Inspiration in the color melon.
Learn the history and meaning of the color melon, a ripe and refreshing shade of pink.
How to use the color melon.
The color melon elsewhere in nature.
The psychology of the color melon.
Combine melon with other colors.
How to use melon color in multimedia projects.
Information about melon color.
The melon HEX code picker is #FEBAAD. This is the pastel pink with a wisp of orange named after the flesh of ripe cantaloupe.
Melon color can be achieved in a RGB space with 254 red, 186 green, and 173 blue. The color melon can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 0% cyan, 27% magenta, 32% yellow, and 0% black.
What is the meaning of the color melon?
Melon color was named after the pink-yellow flesh of cantaloupe, the most popular melon consumed in the U.S. after watermelon. The color melon seems to borrow from watermelon red, too, because its hue is pinker than its namesake cantaloupe. Melon color has morphed over a roller coaster of disappearances and booms in popularity, and today, it’s on the upswing.
The color melon is a soft pink that flirts with orange. Its high brightness and medium-low saturation make it warm but refreshing.
The history of melon color.
A brief history of cultivated melon.
Melons have been cultivated by humankind since as early as 1350 B.C.E. The different varieties have come naturally and by cross-breeding species. Some of the newest varieties have even been genetically engineered. One of the oldest and most popular kinds of melon, though, is cantaloupe, whose juicy orange flesh inspired the color name “melon.”
Melon color entered English long before it was popularized.
The word “melon” entered English in the late 1300s from melopeponem in Latin (adapted from the Greek word for “apple”). The color melon was first recorded in 1892, over half a millennium later. Melon color gained greater popularity after it was introduced as a crayon color by Crayola in 1958.
Popular use of melon color today.
The Pantone Institute defined “melon color” on the orange end of the melon spectrum, reminding us even more of the color melon’s origin. The standard pink-orange color melon is found elsewhere, often as an appetizing substitute for yellow and pink. The coral quality of the color melon makes it a popular choice today in children’s party decorations, Easter events, and springtime fashion.
The color melon across different cultures.
Melon color in modern multimedia.
The color melon is bright, sweet, and refreshing. Its medium-low saturation keeps its intensity tethered, even though its primary influences are pink and orange (which stir passion and appetite). Graphics for weddings, school dances, birthday parties, and other events use the color melon because of its fun-but-understated nature. Because of its association with freshness, melon color is also a great aesthetic for wellness and health.
How 18th-century fashion used the color melon.
The color melon was one of many pinks used in 18th-century fashion, mainly in French aristocracy. From puce to salmon, shades of pink were a personal favorite of Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis IV. So many gowns were crafted for her in shades of melon and other pinks that the whole class of color became associated with lavishness and glamor.
Post-WWII shades of melon.
Soft, pastel pinks became all the rage in home interiors and women’s fashion in the post-WWII United States. From homemaker dresses to kitchen appliances, melon color sat at the bright end of pinks used in all kinds of products. Melon and other pastels fell fast out of fashion in the 1960s, but in the last 10 years they’ve rolled back into interior design in a wave of maximalist color.