Plum and magenta are two shades of purple that look similar but have some distinct differences. Both are medium-dark purples that lean towards red or pink undertones. However, plum generally refers to a grayish purple while magenta is a brighter, pinkish purple. There is some overlap between the two colors, but they are not exactly the same.
Defining Plum and Magenta
Plum is a medium purple tone that has hints of gray, blue, and sometimes red. It sits between the darker eggplant purple and the lighter lilac purple on the color wheel. Plum often looks muted or dusty compared to brighter purples. Some characteristics of the plum color:
– Hex code: #8E4585
– RGB values: (142, 69, 133)
– CMYK values: (43, 90, 26, 0)
– Closest web colors: Medium purple, Byzantium
Magenta is a vivid reddish purple that looks similar to raspberry or fuchsia. It sits between red and purple on the color wheel. Magenta is much brighter and bolder than the muted plum shade. Some characteristics of magenta:
– Hex code: #FF00FF
– RGB values: (255, 0, 255)
– CMYK values: (0, 100, 0, 0)
– Closest web colors: Fuchsia, shocking pink
As you can see, plum and magenta have very different RGB and CMYK values, indicating they are distinct colors even though they are both in the purple family.
Comparing Plum and Magenta
While plum and magenta are both shades of purple, they have some key differences:
Brightness – Magenta is much brighter and vivid than plum. Plum is a muted, grayish purple while magenta is bold and eye-catching.
Undertones – Plum has subtle blue/gray undertones while magenta has strong pink/red undertones.
Uses – Plum is more commonly used for darker or neutral shades. Magenta works well as a bright accent color.
Mixing – Plum is created by mixing a smaller amount of blue into purple. Magenta has more red mixed in.
Natural examples – Plums found in nature have a grayish dusty purple skin. Magenta flowers like azaleas are bright pinkish purple.
| Color | Brightness | Undertones | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plum | Muted | Blue/gray | Neutral backgrounds |
| Magenta | Vivid | Pink/red | Bright accents |
This table summarizes some of the major differences between plum and magenta shades.
Comparing Plum and Magenta Paints
When comparing actual plum and magenta paint colors, there are many shades to choose from. Here are some examples from major paint brands:
Plum Paint Colors
– Behr Modern Plum – grayish muted purple
– Benjamin Moore Plum Brown – deep reddish-brown plum
– Sherwin-Williams Passionate Plum – dusty purple with subtle red undertones
– Valspar Plum Wings – soft grayish purple
Magenta Paint Colors
– Behr Electric Magenta – vivid raspberry pink purple
– Benjamin Moore Magenta – bright pink-purple
– Sherwin-Williams Magenta – intense pinkish purple
– Valspar Magenta Glitz – deep pinkish purple
Comparing swatches of these paint colors shows a clear visual difference between the grayish plums and the brighter pinkish magentas. While the hues are similar, magenta paint has much more vibrancy than plum paint.
Plum and Magenta Dyes
Natural and synthetic dyes can also produce plum and magenta shades. Here are some examples:
Plum Dyes
– Logwood – produces a muted dark purple-gray dye
– Purple cabbage – extracted to make a grayish blue-purple dye
– Elderberries – used to make subtle purplish-red dyed fabrics
Magenta Dyes
– Fuchsine – a synthetic magenta dye used for bright pinkish purples
– Rose madder – plant-based dye for vivid purplish-reds
– Rubia plant – used to make bright red-purples for textiles
Again, the magenta dyes allow much more vibrant and intense reddish-purple colors compared to the muted grayish-blue plums. The dye examples confirm that plum and magenta, while similar hues, have very distinct color properties.
Plum and Magenta Gemstones
There are some gemstones found in plum and magenta shades:
Plum Gemstones
– Amethyst – quartz in various grayish purple shades
– Sugilite – opaque light purple stone
– Charoite – unusual plum purple mineral
Magenta Gemstones
– Rubellite tourmaline – vivid pinkish purple crystal
– Rhodochrosite – transparent pale red-purple mineral
– Lepidolite – shimmery lavender/magenta lithium crystal
Examining these gemstones shows the pattern remains the same. Plum gems like amethyst have subtle muted purple tones. Magenta gems like rubellite tourmaline have much more saturated and intense magenta hues.
Plum vs. Magenta Flowers
Some examples of plum and magenta flowers:
Plum Flowers
– Iris – come in grayish plum purple shades
– Allium – can produce muted purplish-blue blooms
– Clematis – some varieties have pale plummy flowers
Magenta Flowers
– Fuchsia – vibrant pinkish-purple hanging flowers
– Bougainvillea – showy bright magenta flower bracts
– Crane flowers – elegant reddish-purple blooms
Looking at living magenta flowers next to plum flowers shows a stark contrast. The magenta blooms like fuchsia have saturated, vivid reddish-purple colors. Meanwhile, the plummy flowers like irises have much more muted purplish tones.
Plum vs. Magenta Foods
There are some fruits and foods found naturally in plum and magenta shades:
Plum Foods
– Prunes – dried plums are dark purple/red
– Purple potatoes – have a grayish purple skin and flesh
– Purple cauliflower – has muted purplish heads
Magenta Foods
– Raspberries – juicy reddish-purple berries
– Radicchio – vivid magenta red-purple leaves
– Dragonfruit – bright fuchsia pink flesh
Again, the pattern shows that plum foods have much more muted grayish-blue purple hues. Magenta foods contain natural plant pigments that create their saturated pink-red palette.
Conclusion
In summary, while plum and magenta are both shades of purple, they are distinctly different colors. Plum is a grayish, muted purple while magenta is a bold reddish-pink purple. When comparing paints, dyes, gemstones, flowers and foods in these color families, magenta consistently appears much brighter and vivid than the more delicate, pale plums. So while they are close cousins on the color wheel, plum and magenta are not quite the same shade. Magenta has a distinctly intense, reddish tone compared to the subtle dilute quality of grayish plum hues.