Navy Blue Color: Everything You Need to Know

Blue is the most popular color in many countries worldwide, including the United States, Germany, England, and China. As a result, navy blue is used in a wide variety of settings, such as fashion, home decor, marketing, and media, which is why we’ve created an overview of what you should know about this particular shade of blue.

• What Color is Navy Blue?
• How to Make Navy Blue?
• What Color Goes with Navy Blue?
• What Color Matches Navy Blue?
• What Colors are Similar to Navy Blue?
• The History of Navy Blue
• Working Creatively with Navy Blue
• How to Create a Social Media Post, Graphics, and Videos with Navy Blue

What Color is Navy Blue?

Navy blue is a very dark shade of blue, with origins dating back to the 1700s when the shade was a bit darker than it is now. Navy blue is thought to be associated with trust and dependability. It can also give us a sense of security and calm us. Blue is also widely used in branding, appearing in over half of all business logos.

How to Make Navy Blue?

You can make navy blue by adding a little orange or black into a pure blue a little at a time.

Navy blue’s HEX color code is #000080.

Navy blue’s RGB values are R:0, G:0, B:128.

Navy blue’s CMYK color code is 100, 100, 0, 50.

Navy blue’s Web Safe code is #000099.

What Color Goes with Navy Blue?

Colors that always look best with navy blue are bright whites and warm neutrals that have pink or yellow undertones, such as clay beige, neutral tan, and porcelain. Though not many colors clash with navy blue, some colors with richer hues, such as hunter green and maroon red, can sometimes mute navy blue.

What Color Matches Navy Blue?

Colors complimenting navy blue are fresh green, blue-green, gold, pale pink, and mustard yellow. Depending on your needs, lavender and orange are also excellent choices to pair with navy blue.

What Colors are Similar to Navy Blue?

If you’re looking for something a little lighter or brighter than navy blue, you may be interested in some of the following colors:

• Egyptian blue (#1034a6)
• Royal blue (#4169e1)
• Cobalt (#0047ab)
• Azure (#007fff)

The History of Navy Blue

Image from Commons Wikimedia.

Navy blue originated from–you guessed it–the navy uniforms worn by service members in the British Royal Navy. The color has been worn by officers in the Royal Navy since 1748. In fact, in the early 19th century, the shade was initially referred to as marine blue, but the name of the color soon changed to navy blue. It was subsequently adopted by other naval forces worldwide.

Indigo dye is the basis of the historical navy blue color since most uniforms were made using indigo dye throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. As a result, the modern-day shade of navy blue is a bit bolder than the color of the original uniforms worn by the navy.

Working Creatively with Navy Blue

Navy Blue and Interior Design

Navy blue is a versatile hue that can be used in almost any room as either the main attraction or an accent color. Depending on the size of a room, using navy blue wall paint will be sure to draw attention. However, if you’re not ready to make that commitment, there are other ways to incorporate the color into your motif: navy blue end tables, armchairs, sofas, and bedspreads. 

Navy Blue and Photography

In photography, navy blue can represent sadness but can also invoke a feeling of calmness and serenity, especially when used in a natural setting such as oceanscapes and night skies. Navy blue is an excellent choice for clothing attire when photographing multiple human subjects, such as family portraits.

Navy Blue and Branding

Design by Tiago Vidinha

Navy blue carries a sense of power, authority, elegance, and sophistication, which is why many company logos use this shade of blue in their designs. In marketing, navy blue is often viewed as a non-threatening color associated with reliability. Companies that promote a sense of security often use blue in their advertising campaigns.