Dark electric blue
A dark cyan shade formalised in 1955, matching the colour Payne's grey
Dark electric blue is a deep shade of cyan, set as a formal colour in 1955 by the ISCC–NBS system. Its colour coordinates are the same as Payne's grey, a name first used in English in 1835. This shade sits between blue and grey, with a subdued, cool look.
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- A dark cyan shade set in 1955 by the ISCC–NBS system
- Its colour coordinates are identical to Payne's grey
- Payne's grey was first named in English in 1835
What colour is Dark electric blue?
Dark electric blue is a deep, muted cyan shade. It combines the coolness of blue with a touch of grey, giving it a subdued, almost steely appearance. This colour stands out from lighter or more vivid blues by its darkness and its greyish undertone. It is not as bright as standard electric blue, but keeps a clear blue-green cast.
Where does Dark electric blue come from?
The name 'dark electric blue' comes from its link to electric blue, a term for vivid blue shades. It was formalised as a colour in the ISCC–NBS system in 1955. Its colour coordinates exactly match those of Payne's grey, a name that first appeared in English in 1835. This shows that the shade has been known under different names for some time.
How Dark electric blue is defined
Dark electric blue is defined by its colour coordinates, not by a specific pigment or dye. It is set as a standard shade in the ISCC–NBS system, which means it is matched by mixing blue and grey tones to reach the exact value. There is no single material or method tied to its production.
Turquoise around the world
What the turquoise and cyan family means from country to country.
The old colour word qing covers green, blue and the shades between. In the five-element system it belongs to wood, the east and spring.
Nature and renewalCalmSource: Blue–green distinction in languageTurquoise, firuzeh in Persian, has been mined near Nishapur for thousands of years. It is worn against the evil eye, and its colour covers the domes of mosques in Isfahan.
Protection and healingSacred and holyAweSource: TurquoiseIn the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary wears a blue-green cloak covered in stars. Turquoise was precious to the Aztecs, who used it in mosaic masks.
Sacred and holyAweSource: Our Lady of GuadalupeThe English word turquoise comes from the French for Turkish, because the stone reached Europe through Ottoman lands. Tiles from Iznik made the colour a mark of Ottoman mosques.
Royalty and powerSource: TurquoiseThe mosques and tombs of Samarkand are faced with turquoise and deep blue tiles. The three great madrasas of the Registan square and their ribbed turquoise domes are the best known.
Sacred and holyAweSource: RegistanShades and relatives of Dark electric blue
Payne's grey is another name for the same colour coordinates as dark electric blue. While electric blue is a much brighter and more vivid shade, dark electric blue is more subdued. It may be confused with other dark blue-greys, but its cyan undertone sets it apart.
Colours that go with Dark electric blue
Harmonies are worked out from the value #536878. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Dark electric blue
What colour is dark electric blue?
It is a deep, muted cyan shade with a cool blue-grey look, darker and less vivid than standard electric blue.
Where does the name come from?
The name links it to electric blue, and it was formalised as a standard colour in the ISCC–NBS system in 1955.
Is dark electric blue the same as Payne's grey?
Yes, their colour coordinates are identical, so they are visually the same shade.
When was dark electric blue first formalised?
It was formalised as a colour in 1955 by the ISCC–NBS system.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Electric blue (color)" (the section "Dark electric blue"), written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. 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 turquoise and cyan family
All of turquoise and cyan
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Cyan
A blue-green colour found between blue and green on the spectrum and key in printingBasic colour
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Turquoise
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Teal
A dark cyan named after the Eurasian teal bird’s blue-green head stripeNamed shade
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Haint blue
A pale blue-green paint used on porch ceilings in the Southern United StatesNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States
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Aqua
A bright blue-green used for screens and web designBasic colour
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Olo
An imaginary blue-green seen only by stimulating M cones in the retinaNamed shade
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Blue-green
The colour between blue and green, part of the cyan familyNamed shade · 🇦🇺 Australia +3
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Tiffany Blue
A light blue-green shade trademarked by Tiffany & Co. for its boxes and brandingNamed shade