Navy is considered both a shade and a tint of the color blue. As a dark blue, navy is a shade of blue. But navy also has some white added to pure blue, making it a tint as well. So whether navy is called a shade or a tint depends on the context.
Defining Shade and Tint
In color theory, a shade is a pure color that has been mixed with black to make it darker. For example, adding black to red makes a shade called maroon. Adding black to yellow makes a shade called olive.
A tint is the opposite – a pure color that has been mixed with white to make it lighter. Adding white to red makes pink. Adding white to orange makes peach.
So a shade is a darkened version of a color, while a tint is a lightened version.
Navy as a Shade of Blue
Navy is considered a very dark shade of blue. It sits between the lighter shade royal blue and the very dark midnight blue on the blue color spectrum:
| Baby Blue | Sky Blue | Royal Blue | Navy Blue | Midnight Blue |
As you can see, navy is a deep, dark saturated blue. It’s much darker than royal blue due to the addition of black or the subtraction of white from the pure blue.
Some specific shades of navy blue include:
- Navy blue – Hex #000080, RGB 0,0,128
- Dark navy blue – Hex #00022E, RGB 0,2,46
- Space navy blue – Hex #465980, RGB 70,89,128
So in the context of blue shades, navy is always referred to as a shade, not a tint. It sits in the lower half of the blue spectrum, darkened with black.
Navy as a Tint of Blue
While navy is a shade in relation to pure blue, it’s also considered a tint of blue at the same time. This is because navy doesn’t contain just pure blue – it also has a small amount of white added.
Navy blue is not just pure blue mixed with black. It also has a touch of white or blue’s tinting color added. This lightens the pure blue slightly on its way to becoming navy.
Here is a simple mixing chart showing how navy can be created by adding both black (for shade) and white (for tint) to pure blue:
| Blue | |
| + Black | |
| + White | Navy |
So while navy sits on the darker end of the blue spectrum, it’s not completely pure blue. The small addition of white makes it both a shade and a tint at the same time.
Is Navy More of a Shade or a Tint?
Given that navy blue contains both black and white mixed with pure blue, is it more correct to call it a shade or a tint?
It depends on the context, but most color experts consider navy to be more of a shade than a tint. This is because the black has a stronger influence on the resulting color than the small amount of white.
The addition of just a small amount of white keeps navy from being a “pure” shade. But the much larger proportion of black is what pulls the color into the darker blue family.
So in most uses, navy is still grouped and referred to as a shade of blue, rather than a tint. But it’s important to remember it has hints of both shade and tint in its makeup.
Uses of Navy as a Shade and Tint
When is navy blue referred to as a shade, and when is it called a tint?
As a shade:
- When grouping colors into light, medium, and dark families
- When coordinating shades of blue from lightest to darkest
- In color mixing to darken a lighter blue
- In discussing pure blue mixed with black
As a tint:
- When discussing the lightening of pure blue with white
- In comparing tinting vs. shading in general color theory
- When referring specifically to the white component of navy
So in summary:
| As a shade | Refers to navy mixed with black to darken blue |
| As a tint | Refers to navy lightened slightly from pure blue with white |
Conclusion
Navy blue is a complex color that is both a shade and a tint of pure blue:
– As a shade, navy sits low on the blue spectrum due to the addition of black.
– As a tint, it lightens pure blue slightly with a small amount of white.
But navy is generally considered more of a shade than a tint. The larger amount of black darkens the blue more noticeably than the white lightens it.
So in most cases, navy will be referred to as a shade of blue. But it’s important to note it has hints of both shading and tinting in its unique makeup.
The terminology depends on the context – whether navy is being discussed in relation to the blue spectrum, general color theory, or its own specific blending. But both as a shade and tint, navy remains a classic, deep blue.
