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1Etymology and definitions

2In art, history, and fashion

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2.1In prehistory and the ancient world: Tyrian purple

2.1.1China

2.2Purple in the Byzantine Empire and Carolingian Europe

2.3The Middle Ages and Renaissance

2.418th and 19th centuries

2.520th and 21st centuries

3In science and nature

Toggle In science and nature subsection

3.1Optics

3.2Relationship with violet

3.3Pigments

3.4Dyes

3.5Animals

3.6Anthocyanins

3.7Plants and flowers

3.8Microbiology

3.9Astronomy

3.10Geography

3.11Purple mountains phenomenon

4Mythology

5Associations and symbolism

Toggle Associations and symbolism subsection

5.1Royalty

5.2Piety, faith, penitence, and theology

5.3Vanity, extravagance, individualism

5.4The artificial, materialism and beauty

5.5Ambiguity and ambivalence

5.6Mourning

6In culture and society

Toggle In culture and society subsection

6.1Cultures of Asian countries

6.2Cultures of Europe

6.2.1Ancient Rome

6.2.2Medieval Europe

6.3Engineering

6.4Idioms and expressions

6.5Military

6.6Politics

6.7Rhyme

6.8Sexuality

6.9Sports and games

6.10Business

6.11In flags

7See also

8References

9Further references

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Purple

91 languages

AfrikaansአማርኛÆngliscالعربيةܐܪܡܝܐAsturianuAzərbaycancaBasa BaliবাংলাBân-lâm-gúBasa BanyumasanБеларускаяБългарскиབོད་ཡིགBosanskiBrezhonegCatalàČeštinaChamoruChiShonaDeitschDeutschΕλληνικάEspañolEsperantoEstremeñuEuskaraفارسیFrançaisFryskGalego客家語/Hak-kâ-ngî한국어हिन्दीHrvatskiIdoIgboBahasa IndonesiaÍslenskaItalianoעבריתJawaಕನ್ನಡЛаккуLatinaLatviešuLingua Franca NovaMagyarМакедонскиمصرىBahasa Melayu閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄မြန်မာဘာသာNederlandsनेपाली日本語НохчийнOccitanOromooਪੰਜਾਬੀپنجابیភាសាខ្មែរPolskiPortuguêsRomânăRuna SimiРусскийScotsSesotho sa LeboaSicilianuSimple EnglishSlovenščinaSoomaaligaکوردیСрпски / srpskiSuomiSvenskaTagalogதமிழ்ไทยTürkçeУкраїнськаاردوئۇيغۇرچە / UyghurcheVahcuenghTiếng Việt文言Winaray吴语粵語中文

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Range of colors with the hues between blue and red

This article is about the color. For other uses, see Purple (disambiguation).

Purple Clockwise, from top left: an iris; bishops; an eggplant; sunset; Messier 81 Color coordinatesHex triplet#800080sRGBB (r, g, b)(128, 0, 128)HSV (h, s, v)(300°, 100%, 50%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(30, 68, 308°)SourceHTML color namesB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)H: Normalized to [0–100] (hundred)

Purple is a color similar in appearance to violet light. In the RYB color model historically used in the arts, purple is a secondary color created by combining red and blue pigments. In the CMYK color model used in modern printing, purple is made by combining magenta pigment with either cyan pigment, black pigment, or both. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purple is created by mixing red and blue light in order to create colors that appear similar to violet light.

Purple has long been associated with royalty, originally because Tyrian purple dye—made from the secretions of sea snails—was extremely expensive in antiquity.[1] Purple was the color worn by Roman magistrates; it became the imperial color worn by the rulers of the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, and later by Roman Catholic bishops. Similarly in Japan, the color is traditionally associated with the emperor and aristocracy.[2]

According to contemporary surveys in Europe and the United States, purple is the color most often associated with rarity, royalty, luxury, ambition, magic, mystery, piety and spirituality.[3][4] When combined with pink, it is associated with eroticism, femininity, and seduction.[5]

Etymology and definitions

The modern English word purple comes from the Old English purpul, which derives from Latin purpura, which, in turn, derives from the Greek πορφύρα (porphura),[6] the name of the Tyrian purple dye manufactured in classical antiquity from a mucus secreted by the spiny dye-murex snail.[7][8] The first recorded use of the word purple dates to the late 900s AD.[7]

In art, history, and fashion

In prehistory and the ancient world: Tyrian purple

Main article: Tyrian purple

Byzantine Emperor Justinian I clad in Tyrian purple, 6th-century mosaic at Basilica of San Vitale

Purple first appeared in prehistoric art during the Neolithic era. The artists of Pech Merle cave and other Neolithic sites in France used sticks of manganese and hematite powder to draw and paint animals and the outlines of their own hands on the walls of their caves. These works have been dated to between 16,000 and 25,000 BC.[9]

Purple textiles, dating back to the early second millennium BCE, were found in Syria, making them the oldest known purple textiles in the world. These findings include textiles from a burial site in Chagar Bazar, dating back to the 18th-16th centuries BCE, as well as preserved textile samples discovered in gypsum at the Royal Palace of Qatna.[10][11][12]

As early as the 15th century BC the citizens of Sidon and Tyre, two cities on the coast of Ancient Phoenicia (present day Lebanon), were producing purple dye from a sea snail called the spiny dye-murex.[13] Clothing colored with the Tyrian dye was mentioned in both the Iliad of Homer and the Aeneid of Virgil.[13] The deep, rich purple dye made from this snail became known as Tyrian purple.[14]

The process of making the dye was long, difficult and expensive. Thousands of the tiny snails had to be found, their shells cracked, the snail removed. Mountains of empty shells have been found at the ancient sites of Sidon and Tyre. The snails were left to soak, then a tiny gland was removed and the juice extracted and put in a basin, which was placed in the sunlight. There, a remarkable transformation took place. In the sunlight the juice turned white, then yellow-green, then green, then violet, then a red which turned darker and darker. The process had to be stopped at exactly the right time to obtain the desired color, which could range from a bright crimson to a dark purple, the color of dried blood. Then either wool, linen or silk would be dyed. The exact hue varied between crimson and violet, but it was always rich, bright and lasting.[15]

Tyrian purple became the color of kings, nobles, priests and magistrates all around the Mediterranean. It was mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament); in the Book of Exodus, God instructs Moses to have the Israelites bring him an offering including cloth "of blue, and purple, and scarlet,"[16] to be used in the curtains of the Tabernacle and the garments of priests. The term used for purple in the 4th-century Latin Vulgate version of the Bible passage is purpura or Tyrian purple.[17] In the Iliad of Homer, the belt of Ajax is purple, and the tails of the horses of Trojan warriors are dipped in purple. In the Odyssey, the blankets on the wedding bed of Odysseus are purple. In the poems of Sappho (6th century BC) she celebrates the skill of the dyers of the Greek kingdom of Lydia who made purple footwear, and in the play of Aeschylus (525–456 BC), Queen Clytemnestra welcomes back her husband Agamemnon by decorating the palace with purple carpets. In 950 BC, King Solomon was reported to have brought artisans from Tyre to provide purple fabrics to decorate the Temple of Jerusalem.[18]

Alexander the Great (when giving imperial audiences as the basileus of the Macedonian Empire), the basileus of the Seleucid Empire, and the kings of Ptolemaic Egypt all wore Tyrian purple.

The Roman custom of wearing purple togas may have come from the Etruscans; an Etruscan tomb painting from the 4th century BC shows a nobleman wearing a deep purple and embroidered toga.

In Ancient Rome, the Toga praetexta was an ordinary white toga with a broad purple stripe on its border. It was worn by freeborn Roman boys who had not yet come of age,[19] curule magistrates,[20][21]

certain categories of priests,[22] and a few other categories of citizens.

The Toga picta was solid purple, embroidered with gold. During the Roman Republic, it was worn by generals in their triumphs, and by the Praetor Urbanus when he rode in the chariot of the gods into the circus at the Ludi Apollinares.[23] During the Empire, the toga picta was worn by magistrates giving public gladiatorial games, and by the consuls, as well as by the emperor on special occasions.

During the Roman Republic, when a triumph was held, the general being honored wore an entirely purple toga bordered in gold, and Roman Senators wore a toga with a purple stripe. However, during the Roman Empire, purple was more and more associated exclusively with the emperors and their officers.[24] Suetonius claims that the early emperor Caligula had the King of Mauretania murdered for the splendour of his purple cloak, and that Nero forbade the use of certain purple dyes.[25] In the late empire the sale of purple cloth became a state monopoly protected by the death penalty.[26]

According to the New Testament, Jesus Christ, in the hours leading up to his crucifixion, was dressed in purple (πορφύρα: porphura) by the Roman garrison to mock his claim to be 'King of the Jews'.[27]

The actual color of Tyrian purple seems to have varied from a reddish to a bluish purple. According to the Roman writer Vitruvius, (1st century BC), the murex shells coming from northern waters, probably Bolinus brandaris, produced a more bluish color than those of the south, probably Hexaplex trunculus. The most valued shades were said to be those closer to the color of dried blood, as seen in the mosaics of the robes of the Emperor Justinian in Ravenna. The chemical composition of the dye from the murex is close to that of the dye from indigo, and indigo was sometimes used to make a counterfeit Tyrian purple, a crime which was severely punished. What seems to have mattered about Tyrian purple was not its color, but its luster, richness, its resistance to weather and light, and its high price.[28]

In modern times, Tyrian purple has been recreated, at great expense. When the German chemist Paul Friedander tried to recreate Tyrian purple in 2008, he needed twelve thousand mollusks to create 1.4 ounces of dye, enough to color a handkerchief. In the year 2000, a gram of Tyrian purple made from ten thousand mollusks according to the original formula cost two thousand euros.[29][30]

China

Main article: Han purple and Han blue

In ancient China, purple was obtained not through the Mediterranean mollusc, but purple gromwell. The dye obtained did not easily adhere to fabrics, making purple fabrics expensive. Purple became a fashionable color in the state of Qi (齊, 1046 BC–221 BC) because its ruler, Qin Shi Huang, developed a preference for it. As a result, the price of purple fabric was over five times that of plain fabric. His minister, Guan Zhong (管仲), eventually convinced him to relinquish this preference.

China was the first culture to develop a synthetic purple color.[31]

An old hypothesis suggested links between the Chinese purple and blue and Egyptian blue, however, molecular structure analysis and evidence such as the absence of lead in Egyptian blue and the lack of examples of Egyptian blue in China, argued against the hypothesis.[32][33] The use of quartz, barium, and lead components in ancient Chinese glass and Han purple and Han blue has been used to suggest a connection between glassmaking and the manufacture of pigments,[34] and to prove the independence of the Chinese invention.[32] Taoist alchemists may have developed Han purple from their knowledge of glassmaking.[32]

Lead is used by the pigment maker to lower the melting point of the barium in Han Purple.[35]

Purple was regarded as a secondary color in ancient China. In classical times, secondary colors were not as highly prized as the five primary colors of the Chinese spectrum, and purple was used to allude to impropriety, in contrast to crimson, which was deemed a primary color and symbolized legitimacy. Nevertheless, by the 6th century AD, purple was ranked above crimson. Several changes to the ranks of colors occurred after that time.

An Egyptian bowl colored with Egyptian blue, with motifs painted in dark manganese purple. (between 1550 and 1450 BC)

Painting of a man wearing an all-purple toga picta, from an Etruscan tomb (about 350 BC).

Roman men wearing togae praetextae with reddish-purple stripes during a religious procession (1st century BC).

Different purple hues obtained from three types of sea snails

Dye bath of Tyrian purple

Cloth dyed with Tyrian purple. The color could vary from crimson to deep purple, depending upon the type of murex sea-snail and how it was made.

Purple in the Byzantine Empire and Carolingian Europe

Through the early Christian era, the rulers of the Byzantine Empire continued the use of purple as the imperial color, for diplomatic gifts, and even for imperial documents and the pages of the Bible. Gospel manuscripts were written in gold lettering on parchment that was colored Tyrian purple.[36]

Empresses gave birth in the Purple Chamber, and the emperors born there were known as "born to the purple," to separate them from emperors who won or seized the title through political intrigue or military force. Bishops of the Byzantine church wore white robes with stripes of purple, while government officials wore squares of purple fabric to show their rank.

In western Europe, the Emperor Charlemagne was crowned in 800 wearing a mantle of Tyrian purple, and was buried in 814 in a shroud of the same color, which still exists (see below). However, after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453, the color lost its imperial status. The great dye works of Constantinople were destroyed, and gradually scarlet, made with dye from the cochineal insect, became the royal color in Europe.[37]

The Empress Theodora, the wife of the Emperor Justinian I, dressed in Tyrian purple. (6th century).

11th-century Byzantine robe, dyed Tyrian purple with murex dye. Creatures are griffins

A medieval depiction of the coronation of the Emperor Charlemagne in 800. The bishops and cardinals wear purple, and the Pope wears white.

A fragment of the shroud in which the Emperor Charlemagne was buried in 814. It was made of gold and Tyrian purple from Constantinople.

The Middle Ages and Renaissance

In 1464, Pope Paul II decreed that cardinals should no longer wear Tyrian purple, and instead wear scarlet, from kermes and alum,[38] since the dye from Byzantium was no longer available. Bishops and archbishops, of a lower status than cardinals, were assigned the color purple, but not the rich Tyrian purple. They wore cloth dyed first with the less expensive indigo blue, then overlaid with red made from kermes dye.[39][40]

While purple was worn less frequently by Medieval and Renaissance kings and princes, it was worn by the professors of many of Europe's new universities. Their robes were modeled after those of the clergy, and they often wore square/violet or purple/violet caps and robes, or black robes with purple/violet trim. Purple/violet robes were particularly worn by students of divinity.

Purple and violet also played an important part in the religious paintings of the Renaissance. Angels and the Virgin Mary were often portrayed wearing purple or violet robes.

A 12th-century painting of Saint Peter consecrating Hermagoras, wearing purple, as a bishop.

In the Ghent Altarpiece (1422) by Jan van Eyck, the popes and bishops are wearing purple robes.

A purple-clad angel from the Resurrection of Christ by Raphael (1483–1520)

18th and 19th centuries

In the 18th century, purple was still worn on occasion by Catherine the Great and other rulers, by bishops and, in lighter shades, by members of the aristocracy, but rarely by ordinary people, because of its high cost. But in the 19th century, that changed.

In 1856, an eighteen-year-old British chemistry student named William Henry Perkin was trying to make a synthetic quinine. His experiments produced instead the first synthetic aniline dye, a purple shade called mauveine, shortened simply to mauve. It took its name from the mallow flower, which is the same color.[41] The new color quickly became fashionable, particularly after Queen Victoria wore a silk gown dyed with mauveine to the Royal Exhibition of 1862. Prior to Perkin's discovery, mauve was a color which only the aristocracy and rich could afford to wear. Perkin developed an industrial process, built a factory, and produced the dye by the ton, so almost anyone could wear mauve. It was the first of a series of modern industrial dyes which completely transformed both the chemical industry and fashion.[42]

Purple was popular with the pre-Raphaelite painters in Britain, including Arthur Hughes, who loved bright colors and romantic scenes.

Queen Anne of Great Britain in golden dress and a purple velvet and ermine mantle (1705)

King Gustav III of Sweden (1779)

Portrait of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, by Fyodor Rokotov. (State Hermitage Museum).

Empress Teresa Cristina of Brazil with her children (1849)

In England, pre-Raphaelite painters like Arthur Hughes were particularly enchanted by purple and violet. This is April Love (1856).

Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (in dark purple dress) with her husband Prince Gaston and their son, the Prince of Grão-Pará at purple dusk (1877)

Order of Leopold founded in 1830.

20th and 21st centuries

At the turn of the century, purple was a favorite color of the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, who flooded his pictures with sensual purples and violets.

In the 20th century, purple retained its historic connection with royalty; George VI (1896–1952), wore purple in his official portrait, and it was prominent in every feature of the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, from the invitations to the stage design inside Westminster Abbey. But at the same time, it was becoming associated with social change; with the Women's Suffrage movement for the right to vote for women in the early decades of the century, with Feminism in the 1970s, and with the psychedelic drug culture of the 1960s.

In the early 20th century, purple, green, and white were the colors of the Women's Suffrage movement, which fought to win the right to vote for women, finally succeeding with the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920. Later, in the 1970s, in a tribute to the Suffragettes, it became the color of the women's liberation movement.[43]

In the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, prisoners who were members of non-conformist religious groups, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, were required to wear a purple triangle.[44]

During the 1960s and early 1970s, it was also associated with counterculture, psychedelics, and musicians like Jimi Hendrix with his 1967 song "Purple Haze", or the English rock band of Deep Purple which formed in 1968. Later, in the 1980s, it was featured in the song and album Purple Rain (1984) by the American musician Prince.

The Purple Rain Protest was a protest against apartheid that took place in Cape Town, South Africa on 2 September 1989, in which a police water cannon with purple dye sprayed thousands of demonstrators. This led to the slogan The Purple Shall Govern.

The violet or purple necktie became very popular at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, particularly among political and business leaders. It combined the assertiveness and confidence of a red necktie with the sense of peace and cooperation of a blue necktie, and it went well with the blue business suit worn by most national and corporate leaders.[45]

Gustav Klimt portrait of woman with a purple hat (1912).

Serbian Orthodox bishop in mandyas (1923).

George VI (1895–1952) wore purple in his official portrait.

The coronation portrait of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1953) has three different shades of purple in the train, curtains and crown.

Program from the Woman Suffrage Procession, a 1913 Women's Suffrage march.

A pennant from the Women's Suffrage movement in the state of Indiana.

Symbol of the Feminist movement in the United States (1970s). The purple color was chosen as a tribute to the Suffragette movement a half-century earlier.

In science and nature

Optics

The meanings of the color terms violet and purple varies even among native speakers of English, for example between United Kingdom and United States.[46] Optics research on purple and violet contains contributions of authors from different countries and different native languages, it is likely to be inconsistent in the use and meaning of the two colors.

According to some speakers/authors of English, purple, unlike violet, is not one of the colors of the visible spectrum.[47] It was not one of the colors of the rainbow identified by Isaac Newton. According to some authors, purple does not have its own wavelength of light. For this reason, it is sometimes called a non-spectral color. It exists in culture and art, but not, in the same way that violet does, in optics. According to some speakers of English, purple is simply a combination, in various proportions, of two primary colors, red and blue.[48] According to other speakers of English, the same range of colors is called violet.[49]

In some textbooks of color theory, and depending on the geographical-cultural origin of the author, a "purple" is defined as any non-spectral color between violet and red (excluding violet and red themselves).[50] In that case, the spectral colors violet and indigo would not be shades of purple. For other speakers of English, these colors are shades of purple.

In the traditional color wheel long used by painters, purple is placed between crimson and violet.[51] However, also here there is much variation in color terminology depending on cultural background of the painters and authors, and sometimes the term violet is used and placed in between red and blue on the traditional color wheel. In a slightly different variation, on the color wheel, purple is placed between magenta and violet. This shade is sometimes called electric purple (See shades of purple).[52]

In the RGB color model, named for the colors red, green, and blue, used to create all the colors on a computer screen or television, the range of purples is created by mixing red and blue light of different intensities on a black screen. The standard HTML color purple is created by red and blue light of equal intensity, at a brightness that is halfway between full power and darkness.

In color printing, purple is sometimes represented by the color magenta, or sometimes by mixing magenta with red or blue. It can also be created by mixing just red and blue alone, but in that case the purple is less bright, with lower

saturation or intensity. A less bright purple can also be created with light or paint by adding a certain quantity of the third primary color (green for light or yellow for pigment).

Relationship with violet

This CIE chromaticity diagram highlights the line of purples at its base, running from the violet corner near the left to the red corner at the right.

Purple is closely associated with violet. In common usage, both refer to a variety of colors between blue and red in hue.[53][54][55] Historically, purple has tended to be used for redder hues and violet for bluer hues.[53][56][57] In optics, violet is a spectral color; it refers to the color of any different single wavelength of light on the short wavelength end of the visible spectrum, between approximately 380 and 450 nanometers,[58] whereas purple is the color of various combinations of red, blue, and violet light,[50][55] some of which humans perceive as similar to violet.

On a chromaticity diagram, the straight line connecting the extreme spectral colors (red and violet) is known as the line of purples (or 'purple boundary'); it represents one limit of human color perception. The color magenta used in the CMYK printing process is near the center of the line of purples, but most people associate the term "purple" with a somewhat bluer tone, such as is displayed by the color "electric purple" (a color also directly on the line of purples), shown below.

On the CIE xy chromaticity diagram, violet is on the curved edge in the lower left, while purples are on the straight line connecting the extreme colors red and violet; this line is known as the line of purples, or the purple line.[59][60]

On a computer or television screen, purple colors are created by mixing red and blue light. This is called the RGB color model.

The CIE xy chromaticity diagram

Pigments

Hematite and manganese are the oldest pigments used for the color purple. They were used by Neolithic artists in the form of sticks, like charcoal, or ground and powdered and mixed with fat, and used as a paint. Hematite is a reddish iron oxide which, when ground coarsely, makes a purple pigment. One such pigment is caput mortuum, whose name is also used in reference to mummy brown. The latter is another pigment containing hematite and historically produced with the use of mummified corpses.[61] Some of its compositions produce a purple color and may be called "mummy violet".[62] Manganese was also used in Roman times to color glass purple.[63]

Han purple was the first synthetic purple pigment, invented in China in about 700 BC. It was used in wall paintings and pottery and other applications. In color, it was very close to indigo, which had a similar chemical structure. Han purple was very unstable, and sometimes was the result of the chemical breakdown of Han blue.

During the Middle Ages, artists usually made purple by combining red and blue pigments; most often blue azurite or lapis-lazuli with red ochre, cinnabar, or minium. They also combined lake colors made by mixing dye with powder; using woad or indigo dye for the blue, and dye made from cochineal for the red.[64]

Cobalt violet was the first modern synthetic color in the purple family, manufactured in 1859. It was found, along with cobalt blue, in the palette of Claude Monet, Paul Signac, and Georges Seurat. It was stable, but had low tinting power and was expensive, so quickly went out of use.[65]

Manganese violet was a stronger color than cobalt violet, and replaced it on the market.

Quinacridone violet, one of a modern synthetic organic family of colors, was discovered in 1896 but not marketed until 1955. It is sold today under a number of brand names.

Manganese pigments were used in the neolithic paintings in the Lascaux cave, France.

Hematite was often used as the red-purple color in the cave paintings of Neolithic artists.

A sample of purpurite, or manganese phosphate, from the Packrat Mine in Southern California.

A swatch of cobalt violet, popular among the French impressionists.

Manganese violet is a synthetic pigment invented in the mid-19th century.

Quinacridone violet, a synthetic organic pigment sold under many different names.

Dyes

The most famous purple dye in the ancient world was Tyrian purple, made from a type of sea snail called the murex, found around the Mediterranean. (See history section above).[47]

In western Polynesia, residents of the islands made a purple dye similar to Tyrian purple from the sea urchin. In Central America, the inhabitants made a dye from a different sea snail, the purpura, found on the coasts of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The Mayans used this color to dye fabric for religious ceremonies, while the Aztecs used it for paintings of ideograms, where it symbolized royalty.[64]

In the Middle Ages, those who worked with blue and black dyes belonged to separate guilds from those who worked with red and yellow dyes, and were often forbidden to dye any other colors than those of their own guild.[66] Most purple fabric was made by the dyers who worked with red, and who used dye from madder or cochineal, so Medieval violet colors were inclined toward red.[citation needed]

Orcein, or purple moss, was another common purple dye. It was known to the ancient Greeks and Hebrews, and was made from a Mediterranean lichen called archil or dyer's moss (Roccella tinctoria), combined with an ammoniac, usually urine. Orcein began to achieve popularity again in the 19th century, when violet and purple became the color of demi-mourning, worn after a widow or widower had worn black for a certain time, before he or she returned to wearing ordinary colors.[67]

From the Middle Ages onward, purple dyes for the clothing of common people were often made from the blackberry or other red fruit of the genus rubus, or from the mulberry. All of these dyes were more reddish than bluish, and faded easily with washing and exposure to sunlight.

A popular new dye which arrived in Europe from the New World during the Renaissance was made from the wood of the logwood tree (Haematoxylum campechianum), which grew in Spanish Mexico. Depending on the different minerals added to the dye, it produced a blue, red, black or, with the addition of alum, a purple color, It made a good color, but, like earlier dyes, it did not resist sunlight or washing.

In the 18th century, chemists in England, France and Germany began to create the first synthetic dyes. Two synthetic purple dyes were invented at about the same time. Cudbear is a dye extracted from orchil lichens that can be used to dye wool and silk, without the use of mordant. Cudbear was developed by Dr Cuthbert Gordon of Scotland: production began in 1758, The lichen is first boiled in a solution of ammonium carbonate. The mixture is then cooled and ammonia is added and the mixture is kept damp for 3–4 weeks. Then the lichen is dried and ground to powder. The manufacture details were carefully protected, with a ten-feet high wall being built around the manufacturing facility, and staff consisting of Highlanders sworn to secrecy.

French purple was developed in France at about the same time. The lichen is extracted by urine or ammonia. Then the extract is acidified, the dissolved dye precipitates and is washed. Then it is dissolved in ammonia again, the solution is heated in air until it becomes purple, then it is precipitated with calcium chloride; the resulting dye was more solid and stable than other purples.

Cobalt violet is a synthetic pigment that was invented in the second half of the 19th century, and is made by a similar process as cobalt blue, cerulean blue and cobalt green. It is the violet pigment most commonly used today by artists. In spite of its name, this pigment produces a purple rather than violet color [46]

Mauveine, also known as aniline purple and Perkin's mauve, was the first synthetic organic chemical dye,[68][69] discovered serendipitously in 1856.

Its chemical name is

3-amino-2,±9-dimethyl-5-phenyl-7-(p-tolylamino)phenazinium acetate.

Fuchsine was another synthetic dye made shortly after mauveine. It produced a brilliant fuchsia color.

In the 1950s, a new family of purple and violet synthetic organic pigments called quinacridone came onto the market. It had originally been discovered in 1896, but were not synthesized until 1936, and not manufactured until the 1950s. The colors in the group range from deep red to bluish purple in color, and have the molecular formula C20H12N2O2. They have strong resistance to sunlight and washing, and are widely used today in oil paints, water colors, and acrylics, as well as in automobile coatings and other industrial coatings.

Blackberries were sometimes used to make purple dye in the Middle Ages.

This lichen, growing on a tree in Scotland, was used in the 18th century to make a common purple dye called Cudbear.

A sample of silk dyed with the original mauveine dye.

A sample of fuchsine dye

Animals

The male violet-backed starling sports a very bright, iridescent purple plumage.

The purple frog is a species of amphibian found in India.

Pseudanthias pascalus or purple queenfish.

The purple sea urchin from Mexico.

A purple heron in flight (South Africa).

A purple finch (North America).

The Lorius domicella, or purple-naped lory, from Indonesia.

Anthocyanins

Certain grapes, eggplants, pansies and other fruits, vegetables and flowers may appear purple due to the presence of natural pigments called anthocyanins. These pigments are found in the leaves, roots, stems, vegetables, fruits and flowers of all plants. They aid photosynthesis by blocking harmful wavelengths of light that would damage the leaves. In flowers, the purple anthocyanins help attract insects who pollinate the flowers. Not all anthocyanins are purple; they vary in color from red to purple to blue, green, or yellow, depending upon the level of their pH.

The purple colors of this cauliflower, grapes, fruits, vegetables and flowers comes from natural pigments called anthocyanins.

Anthocyanins range in color from red to purple to green, blue and yellow, depending upon the level of their pH.

Anthocyanins also account for the purple color in these copper beech trees, and in purple autumn leaves.

Anthocyanins produce the purple color in blood oranges.

A purple pansy.

"Blue" hydrangea is often actually purple.

Plants and flowers

Purple needlegrass is the state grass of California.

An artichoke flower in blossom in Dalat, Vietnam

Iris germanica flowers

Syringa vulgaris, or lilac blossoms

Medicago sativa, known as alfalfa in the U.S. and lucerne in the U.K.

The Aster alpinus, or alpine aster, is native to the European mountains, including the Alps, while a subspecies is found in Canada and the United States.

Lavender flowers.

A purple rose.

Wisteria is a pale purple color.

salsify

Microbiology

Purple bacteria are bacteria that are phototrophic, that is, capable of producing energy through photosynthesis.[70]

In April 2007 it was suggested that early archaea may have used retinal, a purple pigment, instead of chlorophyll, to extract energy from the sun. If so, large areas of the ocean and shoreline would have been colored purple; this is called the Purple Earth hypothesis.[71]

Astronomy

One of the stars in the Pleiades, called Pleione, is sometimes called Purple Pleione because, being a fast spinning star, it has a purple hue caused by its blue-white color being obscured by a spinning ring of electrically excited red hydrogen gas.[72]

The Purple Forbidden enclosure is a name used in traditional Chinese astronomy for those Chinese constellations that surround the north celestial pole.

Geography

Purple Mountain is located on the eastern side of Nanjing. Its peaks are often found enveloped in purple clouds at dawn and dusk, hence comes its name "Purple Mountain". The Purple Mountain Observatory is located there.

Purple Mountain in County Kerry, Ireland, takes its name from the color of the shivered slate on its summit.

Purple Mountain in Wyoming (el. 8,392 feet (2,558 m)) is a mountain peak in the southern section of the Gallatin Range in Yellowstone National Park.

Purple Mountain, Alaska

Purple Mountain, Oregon

Purple Mountain, Washington

Purple Peak, Colorado

Purple Mountain near Killarney, Ireland.

Purple Mountain in Yellowstone National Park.

Purple Mountain, Nanjing.

Purple mountains phenomenon

It has been observed that the greater the distance between a viewers eyes and mountains, the lighter and more blue or purple they will appear. This phenomenon, long recognized by Leonardo da Vinci and other painters, is called aerial perspective or atmospheric perspective. The more distant the mountains are, the less contrast the eye sees between the mountains and the sky.

The bluish color is caused by an optical effect called Rayleigh scattering. The sunlit sky is blue because air scatters short-wavelength light more than longer wavelengths. Since blue light is at the short wavelength end of the visible spectrum, it is more strongly scattered in the atmosphere than long wavelength red light. The result is that the human eye perceives blue when looking toward parts of the sky other than the sun.[73]

At sunrise and sunset, the light is passing through the atmosphere at a lower angle, and traveling a greater distance through a larger volume of air. Much of the green and blue is scattered away, and more red light comes to the eye, creating the colors of the sunrise and sunset and making the mountains look purple.

The phenomenon is referenced in the song "America the Beautiful", where the lyrics refer to "purple mountains' majesty" among other features of the United States landscape. A Crayola crayon called Purple Mountain Majesty in reference to the lyric was first formulated in 1993.

The more distant mountains are, the lighter and more blue they are. This is called atmospheric perspective or aerial perspective.

Sunset at Auke Bay, Alaska. Thanks to Rayleigh scattering, the mountains appear purple.

Mythology

Julius Pollux, a Greek grammarian who lived in the second century AD, attributed the discovery of purple to the Phoenician god and guardian of the city of Tyre, Heracles.[74] According to his account, while walking along the shore with the nymph Tyrus, the god's dog bit into a murex shell, causing his mouth to turn purple. The nymph subsequently requested that Heracles create a garment for her of that same color, with Heracles obliging her demands giving birth to Tyrian purple.[74][41]

Associations and symbolism

Royalty

In Europe, since some Roman emperors wore a Tyrian purple (purpura) toga praetexta, purple has been the color most associated with power and royalty.[47] The British Royal Family and other European royalty still use it as a ceremonial color on special occasions.[75] In Japan, purple is associated with the emperor and Japanese aristocracy.[2]

A purple postage stamp honored Queen Elizabeth II in 1958

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 2010.

Piety, faith, penitence, and theology

In the West, purple or violet is a color often associated with piety and religious faith.[75][76] In AD 1464, shortly after the Muslim conquest of Constantinople, which terminated the supply of Tyrian purple to Roman Catholic Europe, Pope Paul II decreed that cardinals should henceforth wear scarlet instead of purple, the scarlet being dyed with expensive cochineal. Bishops were assigned the color amaranth, being a pale and pinkish purple made then from a less-expensive mixture of indigo and cochineal.

In the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic liturgy, purple represents penitence; Anglican and Catholic priests wear a purple stole when they hear confession and a purple stole and chasuble during Advent and Lent. Since the Second Vatican Council of 1962–5, priests may wear purple vestments, but may still wear black ones, when officiating at funerals. The Roman Missal permits black, purple (violet), or white vestments for the funeral Mass. White is worn when a child dies before the age of reason. Students and faculty of theology also wear purple academic dress for graduations and other university ceremonies.[citation needed]

Purple is also often worn by senior pastors of Protestant churches and bishops of the Anglican Communion.

In the Catholic Church, cardinals now wear scarlet and bishops wear amaranth.

Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States

Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk wearing an episcopal mantle (Saint Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, New York).

The color purple is also associated with royalty in Christianity, being one of the three traditional offices of Jesus Christ, i. e. king, although such a symbolism was assumed from the earlier Roman association or at least also employed by the ancient Romans.

Vanity, extravagance, individualism

In Europe and America, purple is the color most associated with vanity, extravagance, and individualism. Among the seven deadly sins, it represents pride. It is a color which is used to attract attention.[77]

The artificial, materialism and beauty

Purple is the color most often associated with the artificial and the unconventional. It is the major color that occurs the least frequently in nature, and was the first color to be synthesized.[78]

Ambiguity and ambivalence

Purple is the color most associated with ambiguity. Like other colors made by combining two primary colors, it is seen as uncertain and equivocal.[79]

Mourning

In Britain, purple is sometimes associated with mourning. In Victorian times, close relatives wore black for the first year following a death ("deep mourning"), and then replaced it with purple or dark green trimmed with black. This is rarely practised today.[80]

In culture and society

Cultures of Asian countries

The Chinese word for purple, zi, is connected with the North Star, Polaris, or zi Wei in Chinese. In Chinese astrology, the North Star was the home of the Celestial Emperor, the ruler of the heavens. The area around the North Star is called the Purple Forbidden Enclosure in Chinese astronomy. For that reason the Forbidden City in Beijing was also known as the Purple Forbidden City (zi Jin cheng). Purple often represents "the highest," holiest, and "most sacred values" in China.[76]

In Taoism, purple is a transitional color and metaphysically between yin and yang.[76]

Purple was a popular color introduced into Japanese dress during the Heian period (794–1185). The dye was made from the root of the alkanet plant (Anchusa officinalis), also known as murasaki in Japanese. At about the same time, Japanese painters began to use a pigment made from the same plant.[81]

See also: Traditional colors of Japan § Violet series

In Thailand, widows in mourning wear the color purple. Purple is also associated with Saturday on the Thai solar calendar.

Han purple and Han blue were synthetic colors made by artisans in China during the Han dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) or even earlier.

A Japanese woman in a kimono.

Emperor Komyo of Japan. (1322–1380). Purple was the color of the aristocracy in Japan and China.

Cultures of Europe

Ancient Rome

Purple represented the height of Roman virtue and cultural values.[76]

Medieval Europe

In medieval Europe, purple represented leadership and the king.[76]

In European alchemy during this time, "the 'precious purple tincture'" was a term for various substances alchemists hoped to create.[76] The term and goal of the alchemists evoked kingliness,[76] since the divine right of kings was also thought to aid the alchemists' future.

Engineering

The color purple plays a significant role in the traditions of engineering schools across Canada.[citation needed] Purple is also the color of the Engineering Corp in the British Military.[citation needed]

Idioms and expressions

Purple prose refers to pretentious or overly embellished writing. For example, a paragraph containing an excessive number of long and unusual words is called a purple passage.

Born to the purple means someone who is born into a life of wealth and privilege. It originally was used to describe the rulers of the Byzantine Empire.

A purple patch is a period of exceptional success or good luck.[82] The origins are obscure, but it may refer to the symbol of success of the Byzantine Court. Bishops in Byzantium wore a purple patch on their costume as a symbol of rank.

Purple haze refers to a state of mind induced by psychedelic drugs, particularly LSD.[83]

Wearing purple is a military slang expression in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. for an officer who is serving in a joint assignment with another service, such as an Army officer on assignment to the Navy. The officer is symbolically putting aside his or her traditional uniform color and exclusive loyalty to their service during the joint assignment, though in fact they continue to wear their own service's uniform.[84]

Purple squirrel is a term used by employment recruiters to describe a job candidate with precisely the right education, experience, and qualifications that perfectly fits a job's multifaceted requirements. The assumption is that the perfect candidate is as rare as a real-life purple squirrel.

Military

The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed during their service.

Politics

In United States politics, a purple state (typically a swing state) is a state roughly balanced between Republicans (generally symbolized by red in the 21st century) and Democrats (symbolized by blue).

In the politics of the Netherlands, Purple (Dutch: paars) means a coalition government consisting of liberals and social democrats (symbolized by the colors blue and red, respectively), as opposed to the more common coalitions of the Christian Democrats with one of the other two. Between 1994 and 2002 there were two Purple cabinets, both led by Prime Minister Wim Kok.

In the politics of Belgium, as with the Netherlands, a purple government includes liberal and social-democratic parties in coalition. Belgium was governed by Purple governments from 1999 to 2007 under the leadership of Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.

Purple is the primary color used by many European and American political parties, including Volt Europa, the UK Independence Party, the Social Democrats in the Republic of Ireland, the Liberal People's Party in Norway, and the United States Pirate Party. The Left party in Germany, whose primary color is red, is traditionally portrayed in purple on election maps to distinguish it from the Social Democratic Party of Germany.[citation needed]

In the United Kingdom, the color scheme for the suffragette movement in Britain and Ireland was designed with purple for loyalty and dignity, white for purity, and green for hope.[85][86][87]

Rhyme

Purple was a central motif in the career of the musician Prince. His 1984 film and album Purple Rain is one of his best-known works. The title track is Prince's signature song and was nearly always played in concert. Prince encouraged his fans to wear purple to his concerts.[88][89]

In the English language, the word "purple" has only one perfect rhyme, curple. Others are obscure perfect rhymes, such as hirple.

Robert Burns rhymes purple with curple in his Epistle to Mrs. Scott.

Examples of imperfect rhymes or non-word rhymes with purple:

In the song Grace Kelly by Mika the word purple is rhymed with "hurtful".

In his hit song "Dang Me", Roger Miller sings these lines:

"Roses are red, violets are purple

Sugar is sweet and so is maple surple"

Sexuality

Purple is sometimes associated with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.[90] It is the symbolic color worn on Spirit Day, a commemoration that began in 2010 to show support for young people who are bullied because of their sexual orientation.[91][92] Purple is closely associated with bisexuality, largely in part to the bisexual pride flag which combines pink – representing homosexuality – and blue – representing heterosexuality – to create the bisexual purple.[citation needed][93] The purple hand is another symbol sometimes used by the LGBT community during parades and demonstrations.

Sports and games

In Motorsport, purple is used to indicate the fastest times of the race.[94]

The National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings use purple as their primary color.

In the Indian Premier League, purple is the primary color of the Kolkata Knight Riders.

In Major League Baseball, purple is one of the primary colors for the Colorado Rockies.

In the National Football League, the Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens use purple as main colors.

The Australian Football League's Fremantle Football Club use purple as one of their primary colors.

In association football (soccer), Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina, Belgian Pro League club and former Europa League winner R.S.C. Anderlecht, French Ligue 1 club Toulouse FC and Ligue 2 club FC Istres, Spanish La Liga club Real Valladolid, Austrian Football Bundesliga club FK Austria Wien, Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Újpest FC, Slovenian PrvaLiga club NK Maribor, former Romanian Liga I clubs FC Politehnica Timișoara and FC Argeș Pitești, Andorran Primera Divisió club CE Principat, German club Tennis Borussia Berlin, Italian club A.S.D. Legnano Calcio 1913, Swedish club Fässbergs IF, Japanese club Kyoto Sanga, Australian A-League Club Perth Glory and American Major League Soccer club Orlando City use purple as one of their primary colors.

The Melbourne Storm from Australia's National Rugby League use purple as one of their primary colors.

Costa Rica's Primera División soccer team Deportivo Saprissa's main color is purple (actually a burgundy like shade), and their nickname is the "Monstruo Morado", or "Purple Monster".

In tennis, the official colors of the Wimbledon championships are deep green and purple (traditionally called mauve).

In American college athletics, Louisiana State University, Kansas State University, Texas Christian University, the University of Central Arkansas, Northwestern University, the University of Washington, and East Carolina University all have purple as one of their main team colors.

The University of Western Ontario in London, Canada, and Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Canada, have purple as one of its main team colors.

Purple is the color of the ball in Snooker Plus with a 10-point value.

In the game of pool, purple is the color of the 4-solid and the 12-striped balls.

Cadbury logo as displayed at Cadbury World in Bournville, England

Business

The British chocolate company Cadbury chose purple as it was Queen Victoria's favourite color.[95] The company trademarked the color purple for chocolates with registrations in 1995[96] and 2004.[97] However, the validity of these trademarks is the matter of an ongoing legal dispute following objections by Nestlé.[98]

Emblem of King Alfonso IX of León (1180-1230) displayed in the 12th century Tumbo A manuscript in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, Galicia.

In flags

Purple or violet appear in the flags of only two modern sovereign nations, and are merely ancillary colors in both cases. The Flag of Dominica features a sisserou parrot, a national symbol, while the Flag of Nicaragua displays a rainbow in the center, as part of the coat of arms of Nicaragua.

The lower band of the flag of the second Spanish republic (1931–39) was colored a tone of purple, to represent the common people as opposed to the red of the Spanish monarchy, unlike other nations of Europe where purple represented royalty and red represented the common people.[99]

In Japan, the prefecture of Tokyo's flag is purple, as is the flag of Ichikawa and other Japanese municipalities.

Porpora, or purpure, a shade of purple, was added late to the list of colors of European heraldry. A purple lion was the symbol of the old Spanish Kingdom of León (910–1230), and it later appeared on the flag of Spain, when the Kingdom of Castile and Kingdom of León merged.

Flag of Dominica, features a purple sisserou parrot.

Flag of Nicaragua, although at this size the purple band of the rainbow is nearly indistinguishable.

Flag of the second Spanish republic (1931–39), known in Spanish as la tricolor, still widely used by left-wing political organizations.

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Graphic Design140 Shades of Purple Color With Names, Hex, RGB, CMYK Codes

Purple Shades

The intermediate color between blue and red, purple, has a wide variety of shades. Often associated with majesty and mystery, purple is naturally found in a wide variety of flowers and has become nearly synonymous with various royal families. Ranging from light, lilac hues to the deep shades of purple associated with aristocracy, purple colors are as varying as they are fascinating.

The following list of purple shades will help you find the perfect color for your website or graphic design. It includes color names, Hex, RGB, and CMYK codes for easy reference.

True Purple

True purple is a shade similar to violet. However, unlike violet, as it is composed of mixing red and blue, true purple is a secondary color.

True PurpleHex #6A0DADRGB 106, 13, 173CMYK 39, 92, 0, 32

Thistle

This light purple color is meant to reflect the natural coloring of the thistle plant often associated with Scotland.

ThistleHex #D8BFD8RGB 216, 191, 216CMYK 0, 12, 0, 15

Plum

A pale, purple color made using light reddish-purple. Much paler than the color of the plum fruit, the color officially recognized as plum is also brightly vivid.

PlumHex #DDA0DDRGB 221, 160, 221CMYK 0, 28, 0, 13

Violet

So purple as to appear almost blue, this shade is a tertiary color to purple and close in appearance to the natural color of Amethyst.

VioletHex #8F00FFRGB 143, 0, 255CMYK 44, 100, 0, 0

Orchid

This rich, bright purple is meant to reflect the naturally vivid color of the orchid flower.

OrchidHex #DA70D6RGB 218, 112, 214CMYK 0, 49, 2, 15

Fuchsia

Leaning more towards pink, fuchsia incorporates a larger amount of red than other shades of purple to be brightly vibrant.

FuchsiaHex #FF00FFRGB 255, 0, 255CMYK 0, 100, 0, 0

Medium Orchid

While medium orchid incorporates large amounts of red and blue, it is also composed of a good amount of green, which keeps it looking like a vibrant yet medium shade of purple.

Medium OrchidHex #BA55D3RGB 186, 85, 211CMYK 12, 60, 0, 17

Medium Purple

With more blue than red, this medium purple color reflects that of classic purple while remaining much more vibrant.

Medium PurpleHex #9370DBRGB 147, 112, 219CMYK 33, 49, 0, 14

Blue Violet

With so much blue that this shade appears almost classic blue, it has just enough red to remain in the purple family.

Blue VioletHex #8A2BE2RGB 138, 43, 226CMYK 39, 81, 0, 11

Dark Violet

This is a deep, dark purple that remains slightly vibrant thanks to the violet tones present.

Dark VioletHex #9400D3RGB 148, 0, 211CMYK 30, 100, 0, 17

Dark Orchid

While this is a deeper color than the traditional orchid color, it is in no way to be considered a dark purple.

Dark OrchidHex #9932CCRGB 153, 50, 204CMYK 25, 75, 0, 20

Dark Magenta

This deep magenta color is the closest to natural purple, with enough red to appear slightly more vibrant than its base color.

Dark MagentaHex #8B008BRGB 139, 0, 139CMYK 0, 100, 0, 45

Indigo

Indigo incorporates enough blue to appear on the blue end of the spectrum while remaining rich and vibrant enough to be considered a shade of purple.

IndigoHex #4B0082RGB 75, 0, 130CMYK 42, 100, 0, 49

Veronica

An extremely bright purple color named after the flower veronica prostrata.

VeronicaHex #A020F0RGB 160, 32, 240CMYK 33, 87, 0, 6

Pale Purple

A pale, purple-pink color that has the appearance of white with a slight purple tint.

Pale PurpleHex #FAE6FARGB 250, 230, 250CMYK 0, 8, 0, 2

Mauve

A very light, brilliant purple meant to reflect the natural color of the muted mallow wildflower.

MauveHex #E0B0FFRGB 224, 176, 255CMYK 12, 31, 0, 0

Heliotrope

A pink-purple tone that reflects that of the naturally occurring heliotrope flower.

HeliotropeHex #DF73FFRGB 223, 115, 255CMYK 13, 55, 0, 0

Phlox

Also known as psychedelic purple, this color lies somewhere between the vivacity of electric purple and magenta. Made from fluorescent magenta and blue, this color gained a large amount of popularity with hippies in the 1960s and 70s.

PhloxHex #DF00FFRGB 223, 0, 255CMYK 13, 100, 0, 0

Purple Pizzazz

As the name would suggest, this color is extremely bright and vibrant. First appearing as a Crayola crayon color in 1900, this color has many of the traits necessary to be classified within the spectrum of magenta and purple.

Purple PizzazzHex #FE4EDARGB 254, 78, 218CMYK 0, 69, 14, 0

Liserian Purple

A bright purple with enough red to appear almost pink. The first reference to this color is from 1912.

Liserian PurpleHex #DE6FA1RGB 222, 111, 161CMYK 0, 50, 27, 13

Mulberry

With enough red to lean towards the pink end of the purple spectrum, this is meant to reflect the color of mulberry jam.

MulberryHex #C54B8CRGB 197, 75, 140CMYK 0, 62, 29, 23

Pearly Purple

A strong purple with more red than blue, this color first appeared in Crayola crayon sets in the 1990s.

Pearly PurpleHex #B768A2RGB 183, 104, 162CMYK 0, 43, 11, 28

Purpureus

Purpureus is vividly purple and the naming of this color dates all the way back to 1382.

PurpureusHex #9A4EAERGB 154, 78, 174CMYK 11, 55, 0, 32

Northwestern Purple

Deeply violet and close to blue on the color scale, this color was custom created as the official color of Northwestern University.

Northwestern PurpleHex #4E2A84RGB 78, 42, 132CMYK 41, 68, 0, 48

KSU Purple

This shade falls somewhat closer to blue than red on the color scale, producing a dark, violet shade used in the print materials of Kansas State University. It is almost identical to northwestern purple.

KSU PurpleHex #512888RGB 81, 40, 136CMYK 40, 71, 0, 47

Pomp and Power

This purple shade is deep yet muted, producing a more moderate purple color sometimes associated with royalty.

Pomp and PowerHex #86608ERGB 134, 96, 142CMYK 6, 32, 0, 44

Mardi Gras

A deep, dark purple color commonly used in Mardi Gras decorations.

Mardi GrasHex #880085RGB 136, 0, 133CMYK 0, 100, 2, 47

Eminence

This deep, medium purple has been used since the 1800s in order to describe the deep majesty of the color commonly used by royals.

EminenceHex #6C3082RGB 108, 48, 130CMYK 17, 63, 0, 49

Pansy Purple

Named after the purple pansy flower, this color mirrors the bloom, a shade between indigo and violet.

Pansy PurpleHex #78184ARGB 120, 24, 74CMYK 0, 80, 38, 53

Palatinate

This pale violet shade is associated with the University of Durham and Newcastle University Medical School, with the name alluding to the area’s historical status.

PalatinateHex #72246CRGB 114, 36, 108CMYK 0, 68, 5, 55

Dark Purple

A shade of purple so dark that it may almost be confused with black.

Dark PurpleHex #301934RGB 48, 25, 52CMYK 8, 52, 0, 80

Byzantium

A dark shade of purple, the name of which was first recorded in 1926 in a reference to the ancient Byzantine empire.

ByzantiumHex #702963RGB 112, 41, 99CMYK 0, 63, 12, 56

African Violet

A light Pantone purple based on the unique color of African violets.

African VioletHex #B284BERGB 178, 132, 190CMYK 6, 31, 0, 25

Amethyst

This violet color is so moderate it almost appears to be transparent. Named after the color of amethyst crystals.

AmethystHex #9966CCRGB 153, 102, 204CMYK 25, 50, 0, 20

Chinese Violet

A moderately deep purple. This subdued color correlates to the Chinese Violet flower.

Chinese VioletHex #856088RGB 133, 96, 136CMYK 2, 29, 0, 47

English Violet

An extremely dark purple. English Violet borders on black while retaining enough red hues to still be recognizably purple.

English VioletHex #563C5CRGB 86, 60, 92CMYK 7, 35, 0, 64

Russian Violet

As opposed to English Violet, Russian Violet contains more blue hues, giving this color the appearance of a blue that is edging towards black.

Russian VioletHex #32174DRGB 50, 23, 77CMYK 35, 70, 0, 70

Fairy Tale

This soft pink has enough lavender hues to pass for a purple shade. Making its display as a Pantone color, it is named after the color most seen attributed to typical fairy garb.

Fairy TaleHex #F2C1D1RGB 242, 193, 209CMYK 0, 20, 14, 5

Fandango

This vivid purplish red falls somewhere between a mix of pink and purple, giving this fun color its equally fanciful name.

FandangoHex #B53389RGB 181, 51, 137CMYK 0, 72, 24, 29

French Mauve

While this vivid purple may also be known as deep mauve, it is classified purely as “mauve” in French and it is named after the mallow flower.

French MauveHex #D473D4RGB 212, 115, 212CMYK 0, 46, 0, 17

Affair

This unusually-named purple shade is a lot like a deeper version of lavender. It’s a great choice if you want something that has bold energy without the full depth of violet or similar colors.

AffairHex #6F4685RGB 111, 70, 133CMYK 17, 47, 0, 48

Boss’s Jokes

This bright magenta-like purple is perfect if you want a bright, energetic purple shade that is almost pink. It would do especially well as an accent color against neutrals or as a part of an especially bright color palette.

Boss’s JokesHex #B0306ARGB 176, 48, 106CMYK 0, 73, 40, 31

Iris

The iris is a vibrant flower that comes in a whole range of colors. Iris is a well-balanced purple that manages to be light without being washed out. This springlike shade pairs very well with green and yellow pastels.

IrisHex #9867C5RGB 152, 103, 197CMYK 23, 48, 0, 23

Long Distance

This subdued color is a quiet grayish purple, as evidenced by its high percentage of black. And if you look at the RGB value, you can see that it has approximately equal amounts of red and blue, making it a great classic purple.

Long DistanceHex #6F456ERGB 111, 69, 110CMYK 0, 38, 1, 56

Prince Charming

This Disney-associated color is fittingly regal. Its dark, bluish cast makes it look much like the coats worn by many cartoon princes atop their white horses.

Prince CharmingHex #493F5ERGB 73, 63, 94CMYK 22, 33, 0, 63

Lipstick Stain

Purple lipstick isn’t for everyone, but appropriately, many purple lipsticks are made in a similar color to Lipstick Stain. This shade involves a good bit of both magenta and black. That explains its significant energy despite the fact that it’s a cool color. Similarly, Lipstick Stain also has roughly the same amount of red and blue.

Lipstick StainHex #8E4785RGB 142, 71, 133CMYK 0, 50, 6, 44

Pompadour

The word “pompadour” refers to a distinctive hairstyle where the front of the hair is swept upward. Though it was popularized by Madame de Pompadour, one of the mistresses of King Louis XV, it is now especially popular as a men’s hairstyle. This color seems like an appropriate representation. It’s proud without being overly gaudy or hard on the eyes.

PompadourHex #720058RGB 114, 0, 88CMYK 0, 100, 23, 55

Grape Color

Despite the name, Grape Color is more the color of cartoon grapes than it is the color of the actual fruit. It’s similar to a deep lavender with a little extra blue. As you can see from the RGB value, this color has a significant amount of blue. As a cool color that’s fairly energetic, Grape Color is an especially good choice for activewear or spring clothing.

Grape ColorHex #6F2DA8RGB 111, 45, 168CMYK 34, 73, 0, 34

Wine

This aptly-named color is truer to the actual color of wine than many “wine red” colors are. As a deep, dark purple, it’s roughly the color of a good pinot noir. Though Wine will generally be too dark for walls, it’s an excellent choice for dramatic accents in any room. It pairs especially well with ivory or parchment shades.

WineHex #2C041CRGB 44, 4, 28CMYK 0, 91, 36, 83

Pizza Edge

This color is somewhat confusingly named. After all, the edge of a pizza isn’t purple at all. Pizza Edge is roughly between the color of fuchsia and royal purple, and it has roughly equal amounts of red and blue. Pizza Edge pops when placed against yellow, but it also looks nice in a medley of cool colors like blue and green.

Pizza EdgeHex #9A2CA0RGB 154, 44, 160CMYK 4, 72, 0, 37

Tyrian Purple

Tyrian Purple is named after a natural pigment that comes from a species of sea snail. It gets its name from the city of Tyre in Lebanon. You may sometimes hear it called royal purple or Phoenician purple. As a reddish-colored purple, this color is ideal if you want a rich, deep purple with some energy.

Tyrian PurpleHex #66023CRGB 102, 2, 60CMYK 0, 98, 41, 60

Ultra Violet

Despite the name, Ultra Violet isn’t an overwhelming or incredibly loud purple shade. If anything, it’s one of the quieter ones on the list. As a bluish-purple, it’s a lovely shade if you want a calming color that’s still in the purple family. Its complementary color is a somewhat dull olive green, and it also looks nice near various shades of gray.

Ultra VioletHex #645394RGB 100, 83, 148CMYK 32, 44, 0, 42

Studio

This appropriately-named pale purple combines businesslike calm and playful creative energy. It’s essentially a version of lilac with more blue. And since working in blue spaces has been linked to greater productivity, Studio is a great color to pick if you’re designing a workspace but still want to be surrounded by purple.

StudioHex #7851A9RGB 120, 81, 169CMYK 29, 52, 0, 34

Electric Purple

Many purple shades are relatively calm, but this highly energetic purple is ideal if your project needs a splash of fun. As you’ll see on its CMYK values, Electric Purple is devoid of any black or yellow. It’s really a mixture of cyan and magenta. This color can really add some energy when paired with bright yellow or green.

Electric PurpleHex #BF00FFRGB 191, 0, 255CMYK 25, 100, 0, 0

Eggplant

No list of purples is complete without the deep, dark shade of the beloved eggplant. This regal shade will add an air of quiet confidence to any project you’re working on. Pairing it with a dark green is a great choice. And because it has a relatively high proportion of black, Eggplant is a great choice for printing a logo or adding text on a white background.

EggplantHex #311432RGB 49, 20, 50CMYK 2, 60, 0, 80

Periwinkle Purple

You might imagine a powder-blue shade when you think of periwinkle. But the periwinkle flowers the color is named for can actually vary considerably in color. Some are blue, some are white, and some are purple, and Periwinkle Purple accurately captures the color of the purple variant. This pastel-like color is pale and dreamy, and it would make a great wall color.

Periwinkle PurpleHex #BE93E4RGB 190, 147, 228CMYK 17, 36, 0, 11

Sangria

The fruity aroma of sangria is the perfect complement to a summer night, and this deep purple is another darker shade that works well for printing text or making logos. It looks nice against darker greens and blues. Since it has almost equal amounts of magenta and black, it’s an interesting alternative to darker bluish purples.

SangriaHex #4D0F28RGB 77, 15, 40CMYK 0, 81, 48, 70

Raisin

Not many projects typically call for a dark brownish-purple. But if you’re working on one that does, Raisin should fit the bill perfectly. Its deep color would look stunning as a background to white lettering, and it also will look good next to a very deep forest green.

RaisinHex #290916RGB 41, 9, 22CMYK 0, 78, 46, 84

Mountbatten Pink

Though this color is described as pink, it has more of a purple cast. It also has an interesting history. Mountbatten Pink was used as a camouflage color for ships in WWII by Lord Mountbatten of Britain. Though Mountbatten believed that it worked, experts generally agreed that, if anything, being painted Mountbatten Pink actually made ships more obvious.

Mountbatten PinkHex #997A8DRGB 153, 122, 141CMYK 0, 20, 8, 40

Fuchsia Blue

You probably know fuchsia as being what’s essentially a bright magenta. But when you add some cyan, you get the lovely shade known as fuchsia blue. This color looks a lot like a quieter version of Electric Purple, which makes sense. Despite being over 55% magenta, this blue still has a significant amount of cyan and black.

Fuchsia BlueHex #9C51B6RGB 156, 81, 182CMYK 14, 55, 0, 29

Good Tax

As you’ve seen, there’s no shortage of purple shades with odd names, and Good Tax is certainly one. This is a pale, pastel-like purple, and it gives off a relaxed vibe thanks to a large amount of cyan. Remarkably, it has no yellow or black in it. This explains its cooler shade and pale appearance.

Good TaxHex #C9A0FFRGB 201, 160, 255CMYK 21, 37, 0, 0

Jam

Freshly-canned jam is something truly special, and this warm yet deep purple shade captures the essence of a jar the second you open it. Its dark red look gives it an appearance like that of cherry jam. This color makes a statement, and it’s a good choice for apparel design.

JamHex #67032FRGB 103, 3, 47CMYK 0, 97, 54, 60

Ripe Plum

The color of a true ripe plum is typically a little darker than this, but Ripe Plum is nonetheless an excellent choice for a range of products. If you favor a bold look on a home, try using it to paint the shutters and door. Ripe Plum is also a dignified color if you need tablecloths for an event.

Ripe PlumHex #410056RGB 65, 0, 86CMYK 24, 100, 0, 66

Heather

You might picture gray when you imagine heather, but this soft purple is the actual color of most heather blossoms. Heather is a hardy shrub that grows in much of Scotland, and its flowers bloom toward the end of summer. This pale purple is calm enough to use in a bedroom, and it looks especially nice in a palette with other shades of purple.

HeatherHex #9E7BB5RGB 158, 123, 181CMYK 13, 32, 0, 29

Magenta Purple

This pretty, medium shade is close to what most people think of when they imagine purple. The particular purple looks a bit like Electric Purple, and it’s somewhat bright in color without being pale. Thanks to its high proportion of magenta, this purple shade is somewhat high-energy and works very well as an accent color.

Magenta PurpleHex #A32CC4RGB 163, 44, 196CMYK 17, 78, 0, 23

Mountain’s Majesty

This soothing color seems to tread the line between periwinkle blue and periwinkle purple. It would make a great color for a peaceful reading nook or for a bedroom. If you’re going for a fancier look, this color also pairs well with a touch of gold.

Mountain’s MajestyHex #9078C0RGB 144, 120, 192CMYK 25, 38, 0, 25

Old Lavender

Appropriately, this is a color that really looks like dried lavender. While it is technically still purple, its somewhat large amounts of green and black help give it its aged look. A diluted version of this color would work well for walls. And as it is, Old Lavender is a great color for accent pieces like pillows and rugs.

Old LavenderHex #796878RGB 121, 104, 120CMYK 0, 14, 1, 53

Rebecca Purple

Rebecca Purple has a tragic backstory. It was named for Rebecca Alison Meyer, the daughter of CSS pioneer Eric Meyer. Rebecca died on her sixth birthday, and designer Jeffrey Zeldman started a campaign to name this shade after her. Purple was Rebecca’s favorite color, and this shade was officially called “Rebecca Purple” in 2014.

Rebecca PurpleHex #663399RGB 102, 51, 153CMYK 33, 67, 0, 40

Razzmic Berry Purple

This color might sound familiar – it’s the name of one of Crayola’s colors. As a twist on the color raspberry, Razzmic Berry is a little more purple and a little less red. If you’re looking for a whimsical color that just might hearken back to your childhood, try using Razzmic Berry in your next project.

Razzmic Berry PurpleHex #8D4E85RGB 141, 78, 133CMYK 0, 45, 6, 45

Wine Dregs Purple

Unsurprisingly, this shade of purple has some major similarities to Wine. And fittingly, it’s a bit more gray, too. Wine Dregs Purple is an ideal choice if you want a shade of purple that doesn’t quite fit in anywhere. It’s too red to be mauve and too gray to be burgundy. But for that special project where you need a truly unique shade, Wine Dregs Purple just might be it.

Wine Dregs PurpleHex #673147RGB 103, 49, 71CMYK 0, 52, 31, 60

Regalia Purple

Regalia Purple is a deep, regal purple that commands attention. It’s right at home next to gold, but it also would work very well in a palette with pastels like robin’s egg blue. Since it’s fairly heavy on both blue and black, Regalia Purple is much calmer than some other shades of deeper purple.

Regalia PurpleHex #522D80RGB 82, 45, 128CMYK 36, 65, 0, 50

Twilight Lavender Purple

This beautifully unique, dusky color is a little like that of lavender fields at the golden hour. If you like mauve but need something with a little more red, it’s an ideal choice. Twilight Lavender Purple fits in well with grays, and it also looks good alongside some shades of green or blue.

Twilight Lavender PurpleHex #8A496BRGB 138, 73, 107CMYK 0, 47, 22, 46

Traditional Purple

As the name suggests, Traditional Purple is another representation of what many people think of when they picture purple. And fittingly, it is an average purple in many respects. It has roughly the same amount of red and blue, as well as about the same amount of magenta and cyan. Traditional Purple looks great in palettes of various shades of bluish purple.

Traditional PurpleHex #8E4585RGB 142, 69, 133CMYK 0, 51, 6, 44

Spanish Violet Purple

Some shades of purple have a bit of a backstory, and Spanish Violet Purple is one of them. You might think that it’s named after a special variety of violet. However, it’s the exact shade called violeta (“violet”) in a popular book of colors that’s used in many Spanish-speaking countries.

Spanish Violet PurpleHex #4C2882RGB 76, 40, 130CMYK 42, 69, 0, 49

Imperial Purple

Though Tyrian Purple is sometimes called “imperial purple,” this particular Imperial Purple is a different shade altogether. This one is deep and particularly rich in blue, much more so than Tyrian Purple. It’s especially striking when placed next to deep blue-greens.

Imperial PurpleHex #602F6BRGB 96, 47, 107CMYK 10, 56, 0, 58

Japanese Violet Purple

This shade is the color officially designated as “violet” in Japan. Japan names and numbers colors with what’s known as the traditional Japanese colors group. This collection of colors has been used since the year 660 CE.

Japanese Violet PurpleHex #5B3256RGB 91, 50, 86CMYK 0, 45, 5, 64

Munsell Purple

This is another purple shade that’s part of a distinct color system. As the name suggests, Munsell Purple is part of the Munsell Color System, a group of colors put forth by professor Albert H. Munsell. This interesting system classifies colors based on hue (location on color spectrum), chroma (saturation), and value (lightness).

Munsell PurpleHex #9F00C5RGB 159, 0, 197CMYK 19, 100, 0, 23

Deep Ruby Purple

This is another purple that comes very close to being a red. After all, based on the RGB value, you can see that it contains much more red than blue. And interestingly enough, it doesn’t include cyan (but is over 50% magenta). Its deep, slightly dusky color makes it pair nicely with slightly brighter colors.

Deep Ruby PurpleHex #843F5BRGB 132, 63, 91CMYK 0, 52, 31, 48

Purple Heart

This shade of purple is another of Crayola’s classic colors. It’s paler than the purple that you see on Purple Heart medals. It looks a little more like saturated lavender. Though it’s fairly light thanks to having very little black, the amount of blue in Purple Heart makes it much cooler than some other purples.

Purple HeartHex #7442C8RGB 116, 66, 200CMYK 42, 67, 0, 22

Lavender Blush

Sometimes, you just need a barely-there purple for a project, and Lavender Blush is a prime example. At first, it looks more like a pale pink. But if you take a look at the RGB values, you’ll see that it has approximately equal parts red and blue. The very pale nature of Lavender Blush makes it a perfect understated wall color or color for stationery.

Lavender BlushHex #FFF0F5RGB 255, 240, 245CMYK 0, 6, 4, 0

Early Bird

Early Bird is another of the soothing, periwinkle-like purples. This one is a little more saturated than most, and it also has a bit more blue. Its name and the shade itself suggest the pale purplish blue you often see in the morning sky.

Early BirdHex #CEA2FDRGB 206, 162, 253CMYK 19, 36, 0, 1

Lilac

Though darker than the blooms on an actual lilac, this is nonetheless a very pretty shade of purple. Its relative lightness means that it can add some energy and life into just about any color palette. Lilac looks especially nice when paired with turquoise or similar colors.

LilacHex #B65FCFRGB 182, 95, 207CMYK 12, 54, 0, 19

Purple Taupe

The name of this color might come as a bit of a surprise. After all, most of us don’t think of the dull brown color of taupe and the vibrance of purple as working together. However, Purple Taupe is a highly effective color choice if you need a neutral color scheme yet want to incorporate elements of purple. Similar to some shades of olive green, Purple Taupe can be used as a neutral on some projects.

Purple TaupeHex #50404DRGB 80, 64, 77CMYK 0, 20, 4, 69

Cyber Grape Purple

If you’re one to notice colors with unique names, Cyber Grape is certainly a standout. This deep, calm purple is similar to the fairly dark purple typically associated with grapes. However, thanks to its large amounts of blue, Cyber Grape is similar to slate blue.

Cyber Grape PurpleHex #58427CRGB 88, 66, 124CMYK 29, 47, 0, 51

Kingfisher Daisy

This color is named after an actual plant that’s commonly called the kingfisher daisy, Felicia, or blue daisy. These daisies typically aren’t quite as purple as this particular color. But nonetheless, this quiet purple works well in a multi-purple palette or up against some cool blues.

Kingfisher DaisyHex #653780RGB 101, 55, 128CMYK 21, 57, 0, 50

Seance

Otherworldly and ominous, Seance is a perfectly named purple shade. Its large proportions of blue and black prevent it from becoming overly warm. Seance is still fairly close to what most of us see when we picture “purple,” so it’s a familiar choice for a lot of different applications.

SeanceHex #61346BRGB 97, 52, 107CMYK 9, 51, 0, 58

Lavender Gray

Purple-gray colors aren’t typically as popular as blue-gray ones. But if you need just a hint of purple in a backdrop or wall color, you might want to consider the misty, peaceful lavender gray. This color is heavier on the blue than on the red, but it makes for a cool, relaxing color to be around.

Lavender GrayHex #B6B5D8RGB 182, 181, 216CMYK 16, 16, 0, 15

Hopbush

This magenta-heavy purple almost crosses the line into pink. Regardless of whether you consider it to be pink or purple, Hopbush is named for the fruit of a bush of the same name. Hopbush fruit is pinkish-purple in color and appears in the summer. It contrasts beautifully with the leaves of the hopbush, which are typically a bronze-green color.

HopbushHex #D05FADRGB 208, 95, 173CMYK 0, 54, 17, 18

Tacao

Tacao is a classic-looking purple that leans more blue than it does red. But its slightly cool edge makes it great for a variety of projects. Its fresh look makes it an ideal choice for spring outerwear and athletic wear. Tacao will pair well with most bright colors and most neutrals, making it incredibly versatile.

TacaoHex #6F3096RGB 111, 48, 150CMYK 26, 68, 0, 41

Brilliant Purple

You might expect a color called “brilliant purple” to be one of the deeper, royal-looking shades on the list. However, this one has its own brilliance. It’s light in color and similar to amethyst, and it’s easy to imagine a sparkle around the edges.

Brilliant PurpleHex #D399E6RGB 211, 153, 230CMYK 8, 33, 0, 10

Murasaki Purple

Murasaki simply means “purple” in Japanese. The word is used to describe a range of purple vegetables. There’s a type of pepper known as Murasaki purple, and there are also Murasaki sweet potatoes. This color is very close to the color of Murasaki vegetables. It’s very deep and dark, making it ideal for creating dramatic accents on lighter backdrops.

Murasaki PurpleHex #4F284BRGB 79, 40, 75CMYK 0, 49, 5, 69

Blackish Purple

This is one of the darkest purples you can possibly find. Blackish Purple may not be the color for every occasion. But since its proximity to black makes it essentially a neutral, it’s a good choice when you need a very dark, black-like neutral for a project.

Blackish PurpleHex #291E29RGB 41, 30, 41CMYK 0, 27, 0, 84

Lovely Purple

True to its name, this color is a lovely shade of purple. It comes very close to being a shade of blue. As you can see from its RGB values, it’s made with a very high proportion of blue. It’s also one of the brighter shades on the list. Lovely Purple is dark enough to be used as a backdrop color, but it’s also light enough for use in the foreground of any project.

Lovely PurpleHex #7F38ECRGB 127, 56, 236CMYK 46, 76, 0, 7

Vulgar Purple (Grape Jelly)

“Vulgar” technically just means “common,” but it has a generally negative connotation. So this color is often referred to by the more pleasant name of “Grape Jelly.” That’s a fitting name – Grape Jelly is about as dark as its namesake, although it may have a little extra blue.

Vulgar Purple (Grape Jelly)Hex #3E2F84RGB 62, 47, 132CMYK 53, 64, 0, 48

University of Central Arkansas Purple

Just about every college and university selects a specific hex and CMYK value for each color used in its logo. That helps ensure that college materials look exactly the same whether they’re used on signage, printed on shirts, or incorporated into brochures. This deep bluish purple helps make up the shield logo of the University of Central Arkansas.

University of Central Arkansas PurpleHex #4F2D7F RGB 79, 45, 127CMYK 38, 65, 0, 50

FedEx Purple

Universities aren’t the only institutions that need to ensure color consistency across materials. The same is true of large companies. This particular shade of purple may be familiar. You’ve probably seen it on the sides of FedEx vehicles. It’s the color that makes up the first part of the company logo.

FedEx PurpleHex #660099 RGB 102, 0, 153CMYK 33, 100, 0, 40

Carolina Plum

Some hex values are claimed by paint companies, and Carolina Plum is one of the colors that Benjamin Moore offers. This relatively pale, dusty-looking purple is kind of like a grayish lavender. It would make a good wall color if you prefer a room to be slightly dark in color without becoming suffocating.

Carolina PlumHex #9B84A1RGB 155, 132, 161CMYK 4, 18, 0, 37

Kalamata

Kalamata is another of Benjamin Moore’s paint colors. This one is appropriately named after the kalamata olive. The olives may be slightly more brown than this color, but Kalamata is an excellent choice for a dark background color or for use as text over a lighter background.

KalamataHex #705160RGB 112, 81, 96CMYK 0, 28, 14, 56

Black Currant

Dark lipsticks never seem to completely go out of style, and most of them are shades of purple. This lovely color is one of those used by L.A. Girl. It stands out because, despite being a dark purple, Black Currant still has a high proportion of red. You can see this in its RGB values – it still has some blue, but it has far more red.

Black CurrantHex #540E32RGB 84, 14, 50CMYK 0, 83, 40, 67

Purple 4

Not all shades of purple come with interesting names. Purple 4 is a beautiful bluish purple that isn’t excessively dark. It’s a great choice if you’re working on a project that needs an energetic shade that isn’t quite as loud as Electric Purple and similar colors.

Purple 4Hex #551A8BRGB 85, 26, 139CMYK 39, 81, 0, 45

Strong Purple

Despite the name, Strong Purple isn’t quite what you’d think of when you imagine a strong version of this versatile color. That isn’t a problem, though. As evidenced by its RGB values, Strong Purple is a medium shade with approximately equal amounts of red and blue.

Strong PurpleHex #875692RGB 135, 86, 146CMYK 8, 41, 0, 43

Pale Purple

This pretty color is similar to lilac, and it’s a versatile choice if you want a light purple that isn’t quite a pastel. Pale purple would do well in a palette with other pale versions of cool colors, and it also looks good with neutrals like brown or gray.

Pale PurpleHex #AA98A9RGB 170, 152, 169CMYK 0, 11, 1, 33

Vivid Reddish Purple

Purple is a cool color, but shades that contain more red have a look that’s a little warmer. Bluish versions tend to appear more springlike, while reddish versions like this one have a more summery feel. Vivid Reddish Purple works well against a neutral palette where it will stand out, and it also looks nice alongside similarly bright colors.

Vivid Reddish PurpleHex #870074RGB 135, 0, 116CMYK 0, 100, 14, 47

Medium Purple 3

Though it’s another color with a less-than-exciting name, Medium Purple 3 is an especially pretty shade. It looks a little like a darker and more saturated periwinkle. This color looks especially nice next to ivory and cream. The fact that it has more blue than red makes it a demure, cool shade of purple.

Medium Purple 3Hex #8968CDRGB 137, 104, 205CMYK 33, 49, 0, 20

Middle Purple

The name of this color might make you think that it’s close in appearance to Middle Purple 3. However, it’s almost pink. Middle Purple is the name of a Crayola purple, and it’s best described as a red-heavy, medium-light purple. It has a dusky quality about it that makes it look very nice alongside tan and similar neutrals.

Middle PurpleHex #D982B5RGB 217, 130, 181CMYK 0, 40, 17, 15

Cardinal

Cardinal is a confusingly named purple. After all, cardinals tend to be a bright scarlet red in color. This shade is the name of a paint made by Resene, and it’s most accurately described as a deep, red-heavy purple. It’s close to burgundy in color, and it looks especially nice next to other jewel tones.

CardinalHex #8A244ERGB 138, 36, 78CMYK 0, 74, 43, 46

Embassy Purple

This businesslike, near-black purple is a shade made by Ralph Lauren. It’s roughly the color of black cherries, albeit with a little less red. Embassy Purple is a great alternative to black when printing materials, and it’s perfect for adding just a hint of purple to neutral color palettes.

Embassy PurpleHex #3B343CRGB 59, 52, 60CMYK 2, 13, 0, 76

Lakers Purple

If you’re a sports fan, you may recognize this purple on sight. It’s the exact color used for the Lakers logo. Not surprisingly, Lakers Purple looks good alongside yellow and other bright colors.

Lakers PurpleHex #552582RGB 85, 37, 130CMYK 35, 72, 0, 49

Amaranth Purple

This distinctive color is named after the purple amaranth, a species of pigweed. It’s sometimes called livid amaranth. This plant features unusual “flower spikes” that offer a welcome contrast to typical blooms. Florists sometimes use cuttings of purple amaranth to add variety to flower bouquets, and this plant can also be grown in gardens.

Amaranth PurpleHex #AB274FRGB 171, 39, 79CMYK 0, 77, 54, 33

Purple Navy

Some of the most interesting shades of purple are those that tread the line between purple and blue (or purple and red). And when you look at Purple Navy, it can be hard to tell whether it’s a shade of blue or a shade of purple. This deep color is ideal if you like navy blue but want to choose something a little different.

Purple NavyHex #4E5180RGB 78, 81, 128CMYK 39, 37, 0, 50

Insolent Purple

This amusingly named color is another shade of purple used in lipstick. More specifically, Insolent Purple is one of Estee Lauder’s signature lipstick colors. Because it’s roughly between a pink and a deep purple, it’s ideal for those who want a dark lip that isn’t too dark.

Insolent PurpleHex #682E3CRGB 104, 46, 60CMYK 0, 56, 42, 59

Smyrna Purple

Smyrna Purple is a soft, lovely shade that borders on pink. It also contains a fair amount of black (as seen in its CMYK values), so it isn’t particularly pale. Smyrna Purple would work well as a wall color if you’re looking for something bold. It also is a great choice for clothing, as it’s cheerful without being overly bright.

Smyrna PurpleHex #A2627A RGB 162, 98, 122CMYK 0, 40, 25, 36

East Carolina University Purple

Interestingly enough, colleges and universities using purple in their logos tend to settle on similar shades of dark bluish purple. ECU Purple is very close to KSU Purple. It combines the authority of blue with the regal nature of purple, making it an excellent option for a university to choose.

East Carolina University PurpleHex #592A8ARGB 89, 42, 138CMYK 36, 70, 0, 46

Little Princess

This enchantingly named color is made by Porter Paints. It’s a very pale cream color with just a touch of purple, making it a pleasant and classic choice for a wall color. And because it’s so close to ivory or cream, Little Princess is a viable alternative to various shades of off-white when it comes to paper and stationery.

Little PrincessHex #E9DCE5RGB 233, 220, 229CMYK 0, 6, 2, 9

Aesthetic Purple

As the name suggests, Aesthetic Purple is very pleasing to the eye. It’s a deep bluish color that possesses an elegance that few purple shades do. Aesthetic Purple really pops when put up against bright greens and yellows, but it also pairs nicely with silver and gold.

Aesthetic PurpleHex #502380RGB 80, 35, 128CMYK 38, 73, 0, 50

Kikyo-iru

This unique shade of purple is fairly close to what most of us likely picture when we imagine purple. It’s neither too red nor too blue. Its complementary color is a very slightly brown shade of green. In this combination, Kikyo-iru offers a picture of understated elegance.

Kikyo-iruHex #5D3F6ARGB 93, 63, 106CMYK 12, 41, 0, 58

Metallic Purple

Metallic Purple is somewhat confusingly named. After all, it’s hard for a flat color to look metallic. But this shade is just deep enough to look nice with a touch of sparkle. This classic purple works especially well with yellow, but it also pairs nicely with various shades of blue.

Metallic PurpleHex #520E7DRGB 82, 14, 125CMYK 34, 89, 0, 51

Hot Purple

This neon-like shade is very similar to Electric Purple. It’s perfect to use wherever you need a pop of color. However, Hot Purple also works nicely in summery color palettes where you need several bright, attention-grabbing colors.

Hot PurpleHex #A420D0RGB 164, 32, 208CMYK 21, 85, 0, 18

Faded Purple

This color is aptly named, and it’s ideal if you’re looking for a grayish shade of purple that isn’t overly gray. This color is close enough to a neutral that it works well for clothing. It also will look nice alongside various shades of gray.

Faded PurpleHex #795F80RGB 121, 95, 128CMYK 5, 26, 0, 50

Mythical Purple

This pretty, soothing purple is somewhat similar to Lakers Purple. It’s versatile, too. Mythical Purple is dark enough to use for lettering but light enough to serve as a backdrop. It also looks nice paired with Sap Green, its complementary color.

Mythical PurpleHex #53277ERGB 83, 39, 126CMYK 34, 69, 0, 51

Languid Lavender

The name Languid Lavender really suits this color. It’s wistful and airy, making it the perfect springlike wall color. Languid Lavender is a bit like a paler version of amethyst, and it also can serve as a useful and versatile background color.

Languid LavenderHex #D6CADDRGB 214, 202, 221CMYK 3, 9, 0, 13

Mauveine

Mauveine is a color with a very interesting history. It was one of the first ever synthetic dyes. And it wasn’t even deliberately developed. A scientist discovered it in 1856 while working on finding a cure for malaria.

MauveineHex #8D029BRGB 141, 2, 155CMYK 9, 99, 0, 39

Blue Lilac

Lilac and Lavender, two very popular shades of purple, both lend themselves to being mixed with blue. As you can see from its RGB values, Blue Lilac has a bit more blue than red, but it’s still an unmistakable shade of purple. It’s a good choice for painting an office if you like the color purple. Blue has been shown to stimulate creativity and productivity, and Blue Lilac manages to be both calming and energizing.

Blue LilacHex #7B679ARGB 123, 103, 154CMYK 20, 33, 0, 40

Dark Byzantium

Named for the ancient Greek city of Byzantium (now Constantinople), Byzantium and Dark Byzantium are reminiscent of splendor. If you prefer a darker, more demure version of the classic Byzantium, you may find Dark Byzantium to be to your liking.

Dark ByzantiumHex #5D3954RGB 93, 57, 84CMYK 0, 39, 10, 64

Luxury Purple

Purple has long been considered a luxuriant color, and Luxury Purple really takes that association to a new level. It looks especially nice when used in jewelry.

Luxury PurpleHex #743089RGB 116, 48, 137CMYK 15, 65, 0, 46

Aztech Purple

This shade of purple is very close to being a bright blue. As you can see from the RGB values, it has far more blue than red. And as you can see in the CMYK values, it doesn’t contain any black. Aztech Purple has an almost-neon quality, making it one of the most electric shades of purple out there.

Aztech PurpleHex #893BFFRGB 137, 59, 255CMYK 46, 77, 0, 0

Baltimore Ravens Purple

The Baltimore Ravens have a distinctive dark black-and-purple logo, and this shade is the team’s signature deep purple. As you can tell by the logo, this color pairs well with black and other dark shades.

Baltimore Ravens PurpleHex #280353RGB 40, 3, 83CMYK 52, 96, 0, 67

Deep Magenta

Not to be confused with Dark Magenta, Deep Magenta is a bright purple that, unsurprisingly, contains a lot of magenta. The color magenta was named after the Italian Battle of Magenta, as the color was developed shortly before the battle itself.

Deep MagentaHex #CC00CCRGB 204, 0, 204CMYK 0, 100, 0, 20

Deep Purple

This distinctive, almost-blue shade is sometimes called Pageant. It’s a deep color that leans toward the blue side, but it’s warmer and lighter than navy blue. This color looks especially nice alongside other jewel tones.

Deep PurpleHex #524F81RGB 82, 79, 129CMYK 36, 39, 0, 49

Rustic Purple

Purple probably isn’t the color you think of when you hear the word “rustic.” However, the name suits this shade. It has a slightly dark, slightly weathered appearance that looks great when paired with heather gray.

Rustic PurpleHex #593163RGB 89, 49, 99CMYK 10, 51, 0, 61

Sunset Purple

Sunsets may primarily be orange and yellow, but the sky at dusk often turns a light purple. Sunset Purple does well at capturing this shade. It’s a great choice if you want something that’s just a little bolder than Lilac or Lavender.

Sunset PurpleHex #A865B5RGB 168, 101, 181CMYK 7, 44, 0, 29

Artist’s Purple

Artist’s Purple is another shade that is close to magenta. This bright, bold color is essentially a darker version of magenta, and it’s a great choice if your project requires a louder color than most shades of purple.

Artist’s PurpleHex #C71585RGB 199, 21, 133CMYK 0, 89, 33, 22

Dull Purple

Despite its unflattering name, Dull Purple is actually a very nice color. It looks a little like Lilac, but it’s a little deeper and darker. If your project needs a solid medium purple, this is a good color to pick.

Dull PurpleHex #9861A5RGB 152, 97, 165CMYK 8, 41, 0, 35

Traffic Purple

Traffic Purple is a reddish medium purple that’s warmer than many purple shades. It’s part of the European RAL color matching system. The RAL system is popular in a handful of European countries, including Italy, France, and Germany.

Traffic PurpleHex #913073RGB 145, 48, 115CMYK 0, 67, 21, 43

Matte Purple

With most colors displayed on screens, it’s impossible to differentiate matte and gloss. But it’s easy to see why this inky shade of purple would look good as a matte color. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for a color that is close to black but still has some definite elements of color.

Matte PurpleHex #392A48RGB 57, 42, 72CMYK 21, 42, 0, 72

Purple Violet

Purple Violet is another color that’s part of the RAL system. It’s someone unique in that it looks slightly brown, much like Oxblood and similar shades. Its brown undertones mean that it looks good with other neutrals. It also looks great with its complementary color, Cal Poly Pomona Green.

Purple VioletHex #47243CRGB 71, 36, 60CMYK 0, 49, 15, 72

Purple CMYK

This color is the standard for purple in the CMYK printing system. Purple CMYK is a classic, slightly blue-tinted purple that looks especially good paired with blues and greens.

Purple CMYKHex #6A317F RGB 106, 49, 127CMYK 17, 61, 0, 50

Ocean Purple

Though the ocean isn’t necessarily purple, it’s easy to see how this color got its name. It has a similar depth to the blue-green color of most oceans, and it’s watery and calm.

Ocean PurpleHex #6E2D91 RGB 110, 45, 145CMYK 24, 69, 0, 43

Shiny Purple

You can’t really make a color look shiny on a screen, but Shiny Purple is almost neon. Much like a gleaming color would, Shiny Purple easily catches the eye.

Shiny PurpleHex #B941FFRGB 185, 65, 255CMYK 27, 75, 0, 0

Autumn Purple

If you need a shade of purple to complete an autumnal color palette, Autumn Purple is the color to pick. This demure reddish-purple is right at home alongside oranges, reds, and yellows.

Autumn PurpleHex #834468RGB 131, 68, 104CMYK 0, 48, 21, 49

Shades of Purple Color

Because purple encompasses colors named violet which are not technically violets, as well as deep purples that are almost pink and fuchsias closer to blue, the actual range of purple shades is exceedingly vast.

These are just a few examples of the vivid and matte colors associated with the purple range, with many more interesting shades out there, from mauve to lilac and everything in between.

These colors can also be found in nature. Here’s a visual list of things that are purple.

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Shades of purple - Wikipedia

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1Historical development of purple

Toggle Historical development of purple subsection

1.1Tyrian purple: Classical antiquity

1.2Han purple: Ancient China

1.3Royal purple: 17th century

1.4Mauveine: 1860s–1890s

1.5Artists' pigment purple (red-violet): 1930s

1.6Electric purple: 2000s

2Web colors

Toggle Web colors subsection

2.1Purple (HTML/CSS color) (patriarch)

2.2Purple (X11 color) (veronica)

2.3Medium purple (X11)

2.4Rebecca purple

3Additional definition of purple

Toggle Additional definition of purple subsection

3.1Purple (Munsell)

4Additional variations

Toggle Additional variations subsection

4.1Pale purple

4.2Mauve

4.3Thistle

4.4Orchid

4.5Heliotrope

4.6Psychedelic purple (phlox)

4.7Purple pizzazz

4.8Liseran purple

4.9Mulberry

4.10Pearly purple

4.11Purpureus

4.12Northwestern Purple

4.13KSU Purple

4.14Pomp and Power

4.15Mardi Gras

4.16Eminence

4.17Byzantium

4.18Pansy purple

4.19Palatinate

4.20Dark purple

5See also

6References

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 12 March 2024.

Variations of the color purple

This article is about shades of the color. For the M2M album, see Shades of Purple.

Purple Common connotationsroyalty, nobility, Lent, Easter, Mardi Gras Color coordinatesHex triplet#800080sRGBB (r, g, b)(128, 0, 128)HSV (h, s, v)(300°, 100%, 50%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(30, 68, 308°)SourceHTMLB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

There are numerous variations of the color purple, a sampling of which is shown below.

In common English usage, purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue.[1]

However, the meaning of the term purple is not well defined. There is confusion about the meaning of the terms purple and violet even among native speakers of English.[2] Many native speakers of English in the United States refer to the blue-dominated spectral color beyond blue as purple, but the same color is referred to as violet by many native English speakers in the United Kingdom.[3][4] The full range of colors between red and blue is referred to by the term purple in some British authoritative texts,[3] whereas the same range of colors is referred to by the term violet in some other texts.[5]

The confusion about the range of meanings of the terms violet and purple is even larger when including other languages and historical texts.[6]

Since this Wikipedia page contains contributions from authors from different countries and different native languages, this Wikipedia page is likely not to be consistent in the use of the color terms purple and violet.

In formal color theory, purple colors often refer to the colors on the line of purples on the CIE chromaticity diagram (or colors that can be derived from colors on the line of purples), i.e., any color between red and violet, not including either red or violet themselves.[7][8]

The first recorded use of purple as a color name in English was in 975 AD.[9]

Historical development of purple[edit]

Tyrian purple: Classical antiquity[edit]

Main article: Tyrian purple

See also under Purple#In art, history and fashion the section "In prehistory and the ancient world: Tyrian purple"

Byzantine Emperor Justinian I clad in Tyrian purple; 6th-century mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale

Tyrian Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#66023CsRGBB (r, g, b)(102, 2, 60)HSV (h, s, v)(325°, 98%, 40%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(21, 49, 346°)SourceGreen-Lion.netISCC–NBS descriptorVery deep redB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

"Tyrian purple" is the contemporary English name of the color that in Latin is denominated "purpura". Other contemporary English names for purpura are "imperial purple" and "royal purple". The English name "purple" itself originally denominated the specific color purpura. Purpura is the color of a dye extracted from a mollusk found on the shores of the city of Tyre in ancient Phoenicia (contemporarily in Lebanon), which color in classical antiquity was a symbol of royalty and political authority because only the very wealthy could afford it, including the Roman Emperors. Therefore, Tyrian purple was also denominated "imperial purple".

Tyrian purple may have been discovered as early as during the Minoan civilization. Alexander the Great, when giving imperial audiences as the emperor of Macedonia; the emperor of the Seleucid Empire; and the kings of Ptolemaic Egypt all wore Tyrian purple. The imperial robes of Roman emperors were of Tyrian purple trimmed in metallic gold thread. The badge of office of a Roman Senator was a stripe of Tyrian purple on his white toga.[10] Tyrian purple was continued in use by the emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire until its final collapse in 1453.

The tone of Tyrian purple displayed above is that tone of Tyrian purple which was the color of "clotted blood", which was considered the tone having the most prestige in ancient Greece and Rome, as recorded by Pliny the Elder. However, the actual tone varied depending on how the dye was formulated. Lesser royal houses that wanted to economize could mix Tyrian purple dye with the much less expensive indigo to create a color closer to violet.

Han purple: Ancient China[edit]

Main article: Han purple and Han blue

Han purple and Han blue were synthetic colors made by artisans in China during the Han dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) or even earlier.

Han purple is a type of artificial pigment found in China between 500 BC and AD 220. It was used in the decoration of the Terracotta Army.

Royal purple: 17th century[edit]

Royal Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#7851A9sRGBB (r, g, b)(120, 81, 169)HSV (h, s, v)(267°, 52%, 66%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(42, 65, 280°)SourceCrayolaISCC–NBS descriptorStrong violetB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color royal purple is a tone of purple that is bluer than the ancient Tyrian purple.

The first recorded use of royal purple as a color name in English was in 1661.[11]

In 1990, royal purple was formulated as one of the Crayola crayon colors.

Mauveine: 1860s–1890s[edit]

Main article: Mauveine

Professor Charles Rees—wearing bow tie dyed with original sample of mauveine—holding RSC journal named after Perkin

Mauveine was first named in 1856. Chemist Sir William Henry Perkin, then eighteen, was attempting to create artificial quinine. An unexpected residue caught his eye, which turned out to be the first aniline dye—specifically, Perkin's mauve or mauveine is sometimes called aniline purple. Perkin was so successful in recommending his discovery to the dyestuffs industry that his biography by Simon Garfield is titled Mauve.[12] As mauveine faded easily, our contemporary understanding of mauve is as a lighter, less saturated color than it was originally known.[13]

"Mauveine" was named after the mauve colored mallow flower, even though it is a much deeper tone of purple than mauve. The term "Mauve" in the late 19th century could refer to either the deep, rich color of the dye or the light color of the flower. Mauve (meaning Mauveine) came into great vogue when in 1862 Queen Victoria appeared at the Royal Exhibition in a mauve silk gown—dyed with mauveine. By 1890, this color had become so pervasive in fashion that author Thomas Beer used it in the title of his book about the 1890s, The Mauve Decade.[14]

Artists' pigment purple (red-violet): 1930s[edit]

Main article: Red-violet

Red-Violet Color coordinatesHex triplet#C71585sRGBB (r, g, b)(199, 21, 133)HSV (h, s, v)(322°, 89%, 78%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(45, 98, 340°)SourceX11ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid purplish redB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

In some parts of the world, 'Royal purple' (shown above) or the dark violet color known as generic purple is the common layman's idea of purple, but these color terms carry different meanings in different parts of the world. Even among modern native speakers of English there is confusion about the terms purple and violet.[2] In the United Kingdom, many native speakers of English refer to the blue-dominated spectral color beyond blue as violet, but this color is called purple by many speakers in the United States.[3][4]

In some texts the term violet refers to any color between red and blue.[5] However, there are also authoritative texts from the United Kingdom in which this same range of colors is referred to by the term purple.[3]

When including languages other than English, and epochs other than the modern period, the uncertainty about the meanings of the color terms violet and purple is even larger.[6] Since this Wikipedia page contains contributions from authors from different countries and different native languages, it is likely to be not consistent in the use of the color terms violet and purple.

Artists that[citation needed] happen to follow Munsell color system (introduced in 1905 and used since 1930 by a large number of artists in the United States, but by much fewer artists outside the US), may regard purple as being synonymous with the red-violet color, represented by the web color medium violet red. Munsell included purple as a color hue in his color system, but he did not do so for violet as he did not need it as a label for his system (just like the hue term orange is not used in Munsell's system). If defined as blue-dominated colors between blue and red, violet colors in Munsell's system would be classified as having the 7.5PB and 10.0PB hue, which is confirmed in visual experiments

[6]

The truly purple color, defined as being within the range of the red-dominated colors between red and blue, is sometimes confusingly labeled as red-violet color, or more correctly artist's purple. It is the pigment color that would be on a pigment color color wheel between pigment violet and pigment (process) magenta. In the Munsell color system, this color at its maximum chroma of 12 is called Red-Purple, or more specifically Munsell 5RP.

Artists' pigments and colored pencils labeled as purple are typically colored the red-violet color. On an RYB color wheel, the so-called red-violet color is the color between red and violet.

Electric purple: 2000s[edit]

Electric Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#BF00FFsRGBB (r, g, b)(191, 0, 255)HSV (h, s, v)(285°, 100%, 100%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(50, 133, 288°)SourceX11ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This color, electric purple, is precisely halfway between violet and magenta and thus fits the artistic definition of purple.[15]

Using additive colors such as those on computer screens, it is possible to create a much brighter purple than with pigments where the mixing subtracts frequencies from the component primary colors. The equivalent color on a computer to the pigment color red-violet shown above would be this electric purple, i.e. the much brighter purple you can see reproduced on the screen of a computer. This color is pure purple conceived as computer artists conceive it, as the color on the color wheel halfway between color wheel violet and electric magenta. Thus, electric purple is the purest and brightest purple that it is possible to display on a computer screen. Its RGB code is (191, 0, 255).

An old name for this color, used by Robert Ridgway in his 1912 book on color nomenclature, Color Standards and Color Nomenclature, is true purple.[16]

Web colors[edit]

Purple (HTML/CSS color) (patriarch)[edit]

Purple (HTML/CSS color) Color coordinatesHex triplet#800080sRGBB (r, g, b)(128, 0, 128)HSV (h, s, v)(300°, 100%, 50%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(30, 68, 308°)SourceHTML/CSS[17]ISCC–NBS descriptorDeep purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This purple used in HTML and CSS actually is deeper and has a more reddish hue (#800080) than the X11 color purple shown below as purple (X11 color) (#A020F0), which is bluer and brighter. This is one of the very few clashes between web and X11 colors.

This color may be called HTML/CSS purple. It seems likely that this color was chosen as the web color purple because its hue is exactly halfway between red and blue and its value is exactly halfway between white and black.

A traditional name sometimes used for this tone of purple is patriarch. The first recorded use of patriarch as a color name in English was in 1925.[18]

Purple (X11 color) (veronica)[edit]

Purple (X11 color) Color coordinatesHex triplet#A020F0sRGBB (r, g, b)(160, 32, 240)HSV (h, s, v)(277°, 87%, 94%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(45, 123, 283°)SourceX11ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid violetB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color purple, as defined in the X11 color names in 1987, is brighter and bluer than the HTML/CSS web color purple shown above as purple (HTML/CSS color). This is one of the very few clashes between web and X11 colors.

This color can be called X11 purple.

Veronica prostrata, for which the color veronica is named

The traditional name for this tone of purple is veronica. The first recorded use of veronica as a color name in English was in 1919.[19]

Medium purple (X11)[edit]

Medium Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#9370DBsRGBB (r, g, b)(147, 112, 219)HSV (h, s, v)(260°, 49%, 86%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(55, 83, 276°)SourceX11ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid violetB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The web color medium purple is a medium shade of the bright X11 purple shown above.

Rebecca purple[edit]

Rebecca purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#663399sRGBB (r, g, b)(102, 51, 153)HSV (h, s, v)(270°, 67%, 60%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(33, 69, 281°)SourceCSS 4.1B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Rebecca purple was named after the daughter of CSS pioneer Eric A. Meyer and added to CSS 4.1.

Additional definition of purple[edit]

Purple (Munsell)[edit]

Purple (Munsell) The hues of the Munsell color system, at varying values, and maximum chroma to stay in the sRGB gamut Color coordinatesHex triplet#CC00FFsRGBB (r, g, b)(204, 0, 255)HSV (h, s, v)(288°, 100%, 100%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(52, 133, 292°)Sourcehttps://pteromys.melonisland.net/munsell/ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

a similar shade to the cloth.

This color is defined as purple in the Munsell color system (Munsell 5P). 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.

Additional variations[edit]

Pale purple[edit]

Pale Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#FAE6FAsRGBB (r, g, b)(250, 230, 250)HSV (h, s, v)(300°, 8%, 98%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(93, 17, 308°)SourcePantone TPXISCC–NBS descriptorPale purplish pinkB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Pale purple is the pale tint of purple.

Mauve[edit]

Main article: Mauve

Mallow wildflower

Mauve (Mallow) Color coordinatesHex triplet#E0B0FFsRGBB (r, g, b)(224, 176, 255)HSV (h, s, v)(276°, 31%, 100%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(79, 61, 290°)SourceMaerz and Paul[20]ISCC–NBS descriptorBrilliant purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Mauve /ˈmoʊv/ ⓘ[21] (rhymes with "grove"; from the French form of Malva "mallow") is a pale purple. Mauve is named after the mallow flower. Another name for the color is mallow[22] with the first recorded use of mallow as a color name in English in 1611.[23]

Thistle[edit]

Milk thistle flowerhead

Thistle Color coordinatesHex triplet#D8BFD8sRGBB (r, g, b)(216, 191, 216)HSV (h, s, v)(300°, 12%, 85%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(80, 21, 308°)SourceX11ISCC–NBS descriptorVery pale purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Thistle is a light purple resembling the thistle plant.

The first recorded use of Thistle as a color name in English was in 1892.[24]

The color thistle is associated with Scotland because the thistle is the national flower of Scotland and Scotland's highest state decoration is the Order of the Thistle.

Orchid[edit]

Main article: Orchid (color)

Cattleya labiata

Orchid Color coordinatesHex triplet#DA70D6sRGBB (r, g, b)(218, 112, 214)HSV (h, s, v)(302°, 49%, 85%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(63, 80, 310°)SourceX11ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color orchid is a bright rich purple. The name 'orchid' originates from the flowers of some species of the vast orchid flower family, such as Laelia furfuracea and Ascocentrum pusillum, which have petals of this color.

The first recorded use of orchid as a color name in English was in 1915.[25]

Heliotrope[edit]

Main article: Heliotrope (color)

Heliotropium peruvianum

Heliotrope Color coordinatesHex triplet#DF73FFsRGBB (r, g, b)(223, 115, 255)HSV (h, s, v)(286°, 55%, 100%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(66, 102, 295°)SourceMaerz and Paul[26]ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color heliotrope is a brilliant tone of purple; it is a pink-purple tint that is a representation of the color of the heliotrope flower.

The first recorded use of heliotrope as a color name in English was in 1882.[27]

Psychedelic purple (phlox)[edit]

Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata)

Phlox Color coordinatesHex triplet#DF00FFsRGBB (r, g, b)(223, 0, 255)HSV (h, s, v)(292°, 100%, 100%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(55, 134, 298°)SourceMaerz and Paul[28]ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The pure essence of purple was approximated in pigment in the late 1960s by mixing fluorescent magenta and fluorescent blue pigments together to make fluorescent purple to use in psychedelic black light paintings. This tone of purple was very popular among hippies and was the favorite color of Jimi Hendrix. Thus it is called psychedelic purple. Psychedelic purple is the color halfway between electric purple and magenta.

In the 1980s, there was a Jimi Hendrix Museum in a Victorian house on the east side of Central Avenue one half block south of Haight Street in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco which was painted this color.

Another name for this color is phlox, as it is the color of the phlox flower. The first recorded use of phlox as a color name in English was in 1918.[29]

Purple pizzazz[edit]

Main article: Shades of magenta § Purple pizzazz

Purple Pizzazz Color coordinatesHex triplet#FE4EDAsRGBB (r, g, b)(254, 78, 218)HSV (h, s, v)(312°, 69%, 100%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(63, 111, 322°)SourceCrayolaISCC–NBS descriptorVivid reddish purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color purple pizzazz was formulated by Crayola in 1990.

Liseran purple[edit]

Liseran Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#DE6FA1sRGBB (r, g, b)(222, 111, 161)HSV (h, s, v)(333°, 50%, 87%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(61, 71, 345°)SourceISCC-NBS [30]ISCC–NBS descriptorDeep purplish pinkB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The first recorded use of liseran purple as a color name in English was in 1912.[31]

Mulberry[edit]

Main article: Mulberry (color)

Mulberry Color coordinatesHex triplet#C54B8CsRGBB (r, g, b)(197, 75, 140)HSV (h, s, v)(328°, 62%, 77%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(50, 77, 341°)SourceCrayolaISCC–NBS descriptorStrong purplish redB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Mulberry fruits

The color mulberry is a representation of the color of mulberry jam or pie. This was a Crayola crayon color from 1958 to 2003.

The first recorded use of mulberry as a color name in English was in 1776.[32]

Pearly purple[edit]

Pearly Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#B768A2sRGBB (r, g, b)(183, 104, 162)HSV (h, s, v)(316°, 43%, 72%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(55, 54, 323°)SourceCrayolaISCC–NBS descriptorStrong reddish purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Pearly purple is one of the colors in the special set of metallic colored Crayola crayons called Silver Swirls, the colors of which were formulated by Crayola in 1990.

Purpureus[edit]

Purpureus Color coordinatesHex triplet#9A4EAEsRGBB (r, g, b)(154, 78, 174)HSV (h, s, v)(288°, 55%, 68%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(46, 70, 297°)SourceISCC-NBSISCC–NBS descriptorVivid purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This color is named purpureus. Another name for this color is purpura.

The first recorded use its alternative name purpura as a color name in English was in 1382.[9]

Northwestern Purple[edit]

Northwestern Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#4E2A84sRGBB (r, g, b)(78, 42, 132)HSV (h, s, v)(264°, 68%, 52%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(27, 59, 277°)SourceBrand GuideISCC–NBS descriptorDeep violetB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Northwestern Purple is the official color of Northwestern University. Additionally, there are shades and tints that are variations of the base color. Northwestern Purple is a custom ink color and can no longer be referenced by a Pantone number.

KSU Purple[edit]

KSU Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#512888sRGBB (r, g, b)(81, 40, 136)HSV (h, s, v)(266°, 71%, 53%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(27, 62, 277°)SourceBrand GuideISCC–NBS descriptorDeep violetB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

For printed material, purple (Pantone #268+)[33] is the official school color of Kansas State University. Traditionally, the school has referred to this darker and bluer shade as Royal Purple.[34] [compare with Royal purple: 17th century]

For the web, #512888 is the official color, even though that hex triplet is not a direct conversion from Pantone 268+.[33]

Pomp and Power[edit]

Pomp and Power Color coordinatesHex triplet#86608EsRGBB (r, g, b)(134, 96, 142)HSV (h, s, v)(290°, 32%, 56%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(46, 36, 300°)SourceISCC-NBSISCC–NBS descriptorModerate purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color pomp and power is not found in the 1930 first edition of the Dictionary of Color by Maerz and Paul, but it is found in the second edition of 1950.[35]

The normalized color coordinates for pomp and power are identical to french lilac, first recorded as a color name in English in 1814.[36]

Mardi Gras[edit]

Mardi Gras Color coordinatesHex triplet#880085sRGBB (r, g, b)(136, 0, 133)HSV (h, s, v)(301°, 100%, 53%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(32, 72, 309°)SourceXona.com Color List[37]ISCC–NBS descriptorVivid reddish purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color name Mardi Gras has been in use since 2001 when the Xona.com Color List was first promulgated.

Eminence[edit]

Eminence Color coordinatesHex triplet#6C3082sRGBB (r, g, b)(108, 48, 130)HSV (h, s, v)(284°, 63%, 51%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(32, 55, 293°)SourceXona.com Color ListISCC–NBS descriptorDeep purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color name eminence, used since the 1800s,[38] has been in modern use for this color since 2001 when the Xona.com Color List was first promulgated.

Byzantium[edit]

Main article: Byzantium (color)

Byzantium Color coordinatesHex triplet#702963sRGBB (r, g, b)(112, 41, 99)HSV (h, s, v)(311°, 63%, 44%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(29, 44, 319°)SourceISCC-NBSISCC–NBS descriptorDeep reddish purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color byzantium is a dark tone of purple.

The first recorded use of byzantium as a color name in English was in 1926.[39]

Pansy purple[edit]

Pansy Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#78184AsRGBB (r, g, b)(120, 24, 74)HSV (h, s, v)(329°, 80%, 47%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(27, 54, 346°)SourceISCC-NBSISCC–NBS descriptorDeep purplish redB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Purple Pansy

The pansy flower has varieties that exhibit three different colors: pansy (a color between indigo and violet), pansy pink, and pansy purple.

The first recorded use of pansy purple as a color name in English was in 1814.[40]

Palatinate[edit]

Main article: Palatinate (colour)Palatinate Color coordinatesHex triplet#72246CsRGBB (r, g, b)(114, 36, 108)HSV (h, s, v)(305°, 68%, 45%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(29, 50, 312°)SourceDurham University[41][42]ISCC–NBS descriptorDeep reddish purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Palatinate is a color (a pale shade of violet) associated with the University of Durham (and with Newcastle University Medical School, this being the former medical school of Durham University.) A separate color, 'Palatinate Blue', is derived from the coat of arms of County Durham. The name 'Palatinate' in both instances alludes to the historic status of Durham as a County Palatine.

Dark purple[edit]

Main article: Dark purple

Dark Purple Color coordinatesHex triplet#301934sRGBB (r, g, b)(48, 25, 52)HSV (h, s, v)(291°, 52%, 20%)CIELChuv (L, C, h)(13, 15, 300°)SourceISCC-NBSISCC–NBS descriptorVery dark purpleB: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Dark purple is the dark tone of purple.

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Purple - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Beginning

1Meaning of purple

2Comparison of blue, indigo, violet and purple

3Comparison of purple, magenta, rose and red

4Tones of purple color comparison chart

5Tones of Tyrian purple

6Related pages

7References

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Purple

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This box shows the color purple.

Holi celebration in India

Lighting for a party

Purple sky

Purple is a color that is made of two primary colors, blue and red.

The first written use of purple as a color name in English was in 975.[1]

Meaning of purple[change | change source]

Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery and magic. Purple is a very rare color in nature, though the lavender flower and catmint are two examples.

Tyrian Purple is used to represent royalty. It is a sign of power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It shows wealth and extravagance. It is thought as a royal color because in Roman times, there was only one way to make the color purple, which the Romans called purpura. They used one or two species of the gastropod Murex, which produced the dye in a gland. These tiny shellfish lived in the Mediterranean Sea.[2] Each snail produced only tiny amounts, so it was very expensive. Therefore, purple was only worn by the rich and famous. Naturally, the richest and most famous people in the country were the Roman emperors, so they were able to wear the most purple.[3] Roman sumptuary laws forbade plebeians to wear it.

Light purple is a good choice for a feminine design. It creates feelings of romance. Bright purple can be used when promoting children's things.

Dark purple may create sad feelings. It can cause frustration.

Pink purple, it is associated with eroticism and femininity.[4]

Comparison of blue, indigo, violet and purple[change | change source]

Name

Color

HEX Code

Red

Green

Blue

Hue

Sat

Lum

Blue

#0000FF

255

240°

100%

50%

Indigo (Electric Indigo)

#6F00FF

111

255

266°

100%

50%

Violet (Color Wheel) (Near Violet)

#7F00FF

127

255

270°

100%

50%

Violet (Electric Violet) (Middle Violet) (Blue Purple)

#8F00FF

143

255

274°

100%

50%

Vivid Violet (Extreme Violet)

#9F00FF

159

255

277°

100%

50%

Purple

#800080

128

300°

100%

50%

Comparison of purple, magenta, rose and red[change | change source]

Name

Color

HEX Code

Red

Green

Blue

Hue

Sat

Lum

Purple

#800080

128

300°

100%

50%

Magenta

#FF00FF

255

300°

100%

Magenta Rose

#FF00AF

255

175

319°

100%

Rose

#7F00FF

255

127

330°

100%

Red

#FF0000

255

0°

100%

Tones of purple color comparison chart[change | change source]

Lavender Blush (web color) (Hex: #FFF0F5) (RGB: 255, 240, 245)

Purple Mist (Pale Purple) (Pantone TPX 12-2103) (Hex: #FAE6FA) (RGB: 250, 230, 250)

Lavender Mist (web color Lavender) (Hex: #E6E6FA) (RGB: 230, 230, 250)

Almost Mauve (Pantone TPX 12-2103) (Hex: #EBE1DF) (RGB: 235, 225, 223)

Mauve Morn (Pantone TPX 12-2102) (Hex: #EBDBDB) (RGB: 235, 219, 219)

Mauve Chalk (Pantone TPX 12-2902) (Hex: #E4D3D2) (RGB: 228, 211, 210)

Pale Lilac (Light Mauve) (Hex: #DCD0FF) (RGB: 220, 208, 255)

Mauvette (Plochere) (Mauve Pink) (Light Mulberry) (Hex: #E8CCD7) (RGB: 232, 204, 215)

Deep Mauve Pink (Hex: #DE4BEEB) (RGB: 228, 190, 235)

Mauve (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #E0B0FF) (RGB: 224, 176, 255)

Thistle (HTML/CSS web color: Light Purple) (Hex: #D8BFD8) (RGB: 216, 191, 216)

Lilac (Hex: #C8A2C8) (RGB: 200, 162, 200)

Kobi (Xona.com color list) (Light Aubergine) (Hex: #C79FC4) (RGB: 231, 159, 196)

Light Orchid (Crayola Orchid) (Hex: #E29CD2) (RGB: 226, 156, 210)

Pale Plum (web color Plum) (Medium Lavender Magenta) (Hex: #DDA0DD) (RGB: 221, 160, 221)

Lavender Magenta (web color "violet") (Hex: #EE82EE) (RGB: 238, 130, 238)

Orchid (web color) (Hex: #DA70D6) (RGB: 218, 112, 240) (CMYK: 0,49,2,15)

Heliotrope (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #DF73FF) (RGB: 223, 115, 255)

French Mauve (Deep Mauve) (Mauve (Pourpre.com)) (Hex: #D473D4) (RGB: 212, 115, 212)

Opera Mauve (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #CA82AF) (RGB: 202, 130, 175)

Light Veronica (Xona.com color list "[X11] Purple Light") (Hex:D46FF9) (RGB: 212,111, 249)

Psychedelic Purple (Phlox (Maerz & Paul)) (Hex: #DF00FF) (RGB: 223, 0, 255)

Vivid Orchid (Hex: #CC00FF) (RGB: 204, 0, 255)

Neon Purple (Hex: #BC13FE) (RGB: 188, 19, 254)

Hot Purple (Hex: #CB00F5) (RGB: 203, 0, 245)

Electric Purple (True Purple) (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #BF00FF) (RGB: 191, 0, 255)

Pontiff (Pontiff Purple) (Hex: #AF00FF) (RGB: 175, 0, 255)

Paars (Dutch Purple) (Hex: #AA00FF) (RGB: 170, 0, 255)

Veronica (Maerz & Paul) (X11 web color Purple) (Hex: #A020F0) (RGB: 160, 92, 240)

Purple (Munsell) (Munsell 5P) (Hex: #9F00C5) (RGB: 159, 0, 197)

Dark Orchid (web color) (Hex: #9932CC) (RGB: 153, 50, 204)

Deep Purple (Hex: #8B00CC) (RGB: 139, 0, 204)

Deep Indigo (web color Blue-Violet) (Hex: #8A2BE2) (RGB: 138, 43, 226)

Lavender Indigo (Hex: #9457EB) (RGB: 148, 87, 235)

Vanda Purple (Hex: #9842E3) (RGB: 152, 66, 227)

Internet Purple (color of "all purple website" www.purple.com) (Hex: #7D26CD) (RGB: 125, 38, 205)

Royal Purple (Crayola) (Hex: #7851A9) (RGB: 120, 91, 169)

Purple Heart (Crayola) (Hex: #652DC1) (RGB: 101, 45, 93)

Prince Fan Purple (lettering on Prince fan website Prince.org) (Hex: #6600B7) (RGB: 102, 0, 187)

Generic Purple (www.web-site-tools.com/s/660099.htm) (Hex: #660099) (RGB: 102, 0, 153)

Purple Reign (Pantone TPX 19-3620) (Hex: 54446C) (RGB: 84, 68, 108)

Purple Rain (color of lettering on Prince's album Purple Rain) (Hex: #4B308D) (RGB: 75, 48, 141)

Vulgar Purple (Grape Jelly) (Hex: #3E2F84) (RGB: 62, 47, 132)

Regalia (Hex: #522d80) (RGB: 82, 45, 128)

Pigment Indigo (web color Indigo) (Hex: #4B0082) (RGB: 75, 0, 130)

Dark Indigo (Hex: #310062) (RGB: 49, 0, 98)

Persian Indigo (Regimental (Maerz & Paul)) (Hex: #32127A) (RGB: 50, 18, 122)

Ultramarine (pigment) (Hex: #120A8F) (RGB: 18, 10, 143)

Persian Blue (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #1C39BB) (RGB: 28, 57, 187)

Electric Ultramarine (Ultramarine (Maerz & Paul)) (Hex: #3F00FF) (RGB: 63, 0, 255)

Han Purple (Hex: #5218FA) (RGB: 82, 24, 250)

Westminster (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #5F00FF) (RGB: 95, 0, 255)

Indigo (Electric Indigo) (Hex: #6600FF) (RGB: 102, 0, 255)

Pansy (Heartsease) (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #7700FF) (RGB: 119, 0, 255)

Violet (Electric Violet) (Blue Purple) (Hex: #8B00FF) (RGB: 139, 0, 255)

Pigment Violet (web color Dark Violet) (Hex: #9400D3) (RGB: 148, 0, 211)

Lavender (Floral Lavender) (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #B57EDC) (RGB: 181,126,220)

Purple Mountain Majesty (Crayola) (Lavender Purple) (Hex: #9678B6) (RGB: 150, 120, 182)

Purple-gray (Hex: #81598F) (RGB: 129, 89, 143)

Violet Purple (Crayola) (Hex: #926EAE) (RGB: 146, 110, 174)

Purple Yam (Ube) (Hex: #8878C3) (RGB: 136, 120, 195)

French Lavender (Lavender (Pourpre.com) (Hex: #9683EC) (RGB: 150, 131, 236)

Medium Purple (web color) (Deep Lavender) (Hex: #9370DB) (RGB: 147, 112, 219)

Amethyst (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #9966CC) (RGB: 153, 102, 204)

Deep Lilac (German Lilac) (Hex: #9955BB) (RGB: 153, 85, 187)

Purpureus (Purpura) (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #9A4EAE) (RGB: 154, 78, 174)

Chinese Purple (Hex: #A757AB) (RGB: 167, 87, 171)

Meadow Mauve (Pantone TPX 18-3230) (Hex: #A55790) (RGB: 165, 87, 144)

Violet Eggplant (Chinese Eggplant) (Hex: #991199) (RGB: 153, 17, 153)

Striking Purple (Pantone TPX 18-3025) (Hex: #98508E) (RGB: 152, 80, 142)

Purple Orchid (Pantone TPX 18-3027) (Hex: #AE4F93) (RGB: 174, 79, 107)

Purple (Pantone) (Hex: #B634BB) (RGB: 182, 52, 187)

Medium Orchid (web color) (Hex: #BA55D3) (RGB: 183, 85, 211)

Deep Fuchsia (Fuchsia (Crayola)) (Hex: #C154C1) (RGB: 193, 84, 193)

Steel Pink (Crayola Ultra colored pencils) (Hex: #CC33CC) (RGB: 204, 51, 204)

Rich Mauve (French Mauve) (Mauve (Pourpre.com)) (Hex: #473D4) (RGB: 212, 115, 212)

Opera Mauve (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #CA82AF) (RGB: 202, 130, 175)

Mauve Taupe (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #AF868E) (RGB: 175, 134, 142)

Medium Vanda (Vanda (ISCC-NBS)) (Lavender Brown) (Hex: #AA8A9E) (RGB: 170, 138, 158)

Pale Red-Violet (web color Pale Violet Red) (Hex: #DB7093) (RGB: 219, 112, 147)

Fandango Pink (Pantone TPX 17-2033) (Hex: #DE5285) (RGB: 222, 82, 133)

Cabaret Purple (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #D94972) (RGB: 217, 73, 114)

Red-Purple (Gallego & Sanz) (Hex: #E40078) (RGB: 228, 0, 120)

Fuchsia Purple (Pantone TPX 18-2436) (Hex: #CC397B) (RGB: 204, 57, 123)

Royal Fuchsia (Hex: #CA2C92) (RGB: 202, 44, 146)

Byzantine (Maerz & Paul) (Hex:BD33A4) (RGB: 189, 51, 164)

Fandango (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #B53389) (RGB: 181, 51, 137)

Medium Red-Violet (Red-Violet (Crayola)) (Hex: #BB3385) (RGB: 187, 51, 133)

Red-Violet (web color Medium Violet Red) (Hex: #C71585) (RGB: 199, 21, 133)

Mulberry (Crayola) (Hex: #C54B8C) (RGB: 197, 75, 140)

Hibiscus Purple (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #B6316C) (RGB: 182, 49, 108)

Tyrian Red (Porpora (Fantetti & Petracchi[5])) (Hex: #B21B1C) (RGB: 178, 27, 28)

Bright Tyrian Purple (Pourpre (Pourpre.com [Pre-2010])) (Hex: #B80049) (RGB: 184, 0, 73)

Rich Tyrian Purple (Pourpre (Pourpre.com)) (Hex: #9E0E40) (RGB: 158, 14, 64)

Medium Tyrian Purple (Tyrian Purple (American Azalea Society))(Hex: #990024) (RGB: 97, 64, 81)

Amaranth Purple (Maerz & Paul) (Hex: #AB274F) (RGB: 171, 39, 79)

Night Shadz (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #AA375A) (RGB: 170, 55, 90)

Jazzberry Jam (Crayola) (Hex: #A50B5E) (RGB: 165, 11, 94)

Royal Heath (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #AB3472) (RGB: 171, 52, 114)

Fuchsia Red (Pantone TPX 18-2328) (Hex: #B33A7F) (RGB: 179, 58, 127)

Violine (Wallflower) (Hex: #A10684) (RGB: 161, 6, 132)

Traffic Purple (RAL 4006) (Purple Grey) (Hex: #A03472) (RGB: 160, 52, 114)

Amaranth Deep Purple (Amaranth (Maerz & Paul)) (Hex: #9F2B68) (RGB: 159, 43, 104)

Red-Violet Eggplant (Hex: #990066) (RGB: 153, 0, 102)

Medium Mauve (Vietnamese Mauve) (Hex: #993366) (RGB: 153, 51, 102)

Disco (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #871550) (RGB: 135, 21, 80)

Boysenberry (Pantone TPX 19-2431) (Hex: #873260) (RGB: 135, 50, 96)

Purple Wine (Pantone TPX 18-2929) (Hex: #8E3975) (RGB: 143, 57, 117)

Plum (Crayola) (Plum (traditional)) (Hex: #843179) (RGB: 132, 49, 121)

Mardi Gras (Xona.com color list Mardi Gras Light) (Hex: #880085) (RGB: 136, 0, 137)

Purple (HTML/CSS web color Purple) (Patriarch (Maerz & Paul)) (Octopus) (Hex: #800080) (RGB: 128, 0, 128)

Spanish Purple (Purpura (Gallego & Sanz)) (Hex: #7D2181) (RGB: 125, 33, 129)

Byzantium (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #702963) (RGB: 112, 41, 99)

Imperial (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: 602F6B) (RGB: 96, 47, 107)

Purple Magic (Pantone TPX 19-3540) (Hex: #693B71) (RGB: 105, 59, 113)

Purple Passion (Pantone TPX 19-3223) (Hex: #682860) (RGB: 104, 40, 96)

Palatinate Purple (Hex: #682860) (RGB: 104, 40, 96)

Tokyo Purple (Japanese Imperial Purple) (Hex: #5A004A) (RGB: 90, 0, 74)

Halaya Ube (Purple Yam Jam) (Hex: #663854) (RGB: 102, 56, 84)

Pansy Purple (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #78184A) (RGB: 120, 24, 74)

Nightclub Purple (Xona.com color list) (Dark Mulberry) (Hex: #660045) (RGB: 102, 0, 69)

Tyrian Purple (www.99colors.net) (Imperial Purple) (Hex: #66023C) (RGB: 102, 2, 60)

Cosmic Purple (Xona.com color list) (Hex: #763950) (RGB: 118, 57, 93)

Persian Plum (Xona.com color list) (Prune) (Hex: #701C1C) (RGB: 112, 28, 28)

Old Mauve (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #673147) (RGB: 103, 49, 71)

Eggplant (Crayola) (Aubergine) (Hex: #664051) (RGB: 97, 64, 81)

Dark Byzantium (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #5D3954) (RGB: 93, 57, 84)

Blackberry (Xona.com color list) (Dark Aubergine) (Hex: #4D0135) (RGB: 77, 1, 53)

Deep Tyrian Purple (Purpura de Tiro Claro (Gallego & Sanz)) (Hex: #4E0041) (RGB: 78, 0, 65)

Japanese Purple (Purple (Japanese traditional colors)) (Hex: #4F284B) (RGB: 79, 40, 75)

Purple Taupe (www.99colors.net) (Hex: #50404D) (RGB: 80, 64, 77)

Dark Mardi Gras (Xona.com color list Mardi Gras) (Hex350036) (RGB: 53, 0, 54)

Dark Tyrian Purple (Purpura de Tiro (Gallego & Sanz)) (Hex: #360029) (RGB: 54, 0, 41)

Dark Purple (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: #301934) (RGB: 48, 25, 52)

Tones of Tyrian purple[change | change source]

These Tyrian purple colors, all of which are also shown in the color chart above, show the original purple of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. The color imperial shown below was made by mixing Tyrian purple with indigo dye.

Bright Tyrian Purple (Pourpre (Pourpre.com [Pre-2010])) (Hex: #B80049) (RGB: 184, 0, 73)

Tyrian Red (Porpora (Fantetti & Petracchiref [5])) (Hex: #B21B1C) (RGB: 178, 27, 28)

Rich Tyrian Purple (Pourpre (Pourpre.com)) (Hex: #9E0E40) (RGB: 158, 14, 64)

Medium Tyrian Purple (Tyrian Purple (American Azalea Society)) (Hex: #990024) (RGB: 97, 64, 81)

Tyrian Purple (www.99colors.net) (Imperial Purple) (Hex: #66023C) (RGB: 102, 2, 60)

Deep Tyrian Purple (Purpura de Tiro Claro (Gallego & Sanz)) (Hex: #4E0041) (RGB: 78, 0, 65)

Dark Tyrian Purple (Purpura de Tiro (Gallego & Sanz)) (Hex: #360029) (RGB: 54, 0, 41)

Imperial (ISCC-NBS) (Hex: 602F6B) (RGB: 96, 47, 107)

Related pages[change | change source]

List of colors

References[change | change source]

The Simple English Wiktionary has a definition for:

purple.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Purple.

↑ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 202

↑ Interscience. Purple dyes made from shellfish in antiquity

↑ Marginal Revolution, Royal Purple

↑ Heller, Eva: Psychologie de la couleur – effets et symboliques, pp. 179-184

↑ 5.0 5.1 Fantetti, S. & Petracchi, C. Il dizionario dei colori: nomi e valori in quadricromia Zanichelli 2001 ISBN=8808079953

vteShades of magenta

AmaranthAmaranth pinkAmaranth purpleBlushCeriseCrimsonDark MagentaEggplantFairy TaleFandango FollyFrench roseFuchsiaHollywood ceriseHot magentaMagentaMagenta (Pantone)Magenta dyeMagenta hazeMulberry OrchidPalatinatePhloxPlumPurplePersian rosePurple pizzazzQuinacridone magentaRaspberryRazzle dazzle rose Red-violetRoseShocking pinkSky magentaSteel pinkTelemagentaUltra pinkViolet-red

A typical sample is shown for each name; a range of color-variations is commonly associated with each color-name.

vteShades of purple

African violetAmethystBlue-violetByzantiumChinese violetChristmas purpleChristmas purple 2Dark purpleDark violetElectric indigo Electric purpleElectric violetEnglish violetEminenceFairy TaleFandangoFrench mauveFrench violetGrapeHeliotrope IndigoIndigo dyeJapanese violetLavender blushLavender (floral)Lavender (web)LilacMardi GrasMauveMedium slate blue Mountbatten pinkMulberryNeon purpleOrchidPalatinatePale purplePatriarchPeriwinklePhloxPink lavender Plum (web)Pomp and PowerPurplePurple-grayPurpureusRoyal purpleRed-violetRussian violetSlate blueSteel pink ThistleTropical indigoTyrian purpleUltra VioletVeronicaVioletViolet-grayWisteria

A typical sample is shown for each name; a range of color-variations is commonly associated with each color-name.

Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Purple&oldid=9377846"

Categories: Shades of magentaShades of violetPigmentsShades of blueShades of color templatesShades of redHidden category: Commons category link from Wikidata

This page was last changed on 25 February 2024, at 07:22.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License and the GFDL; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.

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PURPLE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

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English (UK)

English

Meaning of purple in English

purpleadjective uk

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/ˈpɜː.pəl/ us

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/ˈpɝː.pəl/

purple adjective

(COLOUR)

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A2 of a dark reddish-blue colour: purple plums a dark purple bruise

purple with rage (mainly UK purple in the face)

dark red in the face because of anger: By this point, and purple with rage, all I could think of saying was, "I think we'll have to agree to disagree."

See more purple patch

UK a period of success: Often a company will go through a purple patch of achievement because of a talented director at the helm. United could have extended their lead during a purple patch following the goal.

More examplesFewer examplesHer face was covered in purple blotches.He admired the queen's resplendent purple robes.Her face was covered in purple blotches.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Common colours

blue

bluely

blueness

bluey

bluish

brown

brownish

green

greenish

greenly

orange

orangeness

pink

pinkish

pinkness

purpleness

purplish

reddish

yellowish

yellowness

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Success and achievements

purple adjective

(STYLE)

UK used to describe a piece of writing that is complicated or sounds false because the writer has tried too hard to make the style interesting: Despite occasional patches of purple prose, the book is mostly clear and incisive. The prose is quite purple, filled with ridiculous adjectives and unnecessary descriptions. She shuns the purple passage in favour of concise, striking images.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Complexity

advanced

all-singing

baroque

baroquely

be more to something than meets the eye idiom

finicky

high-tech

indirectly

insolubility

intractability

onerousness

ornate

ornately

over-elaborate

over-fussy

tortuous

tortuously

tortuousness

twisty

ultra-sophisticated

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Difficult to understand

purple adjective

(POLITICS)

US used to describe an area where a similar number of people usually vote Republican and Democrat, so that a small number of votes can change the result in elections: This group of voters has potential to tip the balance in two or more purple states. She has to run against a Democrat in a district that’s mighty purple. Compare

blue state

red state

More examplesFewer examplesHe's pretty moderate. He's able to win in a purple state.Democrats fear they are about to get punished by their constituents in the "purple" districts.Some people think this is a good opportunity for Dems, even though the district isn't quite as purple as some other targets.The party also pulled out big victories across state legislatures, flipping six chambers, turning others purple, and shoring up its supermajorities.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

International relations: United States politics & government

anti-Republican

battleground state

bicameral

blue state

caucus

confederacy

gubernatorial

homeland security

House Committee

impeach

Independence Day

joint resolution

override

republican

secret service

secretary

Secretary of State

the Articles of Confederation

the GOP

the Republican Party

See more results »

Related word

purpleness

purplenoun [ C or U ] uk

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/ˈpɜː.pəl/ us

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/ˈpɝː.pəl/

A2 a dark reddish-blue colour: Purple is my favourite colour. The evening sky was full of purples and reds.

beyhan yazar/iStock/Getty Images Plus/GettyImages

More examplesFewer examplesI like rich jewel colours, such as purple, blue and green.Arrayed before him were 40 schoolchildren in purple and green.The evening sky was deep pink, with tints of purple and red in it.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Less common colours

apple green

argent

ashy

avocado

baby blue

carmine

cerise

dun

emerald

indigo

peacock blue

puce

racing green

ruddily

rust

salmon pink

sanguine

shocking pink

sky blue

verdure

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purple | American Dictionary

purpleadjective, noun [ C/U ] us

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/ˈpɜr·pəl/

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(of) the color that is a mixture of red and blue: a purple dress [ C ] The walls are a pale purple.

Examples of purple

purple

Measurements with a uniform purple or lime background are shown by solid purple or lime triangles, respectively.