Blue #0000FF

Blue is one of the most widely used colors in corporate identity, especially for banks, insurers, tech companies, and healthcare. It suggests stability and competence, and it rarely offends anyone, which is part of why it is chosen so often.

Its history runs the other way. For centuries a good blue pigment was expensive. Ultramarine was ground from lapis lazuli, and European painters often reserved it for important subjects such as the robes of the Virgin Mary. A synthetic version of ultramarine was only developed in the nineteenth century.

In English, blue can also mean sad, as in 'feeling blue' or the blues. In many Western countries it has become the default color for baby boys, a convention that is fairly recent and not shared everywhere. Elsewhere it can carry protective meaning, as in the blue eye charms found across Turkey and Greece.

Pure #0000FF is close to the default link blue browsers use, so on the web it can read as 'clickable' whether you intend that or not. White text sits well on it; black text does not. Most brands soften it slightly, because full-strength blue looks harsh on large areas and vibrates against pure red.

It still works for bold posters, sports graphics, and minimalist layouts where one strong color carries the design. In fashion and interiors, a true primary blue reads playful and graphic, so pair it with plenty of white or a warm neutral.