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Is teal more green or blue


Teal vs Turquoise: The Key Differences, Explained

Understanding the difference between teal vs turquoise can be trickier than you might expect.

The two colors are very much in the same color family, and pretty close together on color charts.

Plus, it doesn’t help that most people don’t actually understand the distinctions between the two, and mistakenly use the two phrases interchangeably:

“Turquoise” is often used to describe teal, and vice versa.

Fortunately, understanding the differences between the two colors – and how to best use them for design and style purposes – is easy once you know the traits that distinguish each one.

In this post I’ll break down the key characteristics of both teal and turquoise to help you understand how and when to use each one.

What’s the difference between teal and turquoise? Well…

Turquoise

Turquoise as a Color

A shade of blue that falls somewhere in between blue and green, turquoise has characteristics associated with both.

It has both blue’s calmness, and green’s sense of growth, which is why many consider it to be one of the most beautiful colors for interior design.

(Particularly in the living room, where just a few accent pieces – like throw pillows or area rugs – in a medium turquoise color can brighten up the entire room.)

But turquoise also has a certain uplifting brightness and energy to it, which is typically found in brighter primary colors like yellow.

Turquoise in Nature
Image via Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com / Wikimedia

Turquoise the color comes from turquoise the chemical compound.

It’s actually a blue-to-green hydrous phosphate of copper, and has a unique hue that’s helped to make rare turquoise gemstones sought-after prizes for centuries.

Turquoise in Culture

Some cultures even consider light turquoise gemstones to be holy stones, believing that they bring good luck and good fortune.

They’re popular as jewellery and often worn as either around the neck as a necklace or around the wrist as a bracelet to help the wearer protect themselves from an unnatural or premature death.

Turquoise’s Meaning

Colors in the turquoise family also bear a resemblance to the color aquamarine (more on aqua below).

Both light and dark turquoise have always been connected to the ocean – both in nature and in terms of color.

Much like turquoise, the ocean can oscillate between blue’s calmness and green’s bounty.

Because turquoise balances the characteristics of blue, green and yellow simultaneously, it’s always been linked with balance, which helps explain its popularity:

Turquoise evokes a certain sense of emotional balance and serenity, which is similar to the feeling many people get from looking at the ocean.

The blue aspects of turquoise mean some people associate it with mental clarity, focus and intellect, rather than raw emotions.

Teal

Teal as a Color

Like turquoise, teal is also a greenish-blue color.

But while turquoise is bright and has some of the same characteristics as yellow, the main difference with teal is that i’s closer to the medium/dark end of the spectrum, because it’s one of the deeper shades of bluish green.

The deep blue-green color of teal has a lower saturation, which makes it easier on human eyes.

Teal is a darker version of cyan, which many people know from the CMYK acronym –Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black – which are the four inks used in color printing.

(Black is the color that all other colors “key” to, so the K in CMYK actually stands for Key, but refers to black. I guess “CMYB” just doesn’t have the same ring to it?)

If you were mixing teal as a paint, you’d start with a white base and add pigments of blue and green to achieve the right shades of cyan.

When things started shifting to digital in the late 20th century, teal was included as one of the original 16 web colors defined by HTML, the popular coding language still used today.

Teal in Nature
Image via Koshy Koshy / Wikimedia

The name “teal” actually comes from an animal:

A teal is a freshwater duck commonly found in parts of Eurasia, which sports a stripe with what might today be described as a teal green hue.

People began commonly using the word “teal” to refer to the same (or at least a very similar) color at some point in the early 20th century.

Teal’s Meaning

Teal combines the stable tranquility of a royal blue with the optimism and nature that are inherent in green.

It’s the color most associated with rest, rejuvenation and peace of mind.

With its lower saturation, teal is a much calmer shade than turquoise, whose brightness gives it a certain energy.

Dark teal is understated, elegant and encourages calmness.

Teal in Culture

Teal attracts people who are reliable, independent and tend to do their own thinking and go their own way.

But while the may be independent, people who consider teal their favorite color are also thoughtful, and tend to be even keeled. For instance, teal is a popular color among meditators.

Teal can also attract those who are in their heads a little too much, and tend towards over-thinking or even pretension.

Wait – what about Aqua?

Aqua is essentially another name for cyan.

When colors and shades are translated from the real world onto the computer screen, they’re assigned what’s called a hex code – a six-character code that denotes a specific shade.

For instance, hex code for black is all zeroes – #000000 – whereas the hex code for white is all letters – #FFFFFF.

Both cyan and aqua have same hex code – #00FFFF – denoting the fact that they’re essentially the same color.

And in case you’re wondering, the hex triplet code of teal is #008080, while the hex code for Turquoise is #30D5C8.

Teal vs Turquoise vs Aqua

Aqua is lighter than both teal and turquoise.

As mentioned above, turquoise colors are basically darker versions of cyan, which means that they’re also darker versions of aqua.

Turquoise falls somewhere in between teal and aqua in terms of brightness. It doesn’t have quite the same bright, neon feel that aqua has, but it does have a bit of yellow mixed in, which it makes brighter and more vibrant than teal.

Complementary Colors for Teal, Turquoise and Aqua
Teal and turquoise fall in between blue and green on the color wheel, as illustrated in this graphic from Brightside.me

You can find any given color’s complementary colour by looking at a color wheel.

The colors that appear directly across from a given color on the wheel usually make for the best complementary colors.

Since teal, turquoise and aqua all fall within the green and blue family on the color wheel, their complementary colors all fall on the opposite side, in the orange/red family.

Complementary Clothing Colors

Since colors in the cyan family complement colors in the red and orange family, they can be the perfect choice for people with red or orange hair, who often tend to have elements of pink in their skin tones, which will be nicely complemented by the bluish green hues.

One word of advice, though:

When wearing colors in the blue/green family, stick to a dark teal blue, rather than really bright neon colors like aqua or even turquoise.

Those bright colors can often be too loud and risk washing you out, whereas a dark greenish-blue colour will provide a little more sophistication, and a better sense of balance with the lighter color of your skin and hair.

FAQ

Is teal the same as turquoise?

No. Both contain elements of blue and green, but teal is darker and has lower saturation, where turquoise is quite bright and even has elements of yellow.

Which is lighter, teal or turquoise?

Turquoise is definitely lighter than teal. As mentioned above, teal is a darker color with a lower saturation. Turquoise, on the other hand, is both a light and bright color.

Is teal green or turquoise?

Teal is neither green nor turquoise. It’s similar to turquoise in that it’s a combination of both green and blue, but it’s darker and has a lower saturation than turquoise. So it’s in the same color family as both green and turquoise, but it’s not the same.

Is teal more green or blue?

Teal is usually more green than blue, but it depends on what shade of teal you’re going for. Teal is actually a mix of green and cyan (also known as aqua), which is a lighter blue.

Which is more blue, teal or turquoise?

Turquoise tends to be more blue than teal, which as mentioned above has a green base. But again, it depends on which shade or hue of each color you’re going for, as both colors combine blue and green.

Is teal close to acqua or turquoise?

Teal is arguably closer to aqua than turquoise, but it’s significantly darker and less saturated than both colors. Teal actually uses aqua, also known as cyan, as a base color, so it’s very much in the aqua family.

What is the difference between teal and turquoise and aqua?

Aqua is lighter than both teal and turquoise. Turquoise is basically a darker versions of aqua, while teal is even darker still, and also has more green.

More Color, Style & Grooming Advice from Irreverent Gent:

Shades of Teal - How to Build Your Own Unique Teal Color Palette

There is something truly luxurious when it comes to the color teal, many versions of royalty have favored this color for the richness of its beauty, and adorned themselves in lavish silks from all over the world that had been dyed by the pigments that we know to make the color teal. These pigments. Teal is a color that can be described as a combination of blues and greens, similar to that of cyan but is darker. It is compared to the color turquoise. However, turquoise is lighter. There are many shades of teal, which is what we will be addressing in this article. Let us explore some facts about the color teal.

Table of Contents

 

 

The Origin of Teal

The color teal is believed to be named after the markings on a freshwater duck, in the early 20th Century. The color can be found on the duck’s head and wings. Eventually, the Eurasian Teal duck was named after the color we are all familiar with today. The different shades of teal have been popular throughout history. It is the foundation of the Plochere color system and was used by interior designers in the 1950s, which enabled them to incorporate the color teal in more ways than originally imagined.

The Plochere color system includes 1456 colors within its collection. These colors are organized accordingly, similarly to the original color wheel. They are made up of 26 colors that make up the base of the system. All of the colors within the Plochere color system are made by mixing these 26 base colors with a “systematic pigment mixture”.

Teal colors were used on some of the first web pages in 1987, which many of you might remember, but many may not. Either way, Teal has been an iconic color within the marketing industry. Crayola created a crayon named Teal blue from 1990 to 2003, which became a favorite amongst children who loved coloring in anything to do with the ocean. The color teal can be found in different country flags, like Sri Lanka, because of the proud energy that it gives off, and as we have said, royalty across the globe have been huge fans of this color, and nobles would adorn themselves with this color. 

It has represented sports teams, for example, the Charlotte Hornet basketball team, and the Jacksonville Jaguars football team. That is not all! The Miami Dolphins have a variation of the color teal that they wear which is called Aqua, and another variation of teal which is known as midnight green is worn by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Teal is symbolic in different cultures. For the Tibetans, the color teal is a symbol of infinity, the sky, and the sea, which represents the polarity in our world, yet it shows how everything is still connected and related to each other.  For the ancient Egyptians, teal was the color of faith and truth. The nobles in Egyptian culture would paint their faces with the color teal in ceremonious happenstance.

 

The Psychology Behind Teal

Teal has a tranquil and healing effect on individuals. This color strikes a feeling of independence within those who are exposed to it. The psychology of this color, that brings out such individualistic feelings, also makes one feel a sense of reliability. Those who choose to surround themselves with the subtle combination of blue and green (teal) are unlikely to make impulsive, or rash decisions that they might regret later, and they are more reserved in comparison to those who choose more bright and vibrant colors like orange. Teal represents clarity of the mind, your thoughts, and open communication, so you can freely express yourself without any internal confusion.

PHOTO

In some cases, the color implies the tendency to overthink and is associated with pretentiousness. It can stir up feelings of trustworthiness, making it great to use in web design, but using it too much can have the opposite effect, instigating a sense of aloofness and unreliability. Any color that is used in excess will seem overwhelming to the person viewing the artwork, webpage, or room that is painted entirely teal. We advise mixing in some neutral colors that can soothe the intensity of the color. Those who are lucky enough to be unaware, the color teal became a color that cancer survivors would wear.

This beautifully deep color is subtle, yet very noticeable, so it does the job of bringing the awareness of cancer back to the attention of others quite nicely.

 

 

Different Shades of Teal

We can compare the impact of the color teal to that of shallow waters or tropical beaches. The more vibrant light green teal can induce a clear, or invigorating feeling. We can also expect a calmer, more sophisticated feeling from the deeper shades. It is important to understand the theory of color, how it works, and how it impacts us before we look at the shades of teal names.

 

An Overview of Color Theory

On the color wheel, teal falls in between blue and green, and in case you were not aware, it is a tertiary color. When mixing paint to make your color teal, we advise making your perfect green first. We suggest that you start with a primary blue, then mix a primary yellow to create the green we are speaking of. By adding more blue after, you will achieve the color teal. 

You can create different shades of teal by either adding white to lighten and blue or black to darken the tone.

In case you are wondering, complementary colors for any color can be found on the opposing side of the color wheel. So, for example, coral is complementary to teal, with shades of oranges and browns. Monochrome, or analogous, are also terms used to refer to colors close to or next to each other. Ultimately, the coral color, or any other beige shades, are the perfect combinations to use with the color teal, like white, pastel coral, beige or gray.

 

Teal Color Names

These days, there are three models we use to classify color. We refer to (RYB) the basic red, yellow, and blue, predominately used for painting. Red, green, and blue (RGB) are what we see on computers or televisions. And lastly, cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK), which we use to print color documents. We use hex codes for specific colors. A hex code is displayed as a hashtag with the preceding number. Let us look at a color chart for shades of teal. We will see the hex code, as well as other relevant codes.

 

Teal

Similar to that of the color cyan that is used for printing in the CMYK model. Teal is a blue-green that is darker compared to Cyan. Cyan is mixed with dark blue to create a deep tone. This is the most common shade of the color teal that we are so familiar with. This teal is darker than the cyan we see in the CMYK color model used in printing. 

You can use pinks, corals, creams, and whites to compliment this color. Interestingly enough, silver goes very well with this shade of teal.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Teal #008080 100, 0, 0, 50 0, 128, 128  

 

Common Teal

For most people, this is the color that they think of when they hear the name, teal. This version of teal is slightly lighter than the teal color above. Common teal is the shade of teal first observed around 1817 on the Eurasian teal duck.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Common Teal #009193 100, 1, 0, 42 0, 145, 147  

 

Dark Teal

This beautiful deep teal combines exquisitely with gold, bringing a romantic yet simple sophistication to the space. This combination inspires creativity, making it a great background for a studio space to write or make art. It might not seem obvious to some, but you should not use this color in excess. 

Too much of anything can overwhelm the viewers, which we would definitely not want to do, especially if you are using it for interior design or marketing campaigns.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Dark Teal #014d4e 99, 1, 0, 69 1, 77, 78  

 

Bright Teal

This teal is highly saturated, its vibrancy is similar to that of turquoise. It works well with greens and blues. It is said that light and bright teal colors encourage creativity. If you want to add contrast to this color, you could try reddish-orange colors.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Bright Teal #01f9c6 100, 0, 20, 2 1, 249, 198  

 

Marine Teal

Marine teal can lend itself more towards blue than green. It creates a sense of calm and adventure in space, reminding us of shallow waters, or Moroccan tiled bathrooms on an island resort. 

It is vibrant and stimulating, making it a great color for your teenager’s room.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Marine Teal #008384 100, 1, 0, 48 0, 131, 132  

 

Teal Blue

Teal blue is timeless. Extremely popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It has the ability to round off a space with a bit of complexity and drama, making it easy to incorporate it into any decor theme.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Teal Blue #367588 60, 14, 0, 47 54, 117, 136  

 

Tropical Teal

Are you a fan of the tropics? If so, this will be a favorite of yours, for sure! Tropical teal is bold and looks good in nearly any space. Consider painting your foyer with tropical teal to make a fun and inviting, yet relaxing energy for those who enter your home, or office space. 

To set a fearless tone for the rest of your house. It can work well in a modern decor space.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Tropical Teal #008794 100, 9, 0, 42 0, 135, 148  

 

Egyptian Teal

This Egyptian teal color expands over to green on the color chart for shades of teal. You can see this color teal in Ancient Egyptian artifacts. In paintings of the Egyptian era, you can see this color used in makeup and body art.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Egyptian Teal #008c8d 100, 1, 0, 45 0, 140, 141  

 

Steel Teal

This color of teal will work in your favor when combining it with gray. It can have a calming and sometimes clinical effect to it, making it great for a laundry room. It gives you a sense of growth from the accentuated green undertone. 

You can see why this color is named after steel, it has a cool metallic impression.

Shade Teal Hex Code CMYK Teal Color Code RGB Teal Color Code Teal Color
Steel Teal #5f8a8b 32, 1, 0, 45 95, 138, 139  

 

 

Mixing Acrylic Paint to Achieve Teal

The best way to experiment is to create a color palette of teal as you go along comparing the different shades. You can start with a basic teal that consists of one part green, two parts blue, and half yellow. Add white or black to get the shade you want. You can add a darker blue like, phthalo blue or prompt for a lighter blue. If you are trying to obtain a more vibrant teal, you could add some like emerald green.

 

 

Teal in Interior Design

Teal is a color that can be more outstanding or subdued depending on how it is used in the living or workspace.  Teal can also add to a sophisticated and elegant color palette. Imagine a deep teal velvet couch or pillows, evoking a sense of royal splendor. Then paring it with warm neutral beige and dark woodwork to balance the cool teal shades.

The color pairs well with white and gold for a classic look. This can create a calm, relaxing atmosphere in your space.

 You can use the color teal for furniture, walls, and other accessories. It is an immaculate accent color. Because of its tranquilizing effect, it can be added to a neutral setting without it feeling artificial or like it is too “in your face”. Here are a couple of combinations of teal that might inspire you as you decorate your space.

 

Now that you have read through all of the color descriptions, and learned what the best color combinations are, you will be able to utilize this color more freely. There is an abundance of teal color names and color charts for shades of teal. You can create a teal color palette that can be used in fashion design, interior, art, marketing, and the list goes on. This color is versatile and will surely inspire you to create. We hope that you found this tutorial on the color teal invigorating with information that you can apply to your life, in whatever form you prefer. Happy mixing!

 

Take a look at our teal color webstory here!

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What Are Teal Colors?

When you think of the color teal, you might immediately think of the ocean, which is not entirely incorrect, particularly for the tropical beaches in various parts of the world. Teal is made by mixing more blue into your green shade, and it is often described as a darker shade of cyan, but it has a base of blue, then green is added along with white. You can find a plethora of color chart shades of teal, so you can find any variation of the color you are looking for.

 

Can Teal Colors Be Warm and Cool?

On the color wheel, teal falls into the cooler tones. It is not generally described as warm, but in some cases, it can depict a warmer shade. Warmth can be brought out with complementary or contrasting colors. So, if you want to pair the color with a warm combination, you might only use a small amount of it when combining it with a warm color like beige or coral.

 

What Colors Work With Teal?

Depending on the brightness or saturation, teal works well with a variety of colors. It works well with neutral colors and other blues and greens. The neutral being is a great combination for the color teal, especially for the working professional who wants to redecorate their office space.

 

Is it blue or green? Until the fight!

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Is it blue or green? Until the fight!
miumau
March 11, 2017

We always quarreled (selflessly and for a long time) because of the colors of a certain spectrum, or rather, even a certain type. Something like that. borderline between blue and green. What a terrible fight! I said that "well, this is the color of the sea wave is typical! The sea wave is blue. Well, blue-green. But it is blue! And she said that no, it is green, really green, it is not blue at all. Well and so on

And now I see this:

It says "green color palette". Ltd! That's it. That's all on the right. Mom says: "Well, it's frankly blue." Well, yes, it is bluish (...) :-) :-) Well, this) (in my understanding) is such a kind of noble green. Well, almost. Emerald variety. Not?

And right there: a blue palette.

Well, yes, what is here on the right is rather green. First and second from the left. And the last one? How is it for you? Blue? Or is it actually emerald? Have you ever had a terrible, ugly quarrel about such border colors?
It's interesting that my mother and I only argue about blue-greens. And some also argue about red - it is yellow or blue. We have a touching unanimity about the always red-yellow spectrum. Maybe there are some family defects in color perception?

P.S. I took a test at the school of vision, and they told me that I would still have many problems with my vision. But here's what turned out great, so it's color reproduction. (Hooray.) So from the point of view of an ophthalmologist, I distinguish colors flawlessly.
But there seems to be a problem with the names. Or with classification. Or with folding on the right shelves. :-)

Tags: thoughts

Green or blue? A color that everyone sees differently - Woman Delice

Have you ever argued with your loved one about the color of your blouse or shirt? Have you ever been surprised to hear that a thing that you sincerely considered green is perceived by someone else as blue?

Color recognition is a delicate thing, we all have our own characteristics that affect how our brain interprets visual information. There is no correct answer to the question “blue or green” in this case, since different people can perceive the same shade of color in different ways.

In order to avoid discrepancies, there is a color coding system (RGB model). From a technical point of view, each color is a mix of three tones - red, green and blue (red, green, blue), and the final shade depends on which of the tones is present in the shade in what quantity. However, the human brain sometimes interprets this mix very freely, and this is the reason for the difference in the perception of the same shade by different people.

Experiment

An experiment conducted by the scientists of Optical Express showed this difference very clearly. What color do you think this square is - blue or green? Well, or so: for you personally, this color is more blue than green, or vice versa?

The results of the experiment showed the ambiguity of the perception of shades by different people. The researchers showed this image to non-colorblind participants (1,000 people took part in the survey) and asked them to answer the question “what color is this rectangle?”. For 32% of respondents, this color is blue, for 64% - green, and 4% could not decide. Here is how scientists themselves explain such a range of opinions:

Each person is unique, and many different factors can influence the perception of a color tone. The light beam enters the eyeball and reaches the retina, the light-sensitive tissue that lines the bottom of the eyeball. Next comes the process of interpretation, when the light is transformed into an electrical signal that is transmitted through the optic nerve to the cortex, the part of the brain responsible for processing the information received. How exactly the brain interprets the shade of color can be influenced not only by physiological characteristics, but also by the psycho-emotional state of a person. In particular, people experiencing stress are less sensitive to green hues, and among them there are many more who called the specified shade of color blue.

Is it green or blue?

Green. From a technical point of view, the model of this color is described as RGB 0.122.116 (green tones - 122, blue - 116, red - zero). After the participants in the experiment named the color, the scientists placed two more images on both sides of the picture, a pronounced green and a pronounced blue color, after which they were again asked to answer the question “what color is this rectangle?”.

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