Cyan vs. Blue — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 3, 2023
Cyan is a greenish-blue color; blue is a primary color spectrum. Cyan is lighter than blue.
Difference Between Cyan and Blue
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Cyan is one of the primary colors in the subtractive color model, used in color printing. It is a greenish-blue shade and is one of the four colors of ink used in color printing along with black, yellow, and magenta. Blue, on the other hand, is a primary color in the additive (RGB) color model used in digital displays and lighting. It is perceived when there is no green or red light contribution.
Cyan appears when blue light is mixed with green light at the same intensity in the RGB color model. It is also a secondary color in the RGB color model, formed by the combination of the primary colors blue and green. Blue is a spectral color. It is one of the seven colors of the rainbow and can have a range of shades, from the deep blues of the ocean to the pale blues of the sky.
The human eye perceives cyan as a bright, lively color often associated with water and the tropics. Cyan pigments are used to create the illusion of the blue sky in four-color printing. Blue is often associated with depth and stability, symbolizing trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, and intelligence. It is a dominant color perception in human vision.
In terms of ink and paint, cyan is a fundamental color that can be combined with magenta and yellow to create a full spectrum of shades in the CMYK color model. Blue is a traditional artistic color that can be lightened with white to create tints or darkened with black to create shades. Blue pigments are derived from a variety of compounds, including both natural and synthetic substances.
On computer screens, cyan is created by activating equal amounts of green and blue light at high intensity on a black screen. Blue is one of the three primary colors of light in the RGB color model and is a single wavelength color in the visible spectrum. Cyan ink is absorbed by red light, while blue pigments absorb red and green light.
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Comparison Chart
Color Model
Subtractive (CMYK); secondary in RGB.
Additive (RGB); primary color.
Visual Perception
Greenish-blue, bright, vibrant.
Pure color, varying from dark to light shades.
Representation in Printing
One of the four colors of ink (CMYK).
Mixed from other colors; not a standard ink.
Association
Water, clarity, tropical.
Depth, stability, trust, tranquility.
Light Combination
Equal green and blue in RGB.
Single wavelength in visible spectrum.
Compare with Definitions
Cyan
Cyan is a primary color in CMYK printing
We need more cyan ink for the printer.
Blue
Blue is a primary color in the visible spectrum
The sky is a perfect example of blue.
Cyan
Cyan light has a wavelength of about 490–520 nm
The cyan light spectrum is soothing to the eye.
Blue
Blue can signify sadness or tranquility
She felt a profound sense of blue after the news.
Cyan
Cyan is a greenish-blue color
The pool tiles were a bright shade of cyan.
Blue
Blue light has a short wavelength in the visible spectrum
Blue light filters are used to reduce eye strain.
Cyan
Cyan is a secondary color in the RGB color model
On my screen, cyan is created with equal parts green and blue light.
Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours of pigments in painting and traditional colour theory, as well as in the RGB colour model. It lies between violet and green on the spectrum of visible light.
Cyan
Cyan is associated with freshness and tropical climates
Her dress was as cyan as the summer sky.
Blue
The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between green and indigo, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 420 to 490 nanometers; any of a group of colors that may vary in lightness and saturation, whose hue is that of a clear daytime sky; one of the additive or light primaries; one of the psychological primary hues.
Cyan
Cyan () is the color between green and blue on the visible spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a predominant wavelength between 490 and 520 nm, between the wavelengths of green and blue.In the subtractive color system, or CMYK color model, which can be overlaid to produce all colors in paint and color printing, cyan is one of the primary colors, along with magenta and yellow.
Blue
A pigment or dye imparting this hue.
Cyan
A greenish-blue colour which is one of the primary subtractive colours, complementary to red.
Blue
Bluing.
Cyan
A greenish blue, one of the subtractive primary colors.
Blue
An object having this hue.
Cyan
A vibrant pale greenish-blue colour between blue and green in the visible spectrum; the complementary colour of red; the colour obtained by subtracting red from white light.
Blue
Dress or clothing of this hue
The ushers wore blue.
Cyan
Of the colour cyan.
Blue
A person who wears a blue uniform.
Cyan
A blue-green that is one of the primary pigments
Blue
Blues A dress blue uniform, especially that of the US Army.
Cyan
A bluish shade of green
Blue
A member of the Union Army in the Civil War.
Blue
The Union Army.
Blue
A bluefish.
Blue
Any of various small blue butterflies of the subfamily Polyommatinae.
Blue
The sky.
Blue
The sea.
Blue
Of the color blue.
Blue
Bluish or having parts that are blue or bluish, as the blue spruce and the blue whale.
Blue
Having a gray or purplish color, as from cold or contusion.
Blue
Wearing blue.
Blue
Being a trail, as for skiing, marked with a sign having a blue square, indicating an intermediate level of difficulty.
Blue
Relating to or being a blue state.
Blue
Gloomy; depressed.
Blue
Dismal; dreary
A blue day.
Blue
Puritanical; strict.
Blue
Aristocratic; patrician.
Blue
Indecent; risqué
A blue joke.
A blue movie.
Blue
To make or become blue.
Blue
Having blue as its color.
The deep blue sea
Blue
(informal) Depressed, melancholic, sad.
Blue
(health care) Having a bluish or purplish shade of the skin due to a lack of oxygen to the normally deep red blood cells.
The divers got them out of the car just in time – they were starting to turn blue.
Blue
Pale, without redness or glare; said of a flame.
The candle burns blue.
Blue
(politics) Supportive of, run by (a member of), pertaining to, or dominated by a political party represented by the colour blue.
Blue
Supportive of, run by (a member of), pertaining to, or dominated by the Democratic Party.
I live in a blue constituency.
Congress turned blue in the mid-term elections.
Blue
Supportive of or related to the Liberal Party.
Illawarra turns blue in Liberal washout
Blue
(UK politics) Supportive of or related to the Conservative Party.
Blue
(astronomy) Of the higher-frequency region of the part of the electromagnetic spectrum which is relevant in the specific observation.
Blue
(of steak) Extra rare; left very raw and cold.
Blue
(of a dog or cat) Having a coat of fur of a slaty gray shade.
Blue
(archaic) Severe or overly strict in morals; gloomy.
Blue and sour religionists;
Blue laws
Blue
Literary; bluestockinged.
Blue
(particle physics) Having a color charge of blue.
Blue
(informal) Risqué; obscene; profane; pornographic.
His material is too blue for prime-time
The air was blue with oaths.
A blue movie
Blue
The colour of the clear sky or the deep sea, between green and purple in the visible spectrum, and one of the primary additive colours for transmitted light; the colour obtained by subtracting red and green from white light using magenta and cyan filters; or any colour resembling this.
Blue
Anything coloured blue, especially to distinguish it from similar objects differing only in color.
I don't like red Smarties. Have you got a blue?
Blue
A blue dye or pigment.
Blue
Blue clothing.
The boys in blue marched to the pipers.
Blue
(in the plural) A blue uniform. See blues.
Blue
A member of a sports team that wears blue colours; (in the plural) a nickname for the team as a whole. See also blues.
Come on you blues!
Blue
An umpire, in reference to the typical dark blue color of the umpire's uniform. Sometimes perceived by umpires as derogatory when used by players or coaches while disputing a call.
He was safe! Terrible call, blue!
Blue
Sporting colours awarded by a university or other institution for sporting achievement, such as representing one's university, especially and originally at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England. See also full blue, half blue.
He excelled at rowing and received a blue in the sport at Oxford.
Blue
A person who has received such sporting colours.
He was a blue in rugby at Cambridge.
Blue
(slang) A member of law enforcement.
Blue
A bluestocking.
Blue
The sky, literally or figuratively.
The balloon floated up into the blue.
His request for leave came out of the blue.
Blue
The ocean; deep waters.
Blue
The far distance; a remote or distant place.
Blue
A dog or cat with a slaty gray coat.
Blue
(snooker) One of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of five points.
Blue
(entomology) Any of the butterflies of the subfamily Polyommatinae in the family Lycaenidae, most of which have blue on their wings.
Blue
A bluefish.
Blue
An argument.
Blue
A liquid with an intense blue colour, added to a laundry wash to prevent yellowing of white clothes.
Blue
Any of several processes to protect metal against rust.
Blue
(British) A type of firecracker.
Blue
(particle physics) One of the three color charges for quarks.
Blue
(UK) A member or supporter of the Conservative Party.
He is a true blue.
Blue
(ergative) To make or become blue; to turn blue.
Blue
To treat the surface of steel so that it is passivated chemically and becomes more resistant to rust.
Blue
To brighten by treating with blue (laundry aid).
Blue
To fight, brawl, or argue.
Blue
To spend (money) extravagantly; to blow.
Blue
Having the color of the clear sky, or a hue resembling it, whether lighter or darker; as, the deep, blue sea; as blue as a sapphire; blue violets.
Blue
Pale, without redness or glare, - said of a flame; hence, of the color of burning brimstone, betokening the presence of ghosts or devils; as, the candle burns blue; the air was blue with oaths.
Blue
Low in spirits; melancholy; as, to feel blue.
Blue
Suited to produce low spirits; gloomy in prospect; as, thongs looked blue.
Blue
Severe or over strict in morals; gloom; as, blue and sour religionists; suiting one who is over strict in morals; inculcating an impracticable, severe, or gloomy mortality; as, blue laws.
Blue
Literary; - applied to women; - an abbreviation of bluestocking.
The ladies were very blue and well informed.
For his religion . . . 'T was Presbyterian, true blue.
Blue
One of the seven colors into which the rays of light divide themselves, when refracted through a glass prism; the color of the clear sky, or a color resembling that, whether lighter or darker; a pigment having such color.
Blue
A pedantic woman; a bluestocking.
Blue
Low spirits; a fit of despondency; melancholy.
Blue
To make blue; to dye of a blue color; to make blue by heating, as metals, etc.
Blue
The color of the clear sky in the daytime;
He had eyes of bright blue
Blue
Blue clothing;
She was wearing blue
Blue
Any organization or party whose uniforms or badges are blue;
The Union army was a vast blue
Blue
The sky as viewed during daylight;
He shot an arrow into the blue
Blue
Used to whiten laundry or hair or give it a bluish tinge
Blue
The sodium salt of amobarbital that is used as a barbiturate; used as a sedative and a hypnotic
Blue
Any of numerous small chiefly blue butterflies of the family Lycaenidae
Blue
Turn blue
Blue
Having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky;
October's bright blue weather
A blue flame
Blue haze of tobacco smoke
Blue
Used to signify the Union forces in the Civil War (who wore blue uniforms);
A ragged blue line
Blue
Low in spirits;
Lonely and blue in a strange city
Depressed by the loss of his job
A dispirited and resigned expression on her face
Downcast after his defeat
Feeling discouraged and downhearted
Blue
Characterized by profanity or cursing;
Foul-mouthed and blasphemous
Blue language
Profane words
Blue
Suggestive of sexual impropriety;
A blue movie
Blue jokes
He skips asterisks and gives you the gamy details
A juicy scandal
A naughty wink
Naughty words
Racy anecdotes
A risque story
Spicy gossip
Blue
Belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy;
An aristocratic family
Aristocratic Bostonians
Aristocratic government
A blue family
Blue blood
The blue-blooded aristocracy
Of gentle blood
Patrician landholders of the American South
Aristocratic bearing
Aristocratic features
Patrician tastes
Blue
Morally rigorous and strict;
Blue laws
The puritan work ethic
Puritanic distaste for alcohol
She was anything but puritanical in her behavior
Blue
Causing dejection;
A blue day
The dark days of the war
A week of rainy depressing weather
A disconsolate winter landscape
The first dismal dispiriting days of November
A dark gloomy day
Grim rainy weather
Blue
Blue represents both the color of the ocean and the sky
He painted the room a calming shade of blue.
Blue
Blue is a popular color in corporate branding
Their company logo is blue to invoke trust.
Common Curiosities
How do you make cyan color?
In RGB color model, mix equal parts of green and blue light.
What is blue?
Blue is a primary color in the RGB color model, associated with the sky and sea.
Are cyan and aqua the same color?
Cyan and aqua are similar but aqua is typically a bit more greenish.
Is cyan the same as light blue?
No, cyan is more greenish-blue, while light blue is a paler blue.
Can cyan and blue be mixed in design?
Yes, they can be mixed to create various shades of blue-green.
Is blue a primary or secondary color?
Blue is a primary color in both the RGB and traditional color models.
What does the color blue represent?
Blue represents depth, stability, trust, and tranquility.
What does the color cyan represent?
Cyan is often associated with clarity, water, and vibrancy.
Do cyan and blue have the same psychological effects?
No, blue is more calming, whereas cyan is more energizing.
What is cyan?
Cyan is a greenish-blue color, a secondary color in the RGB model.
Can both cyan and blue be primary colors?
Cyan is a primary in CMYK, blue is a primary in RGB.
Why is blue considered a cool color?
Blue is associated with coolness, like water and ice.
Which is more popular in design, cyan or blue?
Blue is more versatile and commonly used in design.
Are cyan and turquoise the same?
No, turquoise is typically a bit greener and darker than cyan.
Is cyan a warm or cool color?
Cyan is considered a cool color.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
