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Claim offerInspiration in the color blue.
Flow into inspiration with the meaning, history, and symbolism of the color blue.
Get inspired with blue design templates.
The color blue is part of us. Blue is also part of many things we believe in. Blue celebrates more meanings than many other colors.
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How to use blue color.
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Ultramarine and gemstones: the precious blue.
Blue color has a long history as a highly desired pigment. When ultramarine was the only source of blue pigment, blue garments and works of art were hallowed. Blue gemstones like sapphire and tanzanite are greatly desired, too.
Inspired by the color blue in nature.
Blue is everywhere in nature. The sky and the sea both appear blue, even though each is an optical illusion. Other true blues that pop out of nature include blueberries, blue parrots, dart frogs, and the majestic necks of peacocks.
How blue will you go?
Different shades of blue have different effects on us. Lighter shades of blue are associated with tranquility, softness, or understanding. Darker shades of blue are associated with integrity and professionalism.
Use the psychology of blue.
Psychologists have studied the effects of blue color. Blue instantly calms. Blue provides a sense of protection. Blue can be used in any projects depicting support, protection, and loyalty.
Information about blue.
The blue HEX code picker is #0000FF. This “true blue” can express almost anything you want thanks to its rich history and many meanings.
Blue can be achieved in a RGB space with 0 red, 0 green, and 255 blue. Blue can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 88% cyan, 77% magenta, 0% yellow, and 0% black.
What is the meaning of blue?
The first thing that blue color makes us think of is water. With 71% of the planet covered in it and 60% of our bodies made of water, it is our essence. Beyond that, blue morphs into multiple meanings from tranquility to trust.
Imagine a Blue Tang (the “Dory” fish) in a tank illuminated behind you. Like distant mountains resting in a blue haze, the picture is serene. Blue is peaceful. Blue is also loyal like the tide. Blue relaxes, heals, and supports.
The history of blue color.
The color blue is older than any word we have to describe it.
As language develops, speakers first make words for “light” and “dark” (or “black” and “white”). Next, language flourishes into flesh colors like red, and earthy tones like brown. Until blue pigments were invented, there were no words for blue. Blue color was first documented when a mineral called blue azurite was used in Ancient Egypt. It was used in paintings, precious jewelry, and objects left in tombs because it was thought to protect the dead.
The Renaissance and the extreme value of ultramarine.
During the Renaissance, blue paints were still made using crushed blue azurite. The rarity of the mineral made blue a color of enormous value. Blue color paints were more expensive than gold, and paintings of the wealthy featured blue to assert status. This period was when blue was most associated with affluence. A breakthrough occurred in 1709 when a German druggist named Johann Jacob Diesbach made blue pigment by heating dried blood with iron sulfides.
By the early 1800s, business went blue.
The grandfather of the modern blue business suit was first made at the turn of the 19th century. It was adopted as high fashion in the London courts. Not long after, the invention of blue jeans — originally a worker’s costume — left the mark of blue in fashion forever. Blue was used more in art after the Renaissance, too, especially by painters like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. By this time, blue was seen as an expression of human emotion, tragedy, and doom.
The color blue across cultures.
The word “blue” across languages will surprise you.
In Japanese, Vietnamese, and Lakota Sioux, the same word is used for blue and green because they’re seen as different hues of the same color. In Spanish and Russian, however, there are multiple words for light and dark blue. Spanish even has a verb “to make something blue,” azular. In English, the curious phrase “to have the blues” dates back to Chaucer’s Complaint of Mars in the late 1400s.
Blue color symbolism has changed over time.
When ultramarine blue was still a high-priced pigment, blue color became popular among noblemen. Royal blue continues to be one idea of blue today, but it’s not the only one. When blue was adopted by high fashion in London, it became a color of expert authority instead of reigning superiority. Today, blue is one of the most-used colors in American marketing because it’s considered “safe” and “loyal.”
Blue color meanings around the world.
Blue has many positive connotations around the world. In the West, blue is seen as a protective and calming hue. In the far East, many cultures tie blue to heaven and immortality. In Hinduism, blue is the color of Krishna, who represents love and divine joy.