Varieties of the color blue may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation, intensity, or colorfulness), or

lightness Lightness is a visual perception of the luminance (L) of an object. It is often judged relative to a similarly lit object. In colorimetry and color appearance models, lightness is a prediction of how an illuminated color will appear to a stan ...

(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 colors is shown below.

Definitions of blue

Blue (RGB) (X11 blue)

The color defined as blue in the

RGB color model The RGB color model is an additive color model in which the red, green and blue primary colors of light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three additiv ...

, 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 in 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 A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

or television set. This color is also called color wheel blue. It is at 240 degrees on the HSV color wheel, also known as the RGB color wheel. It is a

spectral color A spectral color is a color that is evoked by ''monochromatic light'', i.e. either a single wavelength of light in the visible spectrum, or by a relatively narrow band of wavelengths (e.g. lasers). Every wavelength of visible light is percei ...

which lies at, or near, the short-wave (violet) end of the traditional "blue" and possibly was classified as " indigo" by

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

. Its complementary color is yellow.

Blue (CMYK) (pigment blue)

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 Cyan () is the color between green and blue on the visible spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a predominant wavelength between 490 and 520 nm, between the wavelengths of green and blue. In the subtractive color system, or CMYK color ...

and process (printer's) magenta in equal proportions. 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 (Pantone)

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.

Blue (NCS) (psychological primary blue)

The color defined as ''blue'' in the NCS or Natural Color System is an

azure Azure may refer to: Colour * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 ...

-like color shown at right (NCS 2060-B). The Natural Color System is a color system based on the four

unique hues Unique hue is a term used in certain theories of color vision, which implies that human perception distinguishes between "unique" (psychologically primary) and composite (mixed) hues. A unique hue is defined as a color which an observer perceives ...

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. ''NCS Blue'' can only be displayed approximately on a computer screen, as these

s have been adjusted to fit into the sRGB gamut. In the 21st century, this hue is classified as an variation of azure that is on the border of

Blue (Munsell)

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 (

), and chroma (color purity), spaced uniformly (according to the

logarithmic scale A logarithmic scale (or log scale) is a way of displaying numerical data over a very wide range of values in a compact way—typically the largest numbers in the data are hundreds or even thousands of times larger than the smallest numbers. Such a ...

which governs human perception) in three dimensions in the Munsell color solid, which is shaped like an elongated oval at an angle. 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. Munsell can only be displayed approximately on a computer screen, as these

s have been adjusted to fit into the sRGB gamut. In the 21st century, this hue is classified as an intermediate between azure and

Blue (Crayola)

Blue (Crayola) is the color called ''blue'' in Crayola crayons. "Blue" was one of the original Crayola crayons formulated in 1903. Crayola can only be displayed approximately on a computer screen. In the 21st century, this hue is classified as an variation of

that is on the border of blue.

Tints, shades, and variations of blue

The term tint and shade is used in its technical sense as used in

color theory In the visual arts, color theory is the body of practical guidance for color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination. Color terminology based on the color wheel and its geometry separates colors into primary color, seconda ...

. In this section, the term 'tint' usually refers to a blueish color mixed with white or light gray. The term shade is used in its technical sense as used in

, 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.

Periwinkle

Periwinkle (also periwinkle blue or lavender blue) is a mixture of white, blue, and red. It is named after the Periwinkle flower and is also commonly referred to as a tone of light blue.

Ultramarine

Ultramarine is a blue pigment in use since medieval times. It was originally derived from

lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. As early as the 7th millennium BC, lapis lazuli was mined in the Sar-i Sang mines, ...

, a bright blue mineral.

Medium blue

The web color medium blue is a shade of the standard (h = 240°) blue.

Savoy blue

Savoy blue, or savoy azure, is a shade of saturation blue between peacock blue and periwinkle, lighter than peacock blue. It owes its name to its being the color of the

House of Savoy The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...

, a ruling dynasty in Italy from 1861 to 1946. Italia82

Having become a national color with the unification of Italy (1861), its use continued even after the birth of the Italian Republic (1946) with the name "Italian blue". An Italian-blue border was inserted on the edge of the Presidential Standard of Italy and the use of the blue scarf for the

Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces ( it, Forze armate italiane, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and ar ...

' officers, for the presidents of the

Italian provinces The provinces of Italy ( it, province d'Italia) are the second-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, on an intermediate level between a municipality () and a region (). Since 2015, provinces have been classified as "institutio ...

during the official ceremonies and of the blue jersey for Italian national sports teams it was also maintained in the Republican era.

Liberty

Liberty is a strong blue color. The first recorded use of ''liberty'' as a color name in English was in 1918.

Egyptian blue

Egyptian blue is a pigment that was used in Ancient Egypt.

Neon blue

Neon blue is a vivid purplish blue.

Dark blue

Dark blue is a shade of the standard (h = 240°) blue.

Picotee blue

Picotee blue represents the color of the picotee flower. It is a deep shade of indigo, almost resembling

St. Patrick's Blue St Patrick's blue is a name often mistakenly applied to several shades of blue associated with Ireland. The official colour of Ireland in heraldic terms is azure blue. The colour blue's association with Saint Patrick dates from the 1780s, when i ...

Bluebonnet

Bluebonnet is a bright shade of blue with a slight violet tinge. It represents the color of bluebonnet flowers, which are part of the

lupin ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...

family. The bluebonnet is the

state flower This is a list of U.S. state, federal district, and territory flowers. See also *List of U.S. state trees * Lists of U.S. state insignia References External linksList of state flowers {{USStateLists * U.S. state flowers Flowers ...

of Texas.

Navy blue

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 sailors in the Royal Navy since 1748 (originally called ''marine blue'' before 1840) and subsequently adopted by other

navies A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It include ...

around the world. The first recorded use of ''navy blue'' as a color name in English was in 1840.

Midnight blue

Midnight blue is an ''X11 web color''. This color was originally called ''midnight''. The first recorded use of ''midnight'' as a color name in English was in 1915.

Independence

Independence is a dark blue color. The first recorded use of ''independence'' as a color name in English was in 1927.

Space cadet

Space cadet is one of the colors on the

Resene Color List Resene Paints LTD is a New Zealand paint and building materials manufacturer and retailer. Divisions Resene Paints LTD & Resene Paints Australia LTD Resene produces paint for New Zealand & Australian conditions from manufacturing facilities in ...

, a color list popular in Australia and New Zealand. The color "space cadet" was formulated in 2007.

International Klein Blue

International Klein Blue (IKB) is a deep blue hue first mixed by the French

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

Yves Klein. IKB's visual impact comes from its heavy reliance on ultramarine, as well as Klein's often thick and textured application of

paint Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbags ...

. There is a legend that Klein patented the color, but in reality he simply submitted a Soleau envelope and never progressed to the patent stage.

Blurple (2015-2021)

Original Blurple is a brilliant purplish blue hue. It is the older version of Blurple, described below. It was used in the old Discord logo. Before 13 May 2021, it was simply called Blurple.

Blurple (2021-Present)

Blurple is a vivid purplish blue hue. It is used in the new Discord logo.

Cool black

''Cool black'' is a dark shade of blue. It is one of Pantone colors.

Ambiguous variations of blue

In this section, shades fall outside the tertiary color range for blue, and many can be considered variations of cyan and azure, rather than blue.

Baby blue

Baby blue is known as one of the

pastel A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are similar to those use ...

colors. The first recorded use of ''baby blue'' as a color name in English was in 1892.

Light blue

The web color light blue is part of the X11 color system, with a hue code of 194. Variations of this color are known as sky blue, baby blue, or angel blue. The first recorded use of "light blue" as a color term in English is in 1915.

Powder blue

Powder blue is a light bluish green. The first recorded use of ''powder blue'' as a color name in English was in 1774. It is a web color.

Uranian blue

Uranian blue is a light greenish blue, the color of Uranus.

Argentinian blue

The web color Argentinian blue is a light azure color seen on the national flag of Argentina.

Ruddy blue

Ruddy blue represents the coloring of the beak of the ruddy duck.

Celtic blue

Celtic blue is a shade of blue, also known as ''glas celtig'' in Welsh, or ''gorm ceilteach'' in both the

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

and in Scottish Gaelic. Julius Caesar reported (in Commentarii de Bello Gallico) that the Britanni used to colour their bodies blue with vitrum, a word that means primarily "glass", but also the domestic name for the " woad" (''Isatis tinctoria''), besides the Gaulish loanword ''glastum'' (from Proto-Celtic *glastos "green"). The connection seems to be that both glass and the woad are "water-like" (lat. vitrum is from Proto-Indo-European *wed-ro- "water-like").

Spanish blue

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 Hispanophone and Hispanic refers to anything relating to the Spanish language (the Hispanosphere). In a cultural, rather than merely linguistic sense, the notion of "Hispanophone" goes further than the above definition. The Hispanic culture is th ...

realm.

Bleu de France

''Bleu de France'' is a vivid blue color that has been associated in

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

with the

Kings of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the Kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I () as the first ...

since the 12th century.

Delft blue

Delft blue is a dark blue color. The name is derived from the Dutch pottery Delftware, also known simply as "Delft Blue".

Duck blue

Duck blue is a moderate greenish blue.

Resolution blue

Resolution blue is a vivid blue color. This color name first came into use in 2001 when it was formulated as one of the colors on th
Xona.com Color List

Polynesian blue

Polynesian blue is a dark blue color, almost navy.

Moroccan Blue

Moroccan blue (also Chefchaouen blue) is a vivid blue color.

Sapphire

Sapphire is a deep shade of navy blue, based on the color of an average sapphire gemstone. However, sapphires can also be pink, yellow, or orange.

Fluorescent blue

Fluorescent blue is a shade of blue that is radiant based on fluorescence. This is the main color on the Indian 50-rupee note.

Teal blue

Teal blue is a medium tone of teal with more blue. The first recorded use of ''teal blue'' as a color name in English was in 1927.Maerz, Aloys John and M. Rea Paul (1930) ''A Dictionary of Color'', New York, McGraw-Hill, p. 205; color sample of Teal Blue: p. 101 Plate 39 Color Sample L6

References

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