Blue is calming. It can be strong and steadfast or light and friendly. Almost everyone likes some shade of the color blue.
Nature of Blue:
A natural color, from the blue of the sky, blue is a universal color. The cool, calming effect of blue makes time pass more quickly and it can help you sleep. Blue is a good color for bedrooms. However, too much blue could dampen spirits.
Culture of Blue:
In many diverse cultures blue is significant in religious beliefs, brings peace, or is believed to keep the bad spirits away.
Blue conveys importance and confidence without being somber or sinister, hence the blue power suit of the corporate world and the blue uniforms of police officers. Long considered a corporate color, blue, especially darker blue, is associated with intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism.
Just as seeing red alludes to the strong emotions invoked by the color red, feeling blue or getting the blues represents the extremes of the calm feelings associated with blue, i.e. sadness or depression, lack of strong (violent) emotion. Dark blue is sometimes seen as staid or stodgy — old-fashioned.
In Iran, blue is the color of mourning while in the West the something blue bridal tradition represents love.
Using Blue:
A deep royal blue or azure conveys richness and perhaps even a touch of superiority. Navy blue is almost black and is a bit warmer than lighter blues. Combine a light and dark blue to convey trust and truthfulness — banker's colors. Although blue is a year-round color, pastel blues, especially along with pinks and pale yellows suggest Springtime while deep blue is a colder weather color. Create a conservative but sophisticated look with subtle contrast by combining light and dark shades of blue.
Using Blue with Other Colors:
Mix the color of blue with green for a natural, watery palette. Add gray for understated elegance. Sky blue and robin's egg blue, especially when combined with neutral light brown, tans, or beige are environmentally friendly color combinations. Throw in a dash of blue to cool down a hot red or orange scheme. Grab attention with the contrast of blue and yellow.
Dark blue with white is fresh, crisp, and nautical. Red, white, and blue is a patriotic color trio for many countries, including the United States. Use dark blue with metallic silver accents for an elegantly rich appearance.
Language of Blue:
The use of blue in familiar phrases can help a designer see how their color of choice might be perceived by others, both the positive and negative aspects.
Good blue
- True blue - someone loyal and faithful
- Out of the blue - unexpected (could be positive or negative)
- Blue ribbon - first rate, top prize
- Blueblood - person of noble birth, royalty
- Bluestocking - well-read or scholarly woman
- Bluebook - register of socially prominent people
- The Blues (capitalized) - popular style of music sometimes characterized by melancholy melodies and words
- Baby blues - Blue eyes (also see Bad blue words)
Bad blue
- Feeling blue - feeling sad or depressed
- Blue devils - feelings of depression
- The blues (not capitalized) - depression, state of sadness
- Blue Monday - feeling sad
- Baby blues - post-partum depression
- Singing the blues - bemoaning one's circumstances
- Blue laws - laws originally intended to enforce certain moral standards
- Blue language - profanity
- Bluenose - puritanical individual
- Into the blue - entering the unknown or escape to parts unknown
- Out of the blue - unexpected (could be positive or negative)
Blue Words:
These words are synonymous with blue or represent various shades of the color blue.
Sapphire, azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal, sky blue, baby blue, robin's egg blue, cyan, cornflower blue, midnight blue, slate, steel blue, Prussian blue.