Colour news
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Rang

Colours of textiles and dress

Dyed, woven, printed and worn.

FamilyRedOrangeYellowGreenTurquoiseBluePurplePinkBrownWhiteGreyBlackGold
KindBasic colourNamed shadePigmentDyeColour named from natureTraditional colourNational or team colourHeraldic colourStandard colourScreen colour
Made fromMineral or earthPlantAnimalSyntheticLight only (no pigment)
#FF0000 Red A primary colour seen in light, pigment, and tradition worldwideBasic colour 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +5 #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 #FF80C0 Pink A light tint of red, named after the pink flower and used in art, fashion, and cultureBasic colour Yellow Turmeric A golden yellow dye and spice from the rhizome of a tropical plantColour named from nature 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 #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 Blue Lapis lazuli A deep blue stone prized for jewellery and the source of ultramarine pigmentColour named from nature 路 馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan +5 #6A5DFF Indigo A deep blue named for the dye once exported from IndiaNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 #FF00FF Magenta A purplish-pink colour named after a battle and key to modern printingNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +4 Green Malachite A banded green mineral and pigment once prized for art and decorationColour named from nature 路 馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt +4 Red Cinnabar A scarlet to brick-red mineral and the main source of mercury and vermilion pigmentColour named from nature 路 馃嚜馃嚫 Spain +5 Blue Azurite A deep blue copper mineral once prized as a pigment and gemstonePigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +5 #FFD700 Gold A strong yellow named for the precious metal and often linked with wealth and first placeNamed shade White Zinc oxide A white inorganic powder used in pigments, ointments, ceramics and electronicsPigment 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +2 Brown Aniline A colourless oil that darkens with air and launched the first synthetic dyesPigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany #CC7722 Ochre A natural earth pigment ranging from yellow to deep orange or brownPigment 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia +5 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 #C3B091 Khaki A light tan with a yellowish tinge, once made for military uniformsNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +2 #40E0D0 Turquoise A blue-green colour named after a prized mineral long used for gems and decorationNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚪 Iran +5 Blue Indigo A deep blue dye from plants, now mostly made synthetically and known for colouring denimDye 路 馃嚠馃嚦 India +5 Yellow Orpiment A golden-yellow mineral pigment once prized for its brilliant colour and rarityPigment 路 馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt +5 Blue Methylene blue A synthetic blue dye and medicine first made in 1876Dye #808000 Olive A dark yellowish green, like the colour of unripe olivesNamed shade #003153 Prussian blue A deep blue pigment first made in Berlin in the early 1700sPigment 路 馃嚡馃嚨 Japan #120A8F Ultramarine A deep blue pigment once made from lapis lazuli, prized for centuries in artPigment 路 馃嚘馃嚝 Afghanistan +2 Red Realgar An orange-red arsenic sulfide mineral once used as a pigment and poisonPigment 路 馃嚚馃嚦 China +5 #F5F5DC Beige A pale, warm colour named after natural, undyed woolNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +2 #007FFF Azure A clear sky blue, halfway between blue and cyan on the colour wheelNamed shade 路 馃嚠馃嚬 Italy +2 #E25822 Scarlet A bright red with a touch of orange, long tied to power, sacrifice and sinNamed shade 路 馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey +4 Red Carmine A deep red pigment made from cochineal insects, once prized across continentsPigment 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +2 #E34234 Vermilion A brilliant orange-red pigment, once made from toxic mercury orePigment 路 馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey +5 #87CEEB Sky blue A light blue named for the colour of a clear daytime skyNamed shade 路 馃嚘馃嚪 Argentina +5 Red Rubia A group of plants whose roots once dyed cloth and paint a lasting redColour named from nature 路 馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt +5 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 #E32636 Alizarin A deep red dye first made from madder roots, later produced from coal tarDye 路 馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey +1 #800000 Maroon A deep brownish red named for the French word for chestnutNamed shade 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia +4 Purple and violet Tyrian purple A reddish-purple dye once worth its weight in silver, made from sea snailsDye 路 馃嚤馃嚙 Lebanon +4 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 Purple and violet Crystal violet A synthetic purple dye used in science, medicine, and industryDye
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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.