Shades of
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
are
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are assoc ...
s that differ only slightly from pure white. Variations of white include what are commonly termed off-white colors, which may be considered part of a neutral color scheme or yellow that looks like brown.
In
color theory, a ''
shade'' is a pure color mixed with black (or having a lower
lightness). Strictly speaking, a "shade of white" would be a neutral
grey
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
. This article is also about off-white colors that vary from pure white in
hue
In color theory, hue is one of the main properties (called color appearance parameters) of a color, defined technically in the CIECAM02 model as "the degree to which a stimulus can be described as similar to or different from stimuli that ...
, and in
chroma (also called saturation, or intensity).
Colors often considered "shades of white" include
cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
,
eggshell,
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...
,
Navajo white, and
vanilla
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia'').
Pollination is required to make the p ...
. Even the lighting of a room, however, can cause a pure white to be perceived as off-white.
Off-white colors were pervasively paired with
beige
Beige is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow. It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither bleached nor ...
s in the 1930s, and especially popular again from roughly 1955 to 1975. In terms of paint, off-white paints are now becoming more popular, with
Benjamin Moore having 152 shades of off-whites,
Behr
Behr is a given name and surname that derives from the German ''Bär'' (''bear''). Older forms of the name, ''Bela'' and ''Belo'' (related to the old High German ''Belo''), occur in the Memorbuch. The diminutive forms ''Baeril'' ''(Berel)'' and ' ...
having 167, and
PPG has 315.
Whiteness measures the degree to which a surface is white in
colorimetry
Colorimetry is "the science and technology used to quantify and describe physically the human color perception".
It is similar to spectrophotometry, but is distinguished by its interest in reducing spectra to the physical correlates of color ...
.
Web colors
Below is a chart showing the computer
web color
Web colors are colors used in displaying web pages on the World Wide Web, and the methods for describing and specifying those colors. Colors may be specified as an RGB triplet or in hexadecimal format (a ''hex triplet'') or according to their c ...
shades of white. An ''achromatic white'' is a white color in which the red, green, and blue codes are exactly equal. The web colors ''white'' and ''white smoke'' are achromatic colors. A ''chromatic shade of white'' is a white color in which the red, green, and blue codes are not exactly equal, but are close to each other, which is what makes it a shade of white.
White
''White'' is a color, the
perception
Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous system ...
of which is evoked by
light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...
that stimulates all three types of color sensitive
cone cells in the human eye in equal amounts and with high
brightness
Brightness is an attribute of visual perception in which a source appears to be radiating or reflecting light. In other words, brightness is the perception elicited by the luminance of a visual target. The perception is not linear to luminan ...
compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of
hue
In color theory, hue is one of the main properties (called color appearance parameters) of a color, defined technically in the CIECAM02 model as "the degree to which a stimulus can be described as similar to or different from stimuli that ...
and
grayness. White is the lightest possible color.
Ghost white
The
web color
Web colors are colors used in displaying web pages on the World Wide Web, and the methods for describing and specifying those colors. Colors may be specified as an RGB triplet or in hexadecimal format (a ''hex triplet'') or according to their c ...
''ghost white'' is a tint of white associated with what the 'creator' of the color imagined the hue of a
ghost could be.
There is no evidence that this color name was in use before the
X11
The X Window System (X11, or simply X) is a windowing system for bitmap displays, common on Unix-like operating systems.
X provides the basic framework for a GUI environment: drawing and moving windows on the display device and interacting wi ...
color names were formulated in 1987.
White smoke
The web color ''white smoke'' is displayed on the left.
There is no evidence that this color name was in use before the X11 color names were formulated in 1987. The color is also known as Cultured Pearl, one of
crayon
A crayon (or wax pastel) is a stick of pigmented wax used for writing or drawing. Wax crayons differ from pastels, in which the pigment is mixed with a dry binder such as gum arabic, and from oil pastels, where the binder is a mixture of wax a ...
colors issued by
Crayola
Crayola LLC, formerly the Binney & Smith Company, is an American manufacturing company specializing in art supplies. It is known for its brand ''Crayola'' and best known for its crayons. The company is headquartered in Forks Township, Pennsylva ...
in its 16-pack of Pearl Brite Crayons.
White solid
The web color ''white solid'' is displayed on the left.
There is no evidence that this color name was in use before the X11 color names were formulated in 1987. Sometimes also known as Ghost White, the color has marked blue hues, although is otherwise very close to being completely white in the RGB color system.
Baby powder
![Talcum Powder](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Talcum_Powder.JPEG)
The
Crayola
Crayola LLC, formerly the Binney & Smith Company, is an American manufacturing company specializing in art supplies. It is known for its brand ''Crayola'' and best known for its crayons. The company is headquartered in Forks Township, Pennsylva ...
crayon color ''baby powder'' was introduced in 1994 as part of its specialty Magic Scent crayon collection.
Snow
The web color ''snow'' is displayed at left.
The first recorded use of ''snow'' as a color name in English was in 1000.
![Snow Scene at Shipka Pass 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Snow_Scene_at_Shipka_Pass_1.JPG)
The color ''snow'' was included as one of the X11 colors when they were formulated in 1987.
Ivory
''Ivory'' is an off-white color that resembles
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...
, the material out of which the
teeth
A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, t ...
and
tusk
Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...
s of animals (such as the
elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
and the
walrus
The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the fami ...
) are made. It has a very slight tint of
yellow
Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the ...
.
The first recorded use of ''ivory'' as a color name in English was in 1385.
![Bimbisar welcoming Buddha Roundel 30 buddha ivory tusk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Bimbisar_welcoming_Buddha_Roundel_30_buddha_ivory_tusk.jpg)
The color ''ivory'' was included as one of the
X11 colors when they were formulated in 1987.
Floral white
The web color ''floral white'' is displayed at left.
There is no evidence that this color name was in use before the X11 color names were formulated in 1987.
Seashell
''Seashell'' is an off-white color that resembles some of the very pale pinkish tones that are common in many
seashells.
The first recorded use of ''seashell'' as a color name in English was in 1926.
![Seashell unknown 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Seashell_unknown_2.jpg)
In 1987, ''seashell'' was included as one of the X11 colors.
Bone white
''Bone white'' is a yellowish-gray shade of white which represents the color of natural, unbleached bones.
Cornsilk
''Cornsilk'' is a color that is a representation of the color of
cornsilk.
The first recorded use of ''cornsilk'' as a color name in English was in 1927.
![Cornsilk 7091](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Cornsilk_7091.jpg)
In 1987, ''cornsilk'' was included as one of the X11 colors.
Old lace
''Old lace'' is a web color that is a very pale yellowish
orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
that resembles the color of an old
lace
Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
tablecloth.
It is one of the original X11 colors.
Old lace is used as a color of a certain kind of
Caucasian
Caucasian may refer to:
Anthropology
*Anything from the Caucasus region
**
**
** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region
*
*
*
Languages
* Northwest Caucasian l ...
skin type in art.
Cream
''Cream'' is a color that is a representation of the color of the
cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
produced from the milk of cattle.
The first recorded use of ''cream'' as a color name in English was in 1590.
![Strawberry ice cream dessert](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Strawberry_ice_cream_dessert.jpg)
In 1987, ''cream'' was included as one of the X11 colors.
Beige
The color ''beige'' is displayed at left.
The first recorded use of ''beige'' as a color name in English was in 1887.
The term originates from ''beige cloth'', a cotton
fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not th ...
left undyed in its natural color.
![Beige cat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Beige_cat.jpg)
Items that are of ''beige'' color in real world applications are typically closer to brown than they are to white.
Parchment
Displayed at left is the color parchment.
![Parchment from goatskin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Parchment_from_goatskin.jpg)
In 2001, this was made into one of the colors on the Xona.com color list.
Antique white
''Antique white'' is a web color.
The color name ''antique white'' began to be used in 1987 when the X11 colors were first formulated.
Champagne
The color ''champagne'' is displayed at left.
The color's name is derived from the typical color of the beverage
champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
.
![Champagne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Champagne.jpg)
The first recorded use of ''champagne'' as a color name in English was in 1915.
Eggshell
The color ''eggshell'' is displayed at left.
The color ''eggshell'' is a representation of the average color of
chicken egg
Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especia ...
s.
Dutch white
Displayed at left is the color ''Dutch white''.
''Dutch white'' is one of the colors on the Resene Color List, a color list popular in Australia and New Zealand. The color ''Dutch white'' was formulated in 2000.
Bone
The color ''bone'' is displayed at left. This color is a representation of the color of
bone
A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, ...
s.
The first recorded use of ''bone'' as a color name in English was in the first decade of the 19th century (exact year uncertain).
Vanilla
The color ''vanilla'' is a rich
tint
In color theory, a tint is a mixture of a color with white, which increases lightness, while a shade is a mixture with black, which increases darkness. Both processes affect the resulting color mixture's relative saturation. A tone is produce ...
of off-white as well as a medium pale tint of yellow.
![Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream (6020447714)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Vegan_Vanilla_Ice_Cream_%286020447714%29.jpg)
The first recorded use of ''vanilla'' as a color name in English was in 1925.
Flax
The color ''flax'' is displayed at left.
![Flax (Linum usitassimum)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Flax_%28Linum_usitassimum%29.jpg)
The first recorded use of ''flax'' as a color name in English was in 1915.
[ Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 195; Color Sample of Flax: Page 47 Plate 12 Color Sample B2]
Navajo white
''Navajo white'' is a whitish orange color, and derives its name from its similarity to the background color of the
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...
ethnic flag.
![Navajo flag](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Navajo_flag.svg)
In 1987, ''Navajo white'' was included as one of the X11 colors.
Alabaster
Displayed at right is the color alabaster. It represents the whitish color of the mineral
alabaster
Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that include ...
.
![Alabaster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Alabaster.jpg)
Alabaster has been used as a color in English since at least 1594 (in Shakespeare's ''
The Rape of Lucrece
''The Rape of Lucrece'' (1594) is a narrative poem by William Shakespeare about the legendary Roman noblewoman Lucretia. In his previous narrative poem, '' Venus and Adonis'' (1593), Shakespeare had included a dedicatory letter to his patron, ...
''), but the origin of the RGB coordinates is not known.
See also
*
Beige
Beige is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow. It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither bleached nor ...
*
Lists of colors
These are the lists of colors;
* List of colors: A–F
* List of colors: G–M
* List of colors: N–Z
* List of colors (compact)
* List of colors by shade
* List of color palettes
* List of Crayola crayon colors
* List of RAL colors
* List of X ...
*
Shades of black
*
Shades of gray
Variations of gray or grey include achromatic grayscale shades, which lie exactly between white and black, and nearby colors with low colorfulness. A selection of a number of these various colors is shown below.
Chart of computer web color ...
References
{{Color shades