Beige

Cream
Cream
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#FFFDD0
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(255, 253, 208)
HSV (h, s, v)	(57°, 18%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(98, 33, 84°)
Source	[Unsourced]
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Light yellow green
	B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte);

Cosmic latte
Cosmic latte
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#FFF8E7
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(255, 248, 231)
HSV (h, s, v)	(42°, 9%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(98, 15, 70°)
Source	Internet
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Pale yellow green
	B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte);

Beige
Beige
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#F5F5DC
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(245, 245, 220)
HSV (h, s, v)	(60°, 10%, 96%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(96, 19, 86°)
Source	X11
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Pale yellow green
	B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte);

*Beige* is the French word for the color of natural wool. Freshly-shorn wool from the Royal Winter Fair.

Beige is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color,^[1] a grayish tan,^[2] a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow.^[3] It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither bleached nor dyed, hence also the color of natural wool.^[4]^[5] It has come to be used to describe a variety of light tints chosen for their neutral or pale warm appearance.

Beige began to commonly be used as a term for a color in France beginning approximately 1855–60; the writer Edmond de Goncourt used it in the novel La Fille Elisa in 1877. The first recorded use of beige as a color name in English was in 1887.^[6]

Beige is notoriously difficult to produce in traditional offset CMYK printing because of the low levels of inks used on each plate; often it will print in purple or green and vary within a print run.^{[citation needed]}

Various beige colors

Cosmic latte

Cosmic latte is a name assigned in 2002 to the average color of the universe (derived from a sampling of the electromagnetic radiation from 200,000 galaxies), given by a team of astronomers from Johns Hopkins University.

Cream

Cream is the color of the cream produced by cattle grazing on natural pasture with plants rich in yellow carotenoid pigments, some of which are incorporated into the cream, to give a yellow tone to white.

The first recorded use of cream as a color name in English was in 1590.^[7]

Unbleached silk

Unbleached silk

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#FFDDCA
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(255, 221, 202)
HSV (h, s, v)	(22°, 21%, 100%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(90, 29, 40°)
Source	JTC
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Pale orange yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Unbleached silk is one of the Japanese traditional colors in use since beginning in 660 CE in the form of various dyes that are used in designing kimono.^[8]^[9]

The name of this color in Japanese is shironeri.

Tuscan

Tuscan

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#FAD6A5
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(250, 214, 165)
HSV (h, s, v)	(35°, 34%, 98%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(88, 47, 56°)
Source	ISCC-NBS
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Light yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The first recorded use of Tuscan as a color name in English was in 1887.^[10]

Buff

Buff

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#DAA06D
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(218, 160, 109)
HSV (h, s, v)	(28°, 50%, 85%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(70, 60, 43°)
Source	^[Unsourced]
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Light yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Buff is a pale yellow-brown color that got its name from the color of buffed leather.^[11]

Buff is the color of fine undyed leathers.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, buff as a descriptor of a color was first used in the London Gazette of 1686, describing a uniform to be "A Red Coat with a Buff-colour'd lining".^[12]

Desert sand

Desert sand

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#EDC9AF
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(237, 201, 175)
HSV (h, s, v)	(25°, 26%, 93%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(83, 34, 44°)
Source	Crayola
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Pale orange yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color desert sand may be regarded as a deep shade of beige. It is a pale tint of a color called desert. The color name "desert" was first used in 1920.^[13]

In the 1960s the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) marketed desert sand–colored telephones for offices and homes. However, they described the color as "beige". It is therefore common for many people to refer to the color desert sand as "beige".

Ecru

Ecru

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#C2B280
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(194, 178, 128)
HSV (h, s, v)	(45°, 34%, 76%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(73, 39, 71°)
Source	ISCC-NBS
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Grayish yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Originally in the 19th century and up to at least 1930, the color ecru meant exactly the same color as beige (i.e. the pale cream color shown above as beige),^[14] and the word is often used to refer to such fabrics as silk and linen in their unbleached state. Ecru comes from the French word écru, which means literally "raw" or "unbleached".

Since at least the 1950s, however, the color ecru has been regarded as a different color from beige, presumably in order to allow interior designers a wider palette of colors to choose from.^[15]

Khaki

Khaki

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#C3B091
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(195, 176, 145)
HSV (h, s, v)	(37°, 26%, 76%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(73, 28, 61°)
Source	HTML/CSS
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Grayish yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Khaki was designated in the 1930 book A Dictionary of Color, the standard for color nomenclature before the introduction of computers.

The first recorded use of khaki as a color name in English was in 1848.^[16]

Light French beige

Light French beige

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#C8AD7F
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(200, 173, 127)
HSV (h, s, v)	(38°, 36%, 78%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(72, 41, 60°)
Source	Pourpre.com
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Grayish yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Light French beige is the color called beige on the pourpre.com website, a color list widely popular in France.

French beige

French beige

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#A67B5B
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(166, 123, 91)
HSV (h, s, v)	(26°, 45%, 65%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(55, 41, 41°)
Source	ISCC-NBS
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Light brown
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The first recorded use of French beige as a color name in English was in 1927.^[17]

The normalized color coordinates for French beige are identical to café au lait and Tuscan tan, which were first recorded as color names in English in 1839^[18] and 1926,^[19] respectively.

Mode beige

Mode beige

Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#967117
sRGB^B (r, g, b)	(150, 113, 23)
HSV (h, s, v)	(43°, 85%, 59%)
CIELCh_uv (L, C, h)	(50, 58, 58°)
Source	ISCC-NBS
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Light olive brown
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Mode beige is a very dark shade of beige.

The first recorded use of mode beige as a color name in English was in 1928.^[20]

The normalized color coordinates for mode beige are identical to the color names drab, sand dune, and bistre brown, which were first recorded as color names in English, respectively, in 1686,^[21] 1925,^[22] and 1930.^[23]

In nature

Fish

Beige catshark

Mammal

Beige rabbit

Metaphor

Beige is sometimes used as a metaphor for something which is bland, boring or conventional. In this sense it is used in contradistinction to more vibrant and exciting (or more individual) colours.^[24]

References

^ Oxford English Dictionary
^ Webster's New World Dictionary of the English Language, 1964
^ Macmillan On-Line Dictionary.
^ Le Petit Robert Dictionnaire.
^ Harper, Douglas. "beige". Online Etymology Dictionary.
^ Maerz and Paul (1930). A Dictionary of Colour. New York, McGraw-Hill, p. 190; Color Sample of Beige: p. 45 Plate 11 Color Sample C2. The color shown above matches the color sample in the book.
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Cream: p. 41 Plate 9 Color Sample D4 The color shown above matches the color sample in the book.
^ Nagasaki, Seiki. Nihon no dentoshoku : sono shikimei to shikicho, Seigensha, 2001. ISBN 4-916094-53-0
^ Nihon Shikisai Gakkai. Shinpen shikisai kagaku handobukku, Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai, 1985. ISBN 4-13-061000-7
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Tuscan: p. 43 Plate 10 Color Sample E5
^ Paterson, Ian (2003), A Dictionary of Colour (1st paperback ed.), London: Thorogood (published 2004), p. 73, ISBN 1-85418-375-3, OCLC 60411025
^ "buff, adj.1". Oxford English Dictionary. OUP. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill p. 194; Color Sample of Desert: p. 47 Plate 12 Color Sample I7
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 149—Discussion of the color Beige (shown in this book's color sample as being the same color that is displayed as "beige" in the Wikipedia color box shown above) notes that beige is exactly the same color as Ecru.
^ "ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Colo(u)r Names (1955): Ea through Ez". Retsof. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2007-10-23.^{[unreliable source?]}
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 197; Color Sample of Khaki: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample J7
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 195; Color Sample of French beige: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample A7
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 191; Color Sample of Cafe au Lait: p. 47 Plate 12 Color Sample A6
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Tuscan tan: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample C8
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 199; Color Sample of Mode Beige: p. 47 Plate 14 Color Sample B5
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 194
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 204; Color Sample of Sand Dune: p. 47 Plate 14 Color Sample B5
^ Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill p. 53 Plate 15 Color Sample C9
^ St. Clair, Kassia (2016). The Secret Lives of Colour. London: John Murray. pp. 58–59. ISBN 9781473630819. OCLC 936144129.

External links

[1] Oxford English Dictionary

[2] Webster's New World Dictionary of the English Language, 1964

[3] Macmillan On-Line Dictionary.

[4] Le Petit Robert Dictionnaire.

[5] Harper, Douglas. "beige". Online Etymology Dictionary.

[6] Maerz and Paul (1930). A Dictionary of Colour. New York, McGraw-Hill, p. 190; Color Sample of Beige: p. 45 Plate 11 Color Sample C2. The color shown above matches the color sample in the book.

[7] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Cream: p. 41 Plate 9 Color Sample D4 The color shown above matches the color sample in the book.

[8] Nagasaki, Seiki. Nihon no dentoshoku : sono shikimei to shikicho, Seigensha, 2001. ISBN 4-916094-53-0

[9] Nihon Shikisai Gakkai. Shinpen shikisai kagaku handobukku, Tokyo Daigaku Shuppankai, 1985. ISBN 4-13-061000-7

[10] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Tuscan: p. 43 Plate 10 Color Sample E5

[11] Paterson, Ian (2003), A Dictionary of Colour (1st paperback ed.), London: Thorogood (published 2004), p. 73, ISBN 1-85418-375-3, OCLC 60411025

[12] "buff, adj.1". Oxford English Dictionary. OUP. Retrieved 21 April 2011.

[13] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill p. 194; Color Sample of Desert: p. 47 Plate 12 Color Sample I7

[14] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 149—Discussion of the color Beige (shown in this book's color sample as being the same color that is displayed as "beige" in the Wikipedia color box shown above) notes that beige is exactly the same color as Ecru.

[15] "ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Colo(u)r Names (1955): Ea through Ez". Retsof. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2007-10-23.^{[unreliable source?]}

[16] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 197; Color Sample of Khaki: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample J7

[17] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 195; Color Sample of French beige: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample A7

[18] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 191; Color Sample of Cafe au Lait: p. 47 Plate 12 Color Sample A6

[19] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 206; Color Sample of Tuscan tan: p. 49 Plate 13 Color Sample C8

[20] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 199; Color Sample of Mode Beige: p. 47 Plate 14 Color Sample B5

[21] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 194

[22] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 204; Color Sample of Sand Dune: p. 47 Plate 14 Color Sample B5

[23] Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill p. 53 Plate 15 Color Sample C9

[StClair-24] St. Clair, Kassia (2016). The Secret Lives of Colour. London: John Murray. pp. 58–59. ISBN 9781473630819. OCLC 936144129.

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