Blue
— Spectral coordinates —
Wavelength		440–490 nm
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#0000FF
sRGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 0, 255)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(240°, 100%, 100%)
Source		HTML/CSS[1]
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 [link]

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 [link]

Periwinkle
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#CCCCFF
sRGBB	(r, g, b)	(204, 204, 255)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(240°, 20%, 100%)
Source		Maerz and Paul[2]
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Shown on the right is the color periwinkle. The color is a mixture of white and blue. It is named after the Periwinkle flower.

Powder blue [link]

Powder Blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#B0E0E6
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(176, 224, 230)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(220°, 70%, 90%)
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.^[3]

Light blue [link]

Light Blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#ADD8E6
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(173, 216, 230)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(194°, 24%, 90%)
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.^[4]

Baby blue [link]

Baby blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#89CFF0
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(137, 207, 240)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(199°, 43%, 94[5]%)
Source		Maerz and Paul [6]
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 actually a tone of azure.

The first recorded use of baby blue as a color name in English was in 1892.^[7]

Computer web color blue [link]

Blue (RGB) (X11 blue) [link]

Blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#0000FF
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 0, 255)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(240°, 100%, 100%)
Source		X11 color names[8] HTML/CSS[1]
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Red, green and blue lights, representing the three basic additive primary colors of the RGB color system, red, green, and blue.

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. Its complementary color is yellow.

Additional definitions of blue [link]

Blue (CMYK) (pigment blue) [link]

Blue (CMYK) (Pigment Blue)
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#333399
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(51, 51, 153)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(240°, 67%, 60%)
Source		CMYK
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Cyan, magenta, and yellow are the three subtractive primary colors used in printing.

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.

The color indicated is only approximate as the colors of printing inks may vary.

Blue (NCS) (psychological primary blue) [link]

Blue (NCS)
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#0087BD
sRGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 135, 189)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(197°, 100%, 74[9]%)
Source		sRGB approximation to NCS 2060-B[10]
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Approximations within the sRGB gamut to the primary colors of the Natural Color System, a model based on the opponent process theory of color vision.

The color defined as blue in the NCS or Natural Color System is 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) [link]

Blue (Munsell)
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#0093AF
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 147, 175)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(190°, 100%, 68[11]%)
Source		Munsell Color Wheel
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The hues of the Munsell color system, at varying values, and maximum chroma to stay in the sRGB gamut.

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 colors displayed are only approximate as they have been adjusted to fit into the sRGB gamut.

Shades of blue [link]

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.

Medium blue [link]

Medium blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#0000CD
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 0, 205)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(240°, 100%, 40%)
Source		X11
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Displayed at right is the web color medium blue.

Egyptian blue [link]

Egyptian Blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#1034A6
sRGBB	(r, g, b)	(16, 52, 166)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(244°, 77%, 42%)
Source		Internet
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

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

Ultramarine [link]

Ultramarine
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#120A8F
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(18, 10, 143)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(244°, 93%, 56%)
Source		[1]
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Ultramarine is a blue pigment in use since medieval times.

Resolution blue [link]

Resolution Blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#002387
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 35, 185)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(224°, 100%, 53[12]%)
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.

Dark blue [link]

Dark Blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#00008B
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 0, 139)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(240°, 100%, 25%)
Source		X11
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Dark blue is a shade of 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).

Navy blue [link]

Navy Blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#000080
sRGBB	(r, g, b)	(0, 0, 128)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(240°, 100%, 50%)
Source		HTML/CSS[1]
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color 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.^[13]

Catalina blue [link]

Catalina Blue
— Color coordinates —
Hex triplet		#062A78
RGBB	(r, g, b)	(6, 42, 120)
HSV	(h, s, v)	(221°, 95%, 47[14]%)
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.

Variations of blue in culture [link]

Blueberries

Note: For blue in general in culture, please go to the main article on the color blue

Cartography

• 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.^[15]

Fashion

• 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 can be readily seen by looking at a videotape of the Watergate hearings).

German police officer

Law Enforcement

• In many parts of the world, police wear dark blue uniforms.

Sexuality

• In Russian, the word for light blue, голубой, can be used to mean 'homosexual'.^[16]

Sociology

• 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.^[17] 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.^[18]
• 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 labour 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.

See also [link]

• St. Patrick's Blue
• List of colors

References [link]

1. ^ ^{a b c d} W3C TR CSS3 Color Module, HTML4 color keywords
2. ^ The color displayed in the color box above matches the color called periwinkle in the 1930 book by Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill; the color periwinkle is displayed on page 109, Plate 43, Color Sample B8.
3. ^ 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
4. ^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 190
5. ^ web.forret.com Color Conversion Tool set to hex code of color #89CFF0 (Baby Blue):
6. ^ 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.
7. ^ 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
8. ^ "X11 rgb.txt". https://cvsweb.xfree86.org/cvsweb/*checkout*/xc/programs/rgb/rgb.txt?rev=1.1. Retrieved 2008-02-05. 
9. ^ web.forret.com Color Conversion Tool set to hex code #0087BD(Blue (NCS)):
10. ^ The sRGB values are taken by converting the NCS color 2060-B using the “NCS Navigator” tool at the NCS website.
11. ^ web.forret.com Color Conversion Tool set to hex code #0093AF (Blue (Munsell)):
12. ^ web.forret.com Color Conversion Tool set to hex code of color #002387 (Resolution Blue):
13. ^ 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
14. ^ web.forret.com Color Conversion Tool set to hex code of color #062A78 (Catalina Blue):
15. ^ See the Grosshistoricher Weltatlas, 1965 edition (Other German historical atlases use these same colors.)
16. ^ "Gay.ru". Gay.ru. https://english.gay.ru/life/history/queermoscow/. Retrieved 2009-04-14. 
17. ^ The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage, Clifford Stoll, 1989, ISBN 0-7434-1146-3
18. ^ Shatner, William (with Chris Kreski) Star Trek Memories New York:1993 HarperCollins