". Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ Waldman, Gary (2002). Introduction to light : the physics of light, vision, and color (Dover ed. ed.). Mineola: Dover Publications. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-486-42118-6.
{{cite book}}
:|edition=
has extra text (help) - ^ The sRGB values are taken by converting the NCS color 2060-B using the “NCS Navigator” tool at the NCS website.
- ^ Type the word "Blue" into the indicated window on the Pantone Color Finder and the color will appear. There are seven versions, all with the same color codes—C, EC, HC, M, PC, U, and UP.
- ^ Pantone TPX Pantone Color Finder--Type the word "Blue" into the indicated window on the Pantone Color Finder and the color will appear. There are seven versions, all with the same color codes—C, EC, HC, M, PC, U, and UP.:
- ^ Gallego, Rosa; Sanz, Juan Carlos (2005). Guía de coloraciones (Gallego, Rosa; Sanz, Juan Carlos (2005). Guide to Colorations) Madrid: H. Blume. ISBN 84-89840-31-8
- ^ Color sample #196 on the ISCC-NBS color list is the color sample that matches the color in the book by Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill--Color Sample of Liberty: Page 109 Plate 43 Color Sample C12
- ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 197; Color Sample of Liberty: Page 109 Plate 43 Color Sample C12
- ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 103; Color Sample of Navy blue: Page 131 Plate 40 Color Sample E11
- ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill Page 199; Color Sample of Midnight: Page 103 Plate 40 Color Sample A8
- ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 196; color sample of Independence: Page 117 Plate 47 Color Sample H12
- ^ See the Grosshistoricher Weltatlas, 1965 edition (Other German historical atlases use these same colors.)
- ^ "Gay.ru". Gay.ru. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage, Clifford Stoll, 1989, ISBN 0-7434-1146-3
- ^ Shatner, William (with Chris Kreski) Star Trek Memories New York:1993 HarperCollins
- ^ The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Wordsworth Editions. 2001. p. 149.