Salmon
A warm pink-orange shade named after the flesh of the salmon fish
Salmon is a warm colour that sits between light orange and pink, named for the flesh of the salmon fish. Its exact shade can vary, reflecting differences in the fish's diet and species, and it has been recognised by this name in English since 1776.
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- Named after the flesh of the salmon fish
- First recorded as a colour name in 1776
- Ranges from light orange to pink
- Crayola introduced salmon pink in 1949
What colour is Salmon?
Salmon is a warm colour that falls between light orange and pink. It is named after the flesh of the salmon fish, which can show a range of shades from almost white to a light, reddish orange. The colour stands out for its soft, inviting tone that is neither fully pink nor fully orange, making it distinct from its neighbouring hues.
Where does Salmon come from?
The name 'salmon' for this colour comes from the fish of the same name. The first known use of 'salmon' as a colour word in English dates to 1776. The actual shade of salmon flesh depends on what the fish eat, especially the amount of astaxanthin, a pigment from krill and shrimp. Farmed salmon may be given colouring in their food to achieve the desired shade.
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 Salmon
Several related shades exist. Salmon pink, also called salmon in Crayola crayons, was introduced in 1949. Light salmon is yellower and less saturated than standard salmon. Dark salmon is similar to light salmon but appears grayer. Terra cotta is another related tone, resembling pottery with lower brightness.
Colours that go with Salmon
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FA8072. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Salmon
What colour is salmon?
Salmon is a warm shade that sits between light orange and pink, named after the flesh of the salmon fish.
Where does the name 'salmon' come from?
The colour is named after the flesh of the salmon fish, which can vary in shade depending on the fish's diet and species.
When was 'salmon' first used as a colour name in English?
The first recorded use of 'salmon' as a colour name in English was in 1776.
Are there different shades of salmon?
Yes, variations include salmon pink, light salmon, and dark salmon, each with slight differences in hue and saturation.
Good reading and sources
- Salmon (color) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More pictures on Wikimedia CommonsPictures
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Salmon (color)", 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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