Blue Violet

#8A2BE2
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The meaning behind blue violet

Learn the blue violet color code plus how to use it in your designs.

About the color

As its color name implies, blue violet blends two colors from the familiar color spectrum: blue and violet. When you see its vivid hue, you may think of eye-catching logos, high-tech graphics, or even the geometric designs and futuristic blue violet color schemes popular in the 1980s. The blue violet hex code is #8A2BE2.

Blue violet’s color meaning has an interesting backstory. Different shades of blue, violet, and purple were prized throughout the Old World. Most of these dyes were extracted from natural plant and animal sources. Pigment sources included minerals like lapis lazuli and azurite.

Creating these dyes and pigments involved labor-intensive processes. Sourcing the raw materials required a lot of effort. That’s why blue violet and similar shades were very costly in the ancient world. Only the wealthiest could afford them — hence why they were associated with royalty and luxury.

Computers revolutionized the way we create and display colors, including blue violet. Innovations such as RGB color, true color graphics, and digital image processing made it possible to generate and display color combinations not typically found in nature. As these technologies advanced during the 1980s, graphic designs began experimenting with brighter colors and complementary color schemes. This gave rise to the Neon Noir aesthetic, which used shades like blue violet and electric violet.

Type Value
HEX #8A2BE2
RGB 138, 43, 226
CMYK 0.39, 0.81, 0, 0.11

Application in design

Blue violet instantly grabs attention. That’s no surprise, given blue violet RGB and blue violet CMYK color compositions. In the RGB model, blue violet uses half-strength red, very little green, and nearly full-strength blue. Blue violet in the CMYK model uses almost 40% cyan ink and 80% magenta with no yellow and very little black ink. What’s most notable is Blue Violet in the HSV color model. Its hue comes from the blue-magenta portion of the color wheel, with both saturation and brightness values above 80%.

Because of blue violet’s saturation and brightness values, a little bit can go a long way. In your brand’s palette, you can use it to accent other design elements. It contrasts with the complementary color kiwi, a shade of green that can connote harmony, tranquility, and nature. Pairing these two colors can create a bold, modern look that appeals to a younger demographic. Used as a background, it can help a black-and-white logo stand out.

Tints and tones of blue violet offer other design possibilities. When you need subtler colors for illustrations in your marketing materials, you can employ lighter, darker, and muted shades along with it. This can be a useful alternative to introducing completely new colors into your designs.

When designing graphics, you should also consider each color’s connotations. Blue violet and related colors often suggest opulence, status, wisdom, and spirituality, but this shade’s intensity fits well with an innovative and forward-thinking image. Consider its use in tech, entertainment, and beauty brands as relevant examples.

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