Baker-Miller Pink
A strong pink once used in prisons and sports to try to calm aggression
Baker-Miller Pink is a vivid shade of pink, created by mixing white and red paints in a set ratio. It was first used in a US naval prison cell in 1979, after research suggested it might reduce aggression. Since then, it has appeared in prisons, sports locker rooms, and art installations, with mixed results.
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- Created by mixing white and red paint in a set ratio
- First used in a Seattle naval prison cell in 1979
- Tested in prisons and sports locker rooms for calming effects
- About 20% of Swiss prisons have at least one pink cell
- Also called P-618 and Drunk-Tank Pink
What colour is Baker-Miller Pink?
Baker-Miller Pink is a bright, purplish pink. It stands out from other pinks by its strong, almost neon quality. The colour was chosen for its supposed effect on behaviour, not for tradition or fashion. It is most often seen on walls and interiors, rather than in nature or clothing.
Where does Baker-Miller Pink come from?
The name comes from two directors of a US naval correctional facility, Baker and Miller. Alexander Schauss, a researcher in Washington, developed the colour in the late 1970s while studying how colours affect mood and behaviour. He found this particular pink seemed to have a strong effect on people’s feelings and physical responses. The shade was first mixed by combining white and red paints in a specific ratio.
How Baker-Miller Pink is defined
To create Baker-Miller Pink, white latex paint is mixed with a smaller amount of red semi-gloss outdoor paint. The original formula used one part red to eight parts white by volume. There is no natural source for this colour; it is made by blending standard paints.
Where Baker-Miller Pink is used
Baker-Miller Pink has been painted on the walls of prison cells, especially in the US and Switzerland, to test if it would calm aggressive behaviour. Some sports teams have used it in locker rooms, hoping to make opponents less energetic. Artists have also used the colour in installations and public art. Some businesses and designers have chosen it for interiors, and it has appeared in clothing and food branding.
What Baker-Miller Pink means
Researchers in the US and Europe have linked Baker-Miller Pink with a calming effect, especially in settings where aggression is a concern. Some studies found that it lowered anxiety or aggressive behaviour after short exposure, but other research saw little or no effect, or even the opposite after longer periods. The colour has also been discussed in relation to ideas about gender, as pink is often associated with femininity in Western culture.
How Baker-Miller Pink feels
Our sources tie Baker-Miller Pink to calm. Such links differ from one culture to the next.
Pink around the world
What the pink and magenta family means from country to country.
The president's office in Buenos Aires is the Casa Rosada, the Pink House. A popular story says its paint once had ox blood mixed in, though this is not proven.
Politics and protestSource: Casa RosadaThe third day of the New Year's Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground is Jane McGrath Day. The crowd wears pink to raise money for breast cancer nurses.
Protection and healingHopeSource: McGrath FoundationThe Rose Valley near Kazanlak grows pink damask roses for rose oil. The harvest in late May and June is marked by a festival and the crowning of a Rose Queen.
Nature and renewalFestival and celebrationJoySource: Rose Valley, BulgariaToulouse is called la Ville Rose, the pink city, for the soft pink brick of its old buildings.
Nature and renewalSource: ToulouseIn November 2003 protesters entered parliament carrying roses, and the president resigned without bloodshed. The change of power is called the Rose Revolution.
Politics and protestHopeSource: Rose RevolutionAt Holi, the spring festival of colours, friends and strangers smear each other with gulal, a coloured powder. Pink and red gulal are the best known shades.
Festival and celebrationJoySource: HoliShades and relatives of Baker-Miller Pink
Baker-Miller Pink is sometimes confused with other strong pinks or magentas, but its formula and use in experiments set it apart. It is also called P-618 and Schauss pink. There are other pinks used for similar purposes, but this shade is best known for its role in behaviour studies.
Colours that go with Baker-Miller Pink
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FF91AF. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Baker-Miller Pink
What colour is Baker-Miller Pink?
It is a strong, purplish pink, brighter than most standard pinks, and stands out for its vividness.
Where does the name Baker-Miller Pink come from?
The name honours Baker and Miller, directors of a naval correctional facility in Seattle where the colour was first used in 1979.
How is Baker-Miller Pink made?
It is made by mixing white latex paint with a smaller amount of red semi-gloss outdoor paint, usually in a ratio of one part red to eight parts white.
What was Baker-Miller Pink used for?
It was painted on prison and police cell walls, and in sports locker rooms, to see if it would reduce aggression or calm people.
Does Baker-Miller Pink really calm people?
Some studies found it reduced aggression or anxiety for a short time, but other research found little effect or even the opposite after longer exposure.
Good reading and sources
- Norwich City paint Carrow Road away dressing room pinkBBC, Article
- Baker Miller Is Now a Bagel Deli With a New Name in Lincoln SquareEater, Article
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Baker–Miller pink", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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