Colour news
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Rang

Colours of printing and ink

Inks for books, banknotes, posters and packaging.

FamilyRedOrangeYellowGreenTurquoiseBluePurplePinkBrownWhiteGreyBlackGold
KindBasic colourNamed shadePigmentDyeColour named from natureTraditional colourNational or team colourHeraldic colourStandard colourScreen colour
Made fromMineral or earthPlantAnimalSyntheticLight only (no pigment)
#000000 Black The colour seen when no visible light is present or all light is absorbedBasic colour #00FF00 Green The colour between cyan and yellow, seen widely in plants and natureBasic colour 路 馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland +1 #FFFF00 Yellow A primary colour between green and orange, seen in sunlight, leaves, and pigmentsBasic colour 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +5 #0000FF Blue A primary colour seen in the sky and sea, used since ancient times in art and dyeBasic colour #FFFFFF White The lightest colour, seen in snow, milk and chalk, and opposite to blackBasic colour #808080 Grey A neutral colour between black and white, seen in clouds, ash, and undyed woolBasic colour #8000FF Violet A bluish-purple seen in both flowers and the light spectrumBasic colour #800080 Purple A cool colour between red and blue, long linked with royalty and rarityBasic colour 路 馃嚤馃嚙 Lebanon +5 #00FFFF Cyan A blue-green colour found between blue and green on the spectrum and key in printingBasic colour #FF00FF Magenta A purplish-pink colour named after a battle and key to modern printingNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +4 #FFD700 Gold A strong yellow named for the precious metal and often linked with wealth and first placeNamed shade Brown Aniline A colourless oil that darkens with air and launched the first synthetic dyesPigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany Blue Woad A blue dye once vital to Europe's textile trade, made from the leaves of a flowering plantDye 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +3 Blue Methylene blue A synthetic blue dye and medicine first made in 1876Dye #003153 Prussian blue A deep blue pigment first made in Berlin in the early 1700sPigment 路 馃嚡馃嚨 Japan Red Realgar An orange-red arsenic sulfide mineral once used as a pigment and poisonPigment 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +5 Red Carmine A deep red pigment made from cochineal insects, once prized across continentsPigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +2 Black India ink A deep black ink made from carbon soot, used for writing, drawing and calligraphyPigment 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +1 Yellow Tartrazine A synthetic lemon yellow dye widely used in food, cosmetics and medicinesDye #DC143C Crimson A deep red with a hint of purple, once made from insectsNamed shade 路 馃嚦馃嚨 Nepal Black Carbon black A deep black pigment and filler made by burning carbon-rich materials with little airPigment #50C878 Paris Green A toxic emerald-green pigment once prized in art and used as an early insecticidePigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany +4 #704214 Sepia A reddish-brown colour named for the ink of the cuttlefishNamed shade Purple and violet Crystal violet A synthetic purple dye used in science, medicine, and industryDye Blue Haematoxylin A natural dye from logwood, best known for staining cell nuclei in histologyDye 路 馃嚨馃嚟 Philippines Green Malachite green A synthetic green dye once common for silk, now controversial in aquacultureDye 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +3 Purple and violet Logwood A tree whose wood yields a dye once vital for textiles and scienceColour named from nature 路 馃嚥馃嚱 Mexico +3 Black Bone char A deep black pigment and filter made by charring animal bonesPigment Green Scheele's green A yellowish-green pigment once prized for its brilliance, now infamous for its toxicityPigment #E49B0F Gamboge A strong yellow pigment tapped from Southeast Asian treesPigment 路 馃嚢馃嚟 Cambodia +5 #C41E3A Cardinal A strong, deep red linked to church robes and team coloursNamed shade #00FF80 Spring green A bright green halfway between green and cyan on the RGB colour wheelNamed shade #4A412A Pantone 448 C A dull brown shade chosen to discourage smoking by making packaging unattractiveStandard colour 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia +5 Red Brazilin A red dye from brazilwood and sappanwood, used in textiles and paints since the Middle AgesDye 路 馃嚙馃嚪 Brazil +4 Red Lac啶侧ぞ啶曕啶粪ぞ A red resin secreted by insects and used as dye, varnish and shellacColour named from nature 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 #664228 Van Dyck brown A deep, earthy brown once made from German peat and soilPigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany #FFFEEF Titanium white A bright white pigment made from titanium dioxide, valued for its strong coveragePigment 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +1 Grey Hematite A mineral iron oxide, black to red, used since prehistory as a pigment and oreColour named from nature 路 馃嚳馃嚘 South Africa +5 White Titanium dioxide A brilliant white pigment made from titanium, used in paints, food and sunscreenPigment 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +5 White Barium sulfate A dense, white mineral used in pigments, X-rays, and industryPigment Brown Iron oxide Earthy pigments made from iron and oxygen, found in nature and used since prehistoryPigment #3E8EDE Tufts Blue A clear blue used as the official colour of Tufts UniversityNational or team colour 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States Red Lead(II,IV) oxide A strong red-orange pigment once widely used to protect iron and in illuminated manuscriptsPigment 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia Green Chromium(III) oxide A strong green pigment and polishing compound made from chromium orePigment Yellow Cadmium sulfide A bright yellow pigment and semiconductor compound made from cadmium and sulfurPigment #189BCC Blue (Weezer Blue Album cover) The solid blue background from Weezer鈥檚 1994 debut album coverNamed shade Grey Greyscale Images made up only of shades of grey, from black to whiteNamed shade Brown Juglone A plant compound that gives deep brown-orange colour to cloth, ink and foodPigment
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Photo credits on this page

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.