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Rang

Carolina blue

A light blue shade tied to the University of North Carolina

Carolina blue is a pale blue shade used as an official colour by the University of North Carolina. Its name comes from the university's nickname, and it is closely linked to the school's identity, especially in sports and branding.

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  • Official colour of the University of North Carolina
  • First used by UNC societies in 1795
  • Known as Tar Heel blue and Dialectic blue
  • Defined by Pantone and web hex codes
  • Key colour for UNC sports teams

What colour is Carolina blue?

Carolina blue is a soft, light blue shade. It stands out for its close link to the University of North Carolina, where it is used in uniforms, branding, and digital media. The colour is lighter than many other blues and is sometimes called Tar Heel blue or Dialectic blue. Its exact shade can differ slightly depending on the context, but it is always a pale, clear blue.

Where does Carolina blue come from?

The name comes from the University of North Carolina, often called 'Carolina'. The colour's use began in 1795, when the university's Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies chose blue and white as their symbols. Members wore blue or white ribbons, and these colours became part of the university's traditions and sports teams.

How Carolina blue is defined

Carolina blue does not come from a pigment or dye but is defined by colour standards. The university uses Pantone 542 for print, and a specific hex code for web use to meet accessibility rules. The athletics department uses a slightly different RGB and hex value, but all versions are light blue.

Where Carolina blue is used

Carolina blue appears in the University of North Carolina's branding, sports uniforms, and official materials. It is used for clothing, digital media, and printed items connected to the university. The colour is a key part of the university's identity and is widely recognised in college sports.

Blue around the world

What the blue family means from country to country.

馃嚭馃嚫 United States

The flag's colours have no official meaning. For the Great Seal of 1782, though, blue was said to stand for vigilance, perseverance and justice, white for purity and red for hardiness and valour.

Politics and protestTrustSource: Flag of the United States
馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan

Lapis lazuli has been mined in the mountains of Badakhshan for more than six thousand years. Ground to powder it gave ultramarine, the costliest blue in European painting.

Royalty and powerSacred and holyAweSource: Lapis lazuli
馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan

The chadari is a full-length covering for women with a mesh panel over the eyes. In Kabul and the north it is most often a light blue.

Protection and healingSource: Burqa
馃嚘馃嚥 Armenia

The blue band of the flag stands for the wish of the Armenian people to live under peaceful skies. The red above it is for the highlands and the struggle to survive.

Politics and protestHopeSource: Flag of Armenia
馃嚘馃嚪 Argentina

The flag is sky blue, white and sky blue, created by Manuel Belgrano in 1812. National teams are called the Albiceleste, the white and sky blue.

Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of Argentina
馃嚘馃嚪 Argentina

Boca Juniors play in blue and gold. The club's story is that in 1907 it took the colours of the flag of the next ship into port, which was Swedish.

Festival and celebrationPrideSource: Boca Juniors

More on what blue means

Shades and relatives of Carolina blue

There are several close versions of Carolina blue, depending on where it is used. The university's print and web standards use slightly different hex codes, and the athletics department uses another. All are pale blues, but none match the Pantone shade exactly.

Colours that go with Carolina blue

ComplementaryIts opposite on the wheel
AnalogousIts neighbours
TriadicThree evenly spaced
Split complementaryEither side of its opposite
TintsLighter
ShadesDarker
White text 2.85:1fails
Black text 7.36:1passes AAA

Harmonies are worked out from the value #56A0D3. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.

Questions people ask about Carolina blue

What colour is Carolina blue?

Carolina blue is a light, pale blue shade. It is softer than many other blues and is closely tied to the University of North Carolina.

Where does the name Carolina blue come from?

The name comes from the University of North Carolina, which is often called 'Carolina'. The colour was first used by university societies in 1795.

How is Carolina blue defined?

Carolina blue is set by the university using Pantone 542 for print and a specific hex code for web use. The athletics department uses a slightly different version.

Where is Carolina blue used?

It is used in the University of North Carolina's branding, sports uniforms, digital media, and printed materials.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Carolina blue", 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.

More of the blue family

All of blue
#0000FF Blue A primary colour seen in the sky and sea, used since ancient times in art and dyeBasic colour Blue Lapis lazuli A deep blue stone prized for jewellery and the source of ultramarine pigmentColour named from nature 路 馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan +5 #6A5DFF Indigo A deep blue named for the dye once exported from IndiaNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 Blue Azurite A deep blue copper mineral once prized as a pigment and gemstonePigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +5 Blue Woad A blue dye once vital to Europe's textile trade, made from the leaves of a flowering plantDye 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +3 Blue Indigo A deep blue dye from plants, now mostly made synthetically and known for colouring denimDye 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 #120A8F Ultramarine A deep blue pigment once made from lapis lazuli, prized for centuries in artPigment 路 馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan +2 #003153 Prussian blue A deep blue pigment first made in Berlin in the early 1700sPigment 路 馃嚡馃嚨 Japan

More colours tied to the United States

The colours of the United States
#FF0000 Red A primary colour seen in light, pigment, and tradition worldwideBasic colour 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +5 #FFFF00 Yellow A primary colour between green and orange, seen in sunlight, leaves, and pigmentsBasic colour 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +5 #800080 Purple A cool colour between red and blue, long linked with royalty and rarityBasic colour 路 馃嚤馃嚙 Lebanon +5 Red Cinnabar A scarlet to brick-red mineral and the main source of mercury and vermilion pigmentColour named from nature 路 馃嚜馃嚫 Spain +5

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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