While purple and blue may seem like similar colors, they are actually quite distinct from one another. Purple is a secondary color made by combining the primary colors red and blue. Blue, on the other hand, is a primary color on the visible spectrum.
Though they share some similarities, purple and blue have key differences when it comes to their properties, uses, symbolism and more. By exploring how these two colors are created, their shades, how humans perceive them, and their uses and meanings, we can better understand the relationship between purple and blue and how they compare.
How Purple and Blue are Created
To understand if purple and blue are similar, it helps to first look at how each color is created.
How Purple is Created
Purple is a secondary color, meaning it is created by combining two primary colors. In particular, purple is made by mixing red and blue light or pigments.
On the visible color spectrum, purple sits between the primary colors of red and blue. When you combine these colors together, you get the many shades of purple that fall along the wavelengths between red and blue.
This mixing can happen with light, paints, dyes, and other pigments. For example:
– On a computer or TV screen, purple is made by combining emitted red and blue light.
– With paints and dyes, mixing a red pigment like carmine with a blue pigment like ultramarine produces purple.
So purple does not have its own distinct wavelength – it is a blend of the wavelengths of red and blue. This mixing is what creates the secondary color we see as purple.
How Blue is Created
Blue is a primary color on the visible color spectrum. That means it has its own distinct wavelength of light that our eyes can detect.
The wavelength of blue light is between 450-495 nanometers. This wavelength stimulates the cone cells in our eyes that allow us to see the color blue.
Because it is a primary color, blue can be created by emitting that single wavelength of light. You don’t need to combine other colors to produce blue light or pigmentation.
Examples of how we make blue include:
– A blue LED light bulb emits blue wavelengths of light directly.
– The pigment cobalt blue absorbs all other wavelengths and reflects just the blue wavelengths.
So while purple requires mixing red and blue, blue exists as its own color that can stand alone. Their distinct creation methods show that purple and blue are fundamentally different types of colors.
Shades and Tones of Purple and Blue
Beyond how they are created, we can compare purple and blue by looking at the wide variety of shades and tones that exist. There are lighter, darker, brighter, and duller variations of both colors.
Shades of Purple
Some common shades of purple include:
– Lavender – A very pale, soft purple.
– Lilac – A light purple with subtle blue undertones.
– Wisteria – A medium, cool purple tone.
– Violet – A bright, somewhat reddish purple that is one of the purest shades.
– Eggplant – A deep, dark purple that has a reddish-blue tone.
– Amethyst – A deep, jewel-toned purple.
– Byzantium – A vivid reddish purple.
Shades of Blue
Some common blue shades include:
– Baby blue – A very light, pale blue.
– Periwinkle – A light purplish-blue.
– Sky blue – A light to medium blue.
– Azure – A bright, deep blue.
– Navy – A very dark blue.
– Prussian blue – A dark blue with black undertones.
– Cobalt – A pure, moderately saturated blue.
So both purple and blue occur in lighter, darker, brighter, and more muted shades. However, purple’s shades tend to have more red or pink undertones, while blue shades vary in lightness and saturation while keeping a pure blue tone.
How Humans Perceive Purple and Blue
Human color perception is another way to compare purple and blue. While they may seem very distinct to our eyes, purple and blue actually share close similarities in how our visual system processes them.
Cone Cells and Color Opponency
In our retinas, we have three types of cone cells that detect different wavelengths of light – short (blue), medium (green), and long (red). Purple light stimulates both the short and long wavelength cones. Blue only stimulates the short wavelength cones.
However, after this initial detection, our visual system processes these signals through color opponency mechanisms. This sets up antagonistic pairs for:
– Red vs Green
– Blue vs Yellow
– Black vs White
For purple and blue, they are both processed as the blue/yellow opponent pair. So this means purple is perceived as a “blueish” color by the visual system, similar to blue. This reveals why the two colors can appear so alike to our eyes.
Overlapping Wavelength Detection
Additionally, the cone cells have overlapping sensitivities – they don’t each detect a single precise wavelength. There is some overlap between the short and long cones in the purple wavelengths.
So both blue and purple are stimulating and getting processed by the same cones and visual pathways. This also contributes to the apparent close relationship between these two colors.
Uses of Purple vs Blue
Exploring how purple and blue are used in color applications provides another point of comparison between the two:
Uses of Purple
– Art – Often used to create a sense of mystic, spirituality, creativity, or imagination. Commonly used for fantasy subjects.
– Fashion – Used in eccentric or creative outfits and makeup. Also popular for children’s clothing.
– Interiors – Can create an elegant, creative, or relaxed mood depending on the shade. Often paired with gray.
– Branding – Used to promote creativity, uniqueness, or unconventionality. Often used by toy, art supply, or electronic brands.
– Food – Naturally occurs in foods like grapes, eggplant, purple sweet potatoes, etc. Also used as a bright artificial coloring.
Uses of Blue
– Art – Used to create tranquility, openness, or contemplation. Also represents sadness or depression.
– Fashion – Dark blues are popular for uniforms and professional attire. Light blues are relaxing casual colors.
– Interiors – Lighter blues create open, airy, relaxing spaces. Dark blues feel sophisticated and stable.
– Branding – Trust, professionalism, dependability, and calmness. Heavily used by corporate, financial, and tech brands.
– Food – Naturally occurs in blue fruits and flowers. Artificially represents minty or creamy flavors.
So while there is some overlap with creativity and imaginative expression, purple and blue fill distinct roles based on their different tones and historical associations.
Symbolism and Meanings of Purple vs Blue
Let’s look at how purple and blue compare in their cultural symbolism and historical color meanings:
Symbolism and Meaning of Purple
– Royalty – Historically associated with emperors and kings due to the rarity and expense of purple dyes.
– Wealth and Extravagance – Its royal connections give purple an air of luxury, ambition, and prestige.
– Magic and Mystery – The whimsical, spiritual side of purple evokes a sense of the occult and enchantment.
– Creativity and Individualism – Purple’s unconventionality expresses creative thinking and personal expression.
– Spirituality – In multiple cultures, it is connected to mystic practices and intuition.
– Age and Wisdom – Dark purple can represent experience, imaginative wisdom, and dignified maturity.
Symbolism and Meaning of Blue
– Calm and Serenity – The color of still water and clear blue skies gives it a restful, tranquil essence.
– Professionalism and Dependability – Its conservative history makes it a stalwart, trustworthy color.
– Sadness and Melancholy – In many cultures, it is associated with unhappiness, grief, and depression.
– Masculinity – Light blue in particular is connected to traditional boy gender roles and expressions.
– Cleanliness and Purity – Its absence of warmth can represent sterility and innocence.
– Stability and Security – Its enduring, constant nature feels reassuring.
So while purple represents magic, creativity, and extravagance, blue embodies tranquility, cleanliness, and dependability. Their contrasting historical and cultural associations set them apart.
Conclusion
In summary, while purple and blue may initially appear very similar, when their properties are explored more closely, distinct differences emerge between the two colors:
– Purple is a secondary color requiring both red and blue to create it, while blue is a primary color with its own wavelength.
– Purple has shades with red and pink undertones, while blue’s shades vary primarily in lightness and saturation.
– Though they stimulate overlapping cone cells in the eye, purple is processed by the visual system as a “blueish” color due to color opponency mechanisms.
– In use and symbolism, purple represents creativity, mysticism, and extravagance, while blue represents stability, sadness, and professionalism.
So while purple and blue occupy the same general vicinity on the color wheel and spectrum, they have quite distinct identities. Next time you encounter these two colors, notice their unique properties and associations that set them apart in remarkable ways. Exploring the colorful nuances all around us can uncover fascinating aspects we never noticed before!
