What are pastel colors, and do they have any meanings or psychological influences on us? Plus, how are they commonly used, and how you can use them in design? Also, including pastel hex color codes.
What are Pastel Colors?
Pastel colors are basically pale versions or tints of a particular color. They could also be described as colors with low saturation. A pastel color can be created from any color by diluting it enough by adding white or gray.
Most Popular Pastel Colors
The most popular and commonly used pastel colors include, baby blue, millennial pink, whimsy yellow, mint green, lavender, pastel orange, and mauve.
Common Usages
Pastel colors are great for interior design. They can create a light, refreshing, and relaxing environment. They are also very popular in the world of fashion and clothing.
They also often make a good design choice when designing websites. Pure hues can often seem overwhelming, and they can be uncomfortable for the eye. Pastel colors offer an opportunity to add some color to the website while still maintaining a light, clean design that is comfortable for the reader.
This also makes them good when designing infographics, and other forms of information display. This applies to digital and non-digital displays.
Pastel colors are also very popular with digital art, particularly 3d renders. The example image is of one of my attempts at digital art using pastel hues.
Sweets and high-sugar foods often have a pastel coloration. This is with the packaging of the products as well as the sweets themselves.
Pastels are also often used for hair dye and nail colors.
Meaning of Pastel Colors
They are a particularly popular color choice for women, so, they are often associated with femininity, nurture, and compassion.
Psychology
They give off a soothing and gentle energy that potentially relaxes those who are exposed to the colors. They are often perceived as positive and happy colors. They also have some of the potential influences of white, such as feelings of cleanliness and purity.
Warm pastel colors such as yellow and orange give off more positive energy and warmth. Cool pastel colors like green and blue give off a more refreshing, sterile energy that encourages cleanliness.
Pink and purple pastel colors give off a more feminine, youthful and playful energy. Pink is more playful and feminine. Purplish pastels are more spiritual and mystical, and they encourage more depth and introspection.
If pastels are overused, they could come across as childish, immature, generally lacking seriousness.
Pastel Colors HEX Codes
Pastel Red HEX #FF9090
Pastel Orange HEX #FFC990
Pastel Yellow HEX #F3FF90
Pastel Green HEX #B4FFB2
Pastel Blue HEX #B3E9FF
Pastel Purple HEX #BCB3FF
Pastel Pink HEX #FFE5FE
