The science and art of color mixing have been a primary tool in many applications in design, printing, and art. There are thousands of colors and possibilities by combining the basic sets of hues and mixing them with neutrals. This particular combination is undeniable and common but let’s examine each color for sheer discovery. As most of us know, blue is a primary color. This color is the most popular globally, widely chosen as their favorite color because of its soothing qualities. This color can stand on its own, and yet it is commonly paired with other soothing colors like white and green to create a sense of trust and stability. Green is a secondary color; it is made by combining blue with yellow. Green is the color of life and nature. It is associated with safety, movement, and wealth. Depending on the shade or tint, green is very versatile when paired with other colors, and it can provide a solid base to any aggressive color’s chromaticity. In the color wheel, the color that is placed in between blue and green is blue-green, it is a tertiary color meaning it is created by mixing a primary and a secondary color, in this case, it is blue and green. In modern interpretations, the blue-green color has been given a common name, It’s Cyan.
What is Cyan?
Cyan is a tertiary color somewhere in between green and blue. This color is commonly used in the printing process because it is one of the four primary colors used in printing inks to produce all other colors, along with yellow, magenta, and black. This model is called the CMYK model and is utilized in the printing industry. Cyan is a word derived from the Greek word kyanos, which translates to dark blue. The first known usage of the word in the English language is in 1879. The term is also widely used to refer to any color between blue and green in a chromatic spectrum as an umbrella term.
Cultural Associations
Cyan is widely used in the CMYK color printing process. In many printers worldwide, the inks’ basic colors are cyan, magenta, yellow and black; these four-color inks are mixed in varying amounts to produce other print colors. This color is also used in the RGB color model; blue and green light create this color. The color red is the opposite of the color cyan in the RGB color wheel; thus, mixing the two can create white light balancing and nullifying each other. The color of the water is cyan in shallow areas of the beach; this has commonly occurred because the water in the ocean absorbs the color red when hit by sunlight, thus leaving the greenish-blue color to the ocean that gets stronger and stronger as the water goes far away from the beach. This color is a rare pigment in nature. A few animals wield this color in their skin’s pigment; however, a bacteria called cyanobacteria is cyan in color and is important in the food cycle. The natural gas called methane, used in stoves produces cyan-colored flame when exposed to air. Uranus’s color is color cyan, too, due to the abundance of methane gas in its atmosphere. Cyan is the color widely utilized in the architecture of many mosques in Turkey and Central. Asia, because of its soothing qualities and rational nature. In modern applications, the gowns of many surgeons worldwide are often color cyan because cyan is the opposite of red, which is the color of blood; thus, it can be visibly distinguishable when in the cyan-colored gown.
Color Psychology
Cyan is widely associated with water and the sea; thus, people adopt the ocean’s qualities to represent this color. Thus, with this notion, cyan represents tranquility and calmness. The color exudes a soothing effect because it combines two cool colors: peaceful blue and rejuvenating green. Many swimming pool owners paint their pools cyan to create a calming, refreshing effect on swimmers. The color is best used in meditation because it gives a sense of centering qualities. Exposure to the color can temporarily cease and send off any disturbing thoughts that cause anxiety and can create a fresh feeling for anyone. The color also gives a sense of emotional balance because it has a transforming effect that neutralizes any disarray in the mind and the soul. In a negative mode, cyan can also symbolize toxicity and corrosion. The word the color cyan is also the origin of the highly toxic substance called cyanide. The substance hydrogen cyanide is an acid used in many applications. The highly volatile gas methane also produced a cyan-colored flame.
Use of the Color
Cyan is widely used in printing; that is why it is a staple in graphic design and web marketing. Incorporate branding projects; cyan can be paired with white or another blue color but darker such as Prussian or petrol blue. We can also use this color in many applications involving the restaurant business as a menu background or interior spaces. The use of cyan in graphic design can convey trust and calmness in any corporate branding. You can use cyan to add a pop color to any bleak white wall in the interior design. An interior space with dominant white furniture pieces in their fabrics or cabinets could use a little pop of cyan and brown to add a sense of the South Californian vibe to any living room or kitchen. A cyan accent wall in the bedroom can give life to a small room and add freshness with white drapes and white bedsheets. In fashion design, a cyan color necktie can add personality to a dark grey suit with a white dress shirt. A cyan short and a plain white t-shirt is a perfect summer staple and can be used in many beach activities. In cosmetics, a cyan-colored eye shadow can create a different dimension to your look and add a fun and youthful effect when paired with summer dresses and tan skin.
