Colour news
Pigments and dyesArcheologists discover hidden tomb untouched for 600 years that's 'like a treasure chest'FestivalsShrichakra Rangoli: How ancient India turned geometry, mathematics and cosmic thought into a sacred art formFestivalsPhotos of the weekColour of the yearEvery 2027 Color of the Year We Know So FarFashion and designThe 8 Colors Fashion Girls are Building Their Fall Wardrobes AroundFestivalsIn India, Holi welcomes spring with a Festival of ColorsColour of the yearTom’s Watch Bar Partners With Dodgers Fan Club Pantone 294Craft and textilesMore clues to Maya blueCraft and textilesDesigners Say These 6 Unexpected Paint Colors Can Make Any Room Feel Instantly Warmer and More InvitingCraft and textilesMacron and UYBA Volley present the new 2026/27 Game SetPigments and dyesArcheologists discover hidden tomb untouched for 600 years that's 'like a treasure chest'FestivalsShrichakra Rangoli: How ancient India turned geometry, mathematics and cosmic thought into a sacred art formFestivalsPhotos of the weekColour of the yearEvery 2027 Color of the Year We Know So FarFashion and designThe 8 Colors Fashion Girls are Building Their Fall Wardrobes AroundFestivalsIn India, Holi welcomes spring with a Festival of ColorsColour of the yearTom’s Watch Bar Partners With Dodgers Fan Club Pantone 294Craft and textilesMore clues to Maya blueCraft and textilesDesigners Say These 6 Unexpected Paint Colors Can Make Any Room Feel Instantly Warmer and More InvitingCraft and textilesMacron and UYBA Volley present the new 2026/27 Game Set
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Screen and web colours

Colours defined for screens, browsers and software.

FamilyRedOrangeYellowGreenTurquoiseBluePurplePinkBrownWhiteGreyBlackGold
KindBasic colourNamed shadePigmentDyeColour named from natureTraditional colourNational or team colourHeraldic colourStandard colourScreen colour
Made fromMineral or earthPlantAnimalSyntheticLight only (no pigment)
Yellow Turmeric A golden yellow dye and spice from the rhizome of a tropical plantColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +5 Blue Lapis lazuli A deep blue stone prized for jewellery and the source of ultramarine pigmentColour named from nature · 🇦🇫 Afghanistan +5 #6A5DFF Indigo A deep blue named for the dye once exported from IndiaNamed shade · 🇮🇳 India +5 Green Malachite A banded green mineral and pigment once prized for art and decorationColour named from nature · 🇪🇬 Egypt +4 Red Cinnabar A scarlet to brick-red mineral and the main source of mercury and vermilion pigmentColour named from nature · 🇪🇸 Spain +5 Brown Terracotta A clay-based material and colour, known for its reddish-brown toneColour named from nature · 🇮🇳 India +4 Blue Azurite A deep blue copper mineral once prized as a pigment and gemstonePigment · 🇫🇷 France +5 White Zinc oxide A white inorganic powder used in pigments, ointments, ceramics and electronicsPigment · 🇮🇳 India +2 #CC7722 Ochre A natural earth pigment ranging from yellow to deep orange or brownPigment · 🇦🇺 Australia +5 Blue Woad A blue dye once vital to Europe's textile trade, made from the leaves of a flowering plantDye · 🇫🇷 France +3 #C3B091 Khaki A light tan with a yellowish tinge, once made for military uniformsNamed shade · 🇮🇳 India +2 Blue Indigo A deep blue dye from plants, now mostly made synthetically and known for colouring denimDye · 🇮🇳 India +5 Yellow Orpiment A golden-yellow mineral pigment once prized for its brilliant colour and rarityPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5 #003153 Prussian blue A deep blue pigment first made in Berlin in the early 1700sPigment · 🇯🇵 Japan #120A8F Ultramarine A deep blue pigment once made from lapis lazuli, prized for centuries in artPigment · 🇦🇫 Afghanistan +2 Red Realgar An orange-red arsenic sulfide mineral once used as a pigment and poisonPigment · 🇨🇳 China +5 #007FFF Azure A clear sky blue, halfway between blue and cyan on the colour wheelNamed shade · 🇮🇹 Italy +2 #E25822 Scarlet A bright red with a touch of orange, long tied to power, sacrifice and sinNamed shade · 🇹🇷 Turkey +4 #E34234 Vermilion A brilliant orange-red pigment, once made from toxic mercury orePigment · 🇹🇷 Turkey +5 #87CEEB Sky blue A light blue named for the colour of a clear daytime skyNamed shade · 🇦🇷 Argentina +5 Red Rubia A group of plants whose roots once dyed cloth and paint a lasting redColour named from nature · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5 Black India ink A deep black ink made from carbon soot, used for writing, drawing and calligraphyPigment · 🇨🇳 China +1 #DC143C Crimson A deep red with a hint of purple, once made from insectsNamed shade · 🇳🇵 Nepal Black Kohlكُحْل A dark eye cosmetic made from minerals like galena and stibniteTraditional colour · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5 #800000 Maroon A deep brownish red named for the French word for chestnutNamed shade · 🇦🇺 Australia +4 Purple and violet Tyrian purple A reddish-purple dye once worth its weight in silver, made from sea snailsDye · 🇱🇧 Lebanon +4 #50C878 Paris Green A toxic emerald-green pigment once prized in art and used as an early insecticidePigment · 🇩🇪 Germany +4 #704214 Sepia A reddish-brown colour named for the ink of the cuttlefishNamed shade Blue Haematoxylin A natural dye from logwood, best known for staining cell nuclei in histologyDye · 🇵🇭 Philippines #0047AB Cobalt blue A strong, stable blue pigment made from cobalt and alumina since the early 1800sPigment · 🇫🇷 France +3 Red Sindoorसिन्दूर A red or orange-red powder marking marriage for Hindu women in South AsiaTraditional colour · 🇮🇳 India +4 #FFFDD0 Cream A soft yellow-white named after the top layer of milkNamed shade Purple and violet Logwood A tree whose wood yields a dye once vital for textiles and scienceColour named from nature · 🇲🇽 Mexico +3 #000080 Navy blue A deep blue shade named for the uniforms of the Royal NavyNamed shade · 🇺🇸 United States +2 #43B3AE Verdigris A historic bluish-green pigment formed on copper and used in art since antiquityPigment · 🇬🇷 Greece +1 #F4C430 Saffron A yellow-orange shade named after the colour of saffron crocus threadsNamed shade · 🇮🇳 India +1 Orange Annatto A yellow-orange dye and flavour from the seeds of the achiote treeDye · 🇲🇽 Mexico +5 #E0B0FF Mauve A pale purple named after the mallow flower and once a fashion sensationNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France #1034A6 Egyptian blue A vivid blue pigment first made in ancient Egypt from copper, lime, and sandPigment · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5 #801818 Falu redfalu rödfärg A deep red paint pigment from the Falun copper mine, used on wooden houses in SwedenPigment · 🇸🇪 Sweden +2 Green Celadon青瓷 A jade-green ceramic glaze prized in East Asian pottery for centuriesNamed shade · 🇨🇳 China +4 #8A3324 Umber A natural brown pigment from earth, valued for its warmth and versatility in artPigment · 🇨🇾 Cyprus +2 Red Hennaحِنَّاء A reddish dye from the henna plant, used for body art and hair since ancient timesColour named from nature · 🇪🇬 Egypt +5 #3D2B1F Bistre A dark brown pigment and colour made from soot, once used in Old Master drawingsPigment #007BA7 Cerulean A blue-green colour once made from cobalt stannate and linked with the skyNamed shade · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom #9966CC Lavender A pale purple named for the lavender flower, with many subtle variationsNamed shade #E97451 Sienna A reddish-brown earth pigment named after the city of Siena in ItalyPigment · 🇫🇷 France #002366 Royal blue A strong, deep blue linked with royalty and national flagsNamed shade · 🇫🇷 France +4
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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly palette

Every Monday: seven colours you may not know, what the world is wearing this week, and one idea about colour.