The meaning behind royal blue
About the color
Royal blue pigment remained costly to produce for a long time in history, and it is a relatively modern invention.
“Royal blue” was first used in 1810 to describe a particular hue of Queen Charlotte’s dresses. Thanks to this historical connection to the British throne, royal blue retained its expensive and regal status, even during the industrial age and the advent of cheaper blue pigments.
In the 1980s, “royal blue” received an RGB code and became an official color name (or one could say a title because it’s genuinely an imperial hue). The hex code for royal blue is #4169E1.
Type | Value |
---|---|
HEX | #4169E1 |
RGB | 65, 105, 225 |
CMYK | 0.71, 0.53, 0, 0.12 |
Application in design
Royal blue hasn’t been around for as long as red, yellow, or black, but it’s one of the most popular colors today.
There’s a common misconception that royal blue and navy blue are interchangeable. But royal blue is a far more saturated version. The two colors can look great as an analogous color combination.
Because royal blue is associated with trust and reliability, it is commonly used for business logos.
Royal blue pairs well with complementary colors on the color wheel – gold, gray, yellow, pink, and orange.