Purple and blue violet are two colors that are often perceived as very similar. However, there are some subtle differences between the two that help distinguish them. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at purple and blue violet, exploring how they are defined, the history behind their names, how they are created, and whether they are ultimately the same color or distinct shades in their own right.
Defining Purple
Purple is a color that sits between red and blue on the visible spectrum. It is made by combining red and blue light or pigments. In the RGB color model used for screens, purple is created by mixing red and blue light at varying intensities. In print and paint, it is created by mixing a red pigment like magenta with a blue pigment like cyan or ultramarine.
The web colors for purple are defined as:
- Hex code: #800080
- RGB: (128, 0, 128)
- CMYK: (50, 100, 0, 0)
- HSV: (300°, 100%, 50%)
On the color wheel, purple sits between magenta and violet. It is a secondary color, with red and blue as its primary parent colors.
Defining Blue Violet
Blue violet is a shade of the color violet that has a blueish tinge or undertone. It sits between the colors blue and violet on the visible spectrum, hence the name blue violet.
Blue violet is considered a variation of the color violet. Violet is a spectral color with its own wavelength on the light spectrum between 380-450 nanometers. Blue violet wavelengths range from 380-425 nanometers, closer to the blue side.
The web colors for blue violet are defined as:
- Hex code: #8A2BE2
- RGB: (138, 43, 226)
- CMYK: (65, 100, 0, 0)
- HSV: (271°, 81%, 89%)
On the color wheel, blue violet is positioned between the colors blue and violet, leaning closer towards violet. It is a tertiary color, created by mixing the primary colors red and blue with the secondary color purple.
History and Origins of the Color Names
Purple and violet both trace their names back to the original source of these colors in antiquity – a small mollusk called the Tyrian purple. This mollusk produced a pigment that ranged from crimson to deep bluish purple, depending on the method used to extract and process it.
The name purple comes from the Greek word porphyra meaning “purple fish” – a reference to the shellfish that provided the pigment. The Latin word for the mollusk dye was purpura, which became our modern word purple.
The name violet also has roots in the Tyrian purple. It comes from the Latin viola, which referred to the name for a common flower in the Mediterranean that had a similar color to the lighter end of the shellfish pigment range.
So in essence, purple referred historically to the entire range of colors produced by the Tyrian purple shellfish, while violet referred to the lighter end of that spectrum, closer to lavender and lilac. Blue violet then is a modern concept, referring to the violet shades that have a noticeable blue undertone.
How Purple and Blue Violet Pigments Are Made
When it comes to creating purple and blue violet as paints and dyes, there are a few common pigments used to achieve these colors:
| Pigment | Description |
|---|---|
| Manganese violet | Inorganic pigment, tends towards blue-violet tones |
| Dioxazine purple | Organic synthetic pigment with a balanced violet tone |
| Pigment violet | Modern synthetic organic pigments with blue violet undertones |
| Ultramarine | Inorganic mineral pigment, provides blue tones |
| Magenta | Synthetic organic red/pink pigment |
By mixing pigments like manganese violet and ultramarine, a blue-violet color is produced. Combining pigment violet and magenta creates a more pure purple. Modern purple and violet pigments allow paint manufacturers great flexibility and control over the undertones in purples and violets.
How Purple and Blue Violet Appear on Screens
On digital screens like phones, computers, and TVs, colors are created using RGB (red, green, blue) light. By mixing different intensities of red, green, and blue light, all the colors of the visible spectrum can be reproduced.
To make purple on a digital screen, you need to combine medium/high intensity blue light with medium/high intensity red light. Slightly lowering the red intensity and upping the blue creates blue-violet tones.
One complication is that not all screens are calibrated equally in terms of color balance. So a “purple” on one screen may look more blue or red on another. Professional designers use color managed workflows and calibration tools to preview colors consistently across devices.
Psychology and Symbolism of Purple vs. Blue Violet
Psychologically, purple and violet are often associated with luxury, creativity, spirituality, and magic. Here are some key differences between purple and blue violet symbolism:
- Purple is historically tied to royalty, nobility, and ceremony due to the expense of Tyrian purple dye.
- Blue violet is linked more to imagination, creativity, and mysticism.
- Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, and transformation.
- Blue violet represents spirituality, contemplation, and intuition.
Purple is a color that evokes power, while blue violet evokes mysticism. Purple is practical magic, while blue violet is spiritual magic.
Is Blue Violet a Type of Purple?
Based on the discussion so far, is blue violet the same as purple, or is it a distinct color?
While purple sits between red and blue, and violet between blue and red-violet, blue violet sits firmly in the violet family, though with a blue tint. Technically, blue violet is not the same as purple, as it lies closer to violet on the visible spectrum.
However, in more general usage, blue violet is often grouped under the broad banner of purple. Any color that mixes blue and red light or pigments tends to get labeled purple in casual contexts.
Some key points supporting blue violet as its own distinct shade:
- Blue violet has its own wavelength range (380-450nm).
- It occupies a distinct position between blue and violet on the color wheel.
- Blue violet dyes contain more blue undertones than pure purple.
- The psychology and symbolism have violet vs. purple associations.
At the same time, blue violet and purple are close enough that most non-experts would be hard-pressed to tell them apart consistently based on color alone. The chart below shows how blue violet fits under the purple umbrella, along with other shades like lilac and eggplant purple.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Purple | Balanced mix of red and blue |
| Blue violet | Violet with blue undertone |
| Eggplant purple | Deeper purple with some red |
| Lilac | Very pale purple |
Conclusion
In summary, while blue violet and purple occupy nearby positions on the color spectrum and wheel, and are often grouped together in general usage, blue violet can still be considered a distinct shade from true purple. It sits firmly on the violet side, whereas purple is a balanced bridge between red and blue.
Whether you classify it as a type of purple or not comes down to the context and level of precision required. And of course, individual perceptions of color still vary – so one person’s blue violet may be another’s purple