The meaning behind snow
About the color
Though the snow color code appears to be pure white, it is actually very light red. The snow hex code is #FFFAFA. When snow hex codes are put next to other darker or more saturated colors, the resulting colors will likely appear white. Depending on the context, using other colors with any combination of white can convey a message of innocence or sophistication.
The color meaning of shades that are mostly white, like snow, varies between cultures. You may have to be careful if you intend on using snow to represent this type of concept for a cross-cultural audience: White in several East Asian cultures signifies death and grieving, while in the West, it is typically used to symbolize purity (imagine a bride on her wedding day or a newborn photoshoot). You will have to weigh the benefits of using this color against what you know about the cultural background of those viewing your website or graphic.
For the right audience, using hex code for snow can serve as a powerful background, or it could be incorporated into many different types of snow color schemes. Its versatility, as well as its simplistic elegance, makes snow a great overall choice for several types of design projects.
| Type | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #FFFAFA |
| RGB | 255, 250, 250 |
| CMYK | 0, 0.02, 0.02, 0 |
Application in design
Snow can lend itself to a feeling of luxury. Using a black and white theme can add an air of elegance, while a color scheme entirely designed around shades of white can be used to highlight a specific product or product line.
A neutral background such as snow could be used to better showcase pictures or graphics that you want your audience to see. Overusing colors, especially when they have nothing to do with your brand, can be very distracting to the reader or viewer. Consider snow for when you want a minimalistic approach to your design, but you feel that white is too bright or plain for your overall goal.
When you are searching for the right type of white to complete your project, consider the undertones of the colors you’ve already picked. Because snow RGB leans to the red side of the color wheel (and snow CMYK print graphics as it will on screens), it may read as too warm or cool depending on the colors you place it next to.
