Shadow blue
A metallic blue shade created by Crayola in 1990
Shadow blue is a blue-grey colour introduced by Crayola in 1990 as part of its Silver Swirls metallic crayon set. While intended to look metallic, on screens it appears as a muted blue-grey, since digital displays cannot show metallic effects.
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- Created by Crayola in 1990
- Part of the Silver Swirls metallic crayon set
- Appears as blue-grey on screens
- Intended to look metallic in crayon form
What colour is Shadow blue?
Shadow blue is a blue-grey colour with a muted, cool appearance. It was designed to have a metallic look, setting it apart from ordinary blue or grey shades. On digital screens, however, it appears as a flat colour without any metallic shine, due to the limitations of computer displays.
Where does Shadow blue come from?
The name 'shadow blue' comes from its use in Crayola's Silver Swirls specialty box, which featured metallic colours. Crayola introduced this shade in 1990, aiming to give a sense of depth and sheen similar to metal, though this effect is only visible in the crayon itself, not on screens.
How Shadow blue is defined
Shadow blue is a standard colour formulated by Crayola for its crayon range. While the crayon itself is made to reflect light and appear metallic, the colour as shown on computers is simply a specific blue-grey value, with no metallic properties.
Where Shadow blue is used
Shadow blue is mainly used in art, especially by children and hobbyists using Crayola crayons. It was part of a set designed to offer metallic effects, allowing for creative shading and highlighting in drawings.
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 Shadow blue
Shadow blue is related to other blue-grey shades but is distinct for its intended metallic effect. On screens, it may be confused with similar muted blues or greys, but the crayon鈥檚 metallic finish sets it apart in physical media.
Colours that go with Shadow blue
Harmonies are worked out from the value #778BA5. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Shadow blue
What colour is shadow blue?
Shadow blue is a muted blue-grey shade. On screens, it appears as a flat colour, but in crayon form it was designed to look metallic.
Where does the name 'shadow blue' come from?
The name was given by Crayola when they introduced the colour in 1990 as part of their Silver Swirls metallic crayon set.
Is shadow blue metallic?
The crayon was made to look metallic, but on screens and in digital formats, shadow blue does not appear metallic due to display limitations.
Who created shadow blue?
Shadow blue was formulated by Crayola in 1990 for their specialty metallic crayon collection.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Blue-gray" (the section "Shadow 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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