The color blue: meaning and palettes to use it
Blue is the color almost everyone trusts, and that's exactly why a blue brand is so hard to remember. Here's what it means, which shade to pick and palettes that use it without looking like yet another bank.
Click a color to copy its code.
What the color blue means
Blue is linked to calm, trust and stability. It's the color of a clear sky and of the sea on a quiet day, two things almost nobody reads as a threat. In nearly every survey on favorite colors it comes out on top, for men and women alike.
It also has a cold side: distance, sadness (feeling blue) and a certain institutional seriousness. A very dark blue signals authority; a light, bright one feels fresh and airy.
What blue says about a brand
It's the corporate color par excellence: banks, insurers, tech companies and social networks use it because it says “you can trust us” without having to spell it out.
That's also the problem: if your whole industry is blue, blue doesn't set you apart. It works better as a base than as the star, paired with an accent color that's truly yours.
Not every shade of blue says the same thing
Navy blue
Authority and seriousness. Uniforms, offices, finance.
Cobalt blue
The digital blue: buttons, links, tech.
Sky blue
Light and airy. Great for backgrounds and summer.
Turquoise
Caribbean sea, freshness, health. Half green.
Palettes with blue to copy
Each swatch shows the contrast of the text that reads best on top of it. From 4.5:1 it works for body text.
Trust without the yawn
Service brands, corporate websites
Mediterranean
Travel, restaurants, summer
Midnight blue
Tech, music, events
What goes with blue
- Goes well with
- Orange (its complement, for accents), white, sand beige and mustard yellow.
- Use with care
- Green at the same intensity (it vibrates and tires the eye) and pure red over large areas.
Blue around the world
In Spain and across Latin America, blue is the color of calm and of institutions. In Mexico it also carries a strong craft and festive side: think of blue-painted facades and the cobalt blue of talavera pottery from Puebla.
In the Catholic tradition it's the color of the Virgin Mary, which is why it shows up so often in churches and patron saint festivals, from Seville to Mexico City.
Design with this palette, for free
Copy the codes and take them to Polimake's design canvas: social posts, covers and thumbnails with your own photos, no subscription needed.
Frequently asked questions
- What color goes with blue?
- Orange as an accent (it is its complement), whites and beiges as backgrounds, and mustard yellow to add warmth.
- Why are so many brands blue?
- Because blue signals trust almost universally. For that same reason, in industries where everyone uses it, it does little to set you apart.