Resolution blue
A strong blue shade named for a bay in New Zealand
Resolution blue is a striking, deep blue shade that first appeared as a colour name in 2001. Its name refers to Resolution Bay in New Zealand, and it became more widely known through Resene Paints and the Xona Games Color List.
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- Named after Resolution Bay in New Zealand
- First appeared as a colour name in 2001
- Used in the Xona Games Color List
- Part of the Resene Paints palette
What colour is Resolution blue?
Resolution blue is a bold, intense blue. It stands out for its vividness and depth, making it easily recognisable among other blues. This colour is eye-catching and is often used where a strong, clear blue is needed. Its appearance is similar to a deep sky or the open sea on a bright day.
Where does Resolution blue come from?
The name Resolution blue comes from Resolution Bay in New Zealand. The colour was first named in 2001, and it gained wider attention when Resene Paints included it in their palette. Later, it appeared in the Xona Games Color List, which helped spread its use, especially in digital contexts.
How Resolution blue is defined
Resolution blue is a standardised colour value, defined by its digital code (#002387). It is not tied to a specific pigment or dye but is created by mixing light in digital design or by using matching paint formulations in physical products.
Where Resolution blue is used
This shade is seen in digital design, art, and sometimes in architectural paint. Its strong blue makes it suitable for backgrounds, highlights, and anywhere a clear blue is needed. It is part of the Resene Paints range and is used in the Xona Games Color List, making it familiar to designers and artists.
Blue around the world
What the blue family means from country to country.
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 lazuliThe 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: BurqaThe 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 ArmeniaThe 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 ArgentinaBoca 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 JuniorsTo be true blue is to be honestly and loyally Australian. The phrase is older than the country, but Australians have made it their own.
Politics and protestTrustSource: True Blue (John Williamson song)Shades and relatives of Resolution blue
Resolution blue is one of several blue shades named after places in New Zealand. It is related to other vivid blues and cyans in the Resene Paints collection. While it stands out for its depth, it may be confused with other strong blues if not viewed alongside them.
Colours that go with Resolution blue
Harmonies are worked out from the value #002387. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Resolution blue
What colour is Resolution blue?
Resolution blue is a vivid, deep blue that stands out for its strong and clear appearance.
Where does the name Resolution blue come from?
The name refers to Resolution Bay, a location in New Zealand.
When was Resolution blue first named?
The colour name has been in use since at least 2001.
Where is Resolution blue used?
It is used in digital design, art, and as a paint colour, especially in the Resene Paints range.
Is Resolution blue based on a pigment?
No, it is a standardised colour value, defined by its digital code rather than a specific pigment.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Shades of blue" (the section "Resolution 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.
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