Fuchsia Color: Is It Pink or Purple and What Does It Mean?

Fuchsia color – a vibrant mixture of purple and pink – has sparked some controversy. Is fuchsia pink or purple? While some consider fuchsia a vibrant pink, others perceive it as a lovely purple. However, this color sits between both on the color wheel.

Fuchsia is one of the colors that can be described in many ways, such as purplish-red, purplish-pink, pinkish-purple, and pinkish-purplish-red. And no definition is wrong.

Today’s article will go over everything there is to know about the fuchsia color.

We will also discuss the most popular shades of fuchsia, along with their color codes. In addition, you’ll learn about the meaning of the color fuchsia.

What Color is Fuchsia?

Fuchsia is a vibrant purplish-pink color named after the bright hue of the eponymous flower. The fuchsia hex code is #FF00FF. 

Fuchsia was first used as a color name in English in 1892.

While some call it a purplish-pink, others call it pinkish-purplish. However, fuchsia is a warm color located between pink and purple on the color wheel.

If we consider that the name of the color originated from the vibrant hue of the fuchsia flower, it’s more purplish-red.

Fuchsia Hex Code: #FF00FF

Magenta vs. Fucshia

Magenta vs Fuchsia vs Hot pink

In terms of magenta vs. fuchsia, magenta is a combination of purple and red, while fuchsia is a mixture of purple and pink – a tint of red. 

Furthermore, magenta is more reddish in color as opposed to fuchsia, which leans more toward the purple side on the color wheel. 

Thus, while magenta is perceived as a reddish-purplish, fuchsia is a pinkish-purplish.

When it comes to light (the RGB model), magenta and fuchsia are created by combining blue and red lights at equal intensities.

That’s why you might find magenta and fuchsia having the same hex code: #FF00FF.

Things are different in the CMYK subtractive model used in the printing industry. Magenta is a primary subtractive color, along with cyan and yellow. Its color code is #EC008C. However, fuschia and magenta can be considered similar.

Fuchsia
Hex: #FF00FF
RGB 255, 0, 255
CMYK 0,100,0,0

Magenta Web
Hex: #EC008C
RGB 236, 0, 140
CMYK 0,100,41,7

Fuchsia vs. Hot Pink

Fuchsia is a brighter and lighter purplish-pink, while hot pink leans more towards a warmer and slightly darker shade of pink. In addition, fuchsia leans more toward the purple side, while hot pink leans toward red.

Both are vibrant colors, but hot pink carries a warmer and bolder pink appearance as opposed to fuchsia.

What Two Colors Make Fuchsia?

The two colors that make fuchsia are magenta and yellow. So mix magenta and yellow in a 4:1 ratio. Alternatively, you can mix red and pink together and then add a splash of purple.

Fuchsia Color Codes

In the RGB additive model, fuchsia is made of 100% red and 100% blue. Its color code is #FF00FF.

In the CMYK model, fuchsia uses 100% of the primary color magenta.

Regarding HSL colorspace, fuchsia has a hue angle of 300°, with 100% brightness and 50% value.

ValueCSS
Hex CodeFF00FF#ff00ff
RGB Percentage100, 0, 100rgb(100%, 0%, 100%)
RGB Decimal255, 0, 255rgb(255,0,255)
CMYK0, 100, 0, 0
HSL300°, 100, 50hsl(300°, 100%, 50%)
HSV300°, 100, 100

The History of Fuchsia Color

fuchsia flowers

The history of the color originates from the perennial fuchsia plant, which is part of the Onagraceae family. However, there are over 100 species in this family. The most popular ones come in mixtures of red and white, pink and purple, or pink and white.

But who named this flower fuchsia?

The French botanist Charles Plumier named the fuchsia plant after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs.

When it comes to fuchsia, this color was created by a French chemist – François-Emmanuel Verguin. It was called magenta after the Battle of Magenta on 4 June 1859 between the Franco-Sardinian forces and Austria. [1]

The French won This battle in Italy during the Italian War of Independence.

At that time, chemists were starting to produce synthetic dyes. This pigment was created by heating an aniline dye and tin tetrachloride compound. Even then, it was perceived as a purplish-red or a reddish-purple.

After the patenting of this color, French soldiers’ trousers were dyed magenta for financial reasons – this pigment was much cheaper.

In 1859, the French chemist Emmanuel Verguin sold the patent to some painters in Lyon.

These painters – the Renard brothers – started producing it commercially, changing its name to ‘fuchsine,’ after the flower of the same name.

The original name, however, was preserved in history due to the victory at Magenta. Magenta later became the name of communes and streets in France. 

Later, artists began to use this color on canvas. One of the earliest artworks is Haussmann’s ‘Portrait of Marie Lagadu’ from 1890.

Two years later, the name of the color appeared for the first time in English.

Now you know the history of this lovely color. What is the meaning of fuchsia?

Fuchsia Color Meaning

Fuchsia is associated with certainty, maturity, understanding, and compassion. Moreover, fuchsia is warm, cheerful, uplifting, and enlightening.  

It combines the energy and strength of red with the mystery and inspiration of purple, bringing a little of the joy and love of pink. That’s why it’s so welcoming and lively.

So the color fuchsia is a playful, joyful purplish-pink that brings a feminine touch.

Shades of Fuchsia

Shades of fuchsia color

When it comes to light and physics, fuchsia is the same color as magenta, having the same color code. When dealing with pigments and dyes, magenta is more reddish in color, while fuchsia is pinkish-purplish-red.

Fuchsia is a composite color made up of purple and pink – a tint of red. Thus, there are many shades of fuchsia, as variations between purple and red.

Fuchsia Rose

Fuchsia Rose is a vibrant shade of pink with some purple undertones. This color was awarded Pantone’s Color of the Year 2001.

Its name comes from its resemblance to the colors found in fuchsia flowers, which are a vivid pink-purple color.

Fuchsia Rose
Hex #C34E7C
RGB 195, 78, 124
CMYK 0, 60, 36, 24

In addition, this color can be perceived as a balance between the soft romanticism of roses and the intensity of fuchsia flowers.

This is the most representative shade of fuchsia in the history of the color. The color code of this fuchsia shade is 17-2031.

fashion rose yarn texture

Deep Fuchsia

Deep Fuchsia is a medium magenta, consisting of an equal combination of red and blue. This fuchsia color was created by the Crayola crayon company.

Deep Fuchsia
Hex #C154C1
RGB 193, 84, 193
CMYK 0, 56, 0, 24

deep fuschia abstract background

Royal Fuchsia

Royal fuchsia is a deep purple-tinged pink. As its name suggests, this hue borrows something of purple’s royal, regal qualities. It can be considered a fuschia pink.

Royal Fuchsia
Hex #CA2C92
RGB 202,44, 146
CMYK 0, 78, 28, 21

Royal fuschia pink texture

Fashion Fuchsia

Fashion Fuchsia is a bright fuchsia shade that is very popular in the fashion industry. This fuchsia-pink color is also known as Hollywood cerise

This name comes from the French word ‘cerise,’ meaning ‘cherry.’ Thus, it can be translated as Hollywood cherry.

Fashion Fuchsia
Hex #F400A1
RGB 244, 0, 161
CMYK 0, 100, 34, 4

Fuchsia Pink

Fuchsia pink is an equal mixture of blue and red that appears as a hot pink with purple undertones. In addition, this color looks like a light variation of magenta.

Fuchsia Pink
Hex #FF77FF
RGB 255, 119, 255
CMYK 0, 53, 0, 0

fuschia pink flower

Antique Fuchsia

Antique fuchsia is a more muted shade of fuchsia that leans towards lavender. This color first appeared in English in 1928, thanks to the Plochere color system.

Antique Fuchsia
Hex #915C83
RGB 145, 92, 131
CMYK 0, 37, 10, 43

Fuchsia Purple

Fuchsia purple is a deep, rich pinkish-purple created by Pantone for the textile industry. Its Pantone’s color code is 18-2436. 

Fuchsia Purple
Hex #CC397B
RGB 204, 57, 123
CMYK 0, 70, 40, 20

Fuschia purple fabric

French Fuchsia

Is this fuschia pink? Yes, definitely.

French fuchsia is a bright pink color, similar to Barbie pink. Compared to fashion fuchsia, this color leans more towards pink. If we look at the CMYK values, it has less magenta and more yellow in is composition.

French Fuchsia
Hex #FD3F92
RGB 253, 63, 146
CMYK 0, 75, 42, 1

Fuchsia Color Combinations

Fuchsia goes well with many colors, thanks to the mixture of pink and purple it is made of. Some colors that go with fuchsia include lime, mint, yellow, tangerine, and the neutrals black and white.

Fuchsia Complementary Color

The complementary color to fuchsia is lime green. This means that the opposite of fuchsia on the color wheel is lime green. This harmonious color combination offers a striking contrast. 

Therefore it is advisable to use one of the colors as a predominant color and the other as an accent.

If you opt for fuchsia fashion, its complementary color is a slightly darker lime green. Its hex code is #00F451.

Fuchsia
Hex #FF00FF
RGB 255, 0, 255
CMYK 0,100,0,0

Lime Green
Hex #00FF00
RGB 0, 255, 0
CMYK 100,0,100,0

Fuchsia Monochromatic Color Combinations

astract watercolor paint in magenta and fuschia colors

This combination is based on one color: fuchsia. The other two hues represent a tint (added white) and a shade of fuchsia (added black).

Steel Pink
Hex #CC00CC
RGB 204, 0, 204
CMYK 0, 100, 0, 20

Fuchsia
Hex #FF00FF
RGB 255, 0, 255
CMYK 0, 100, 0, 0

Ultra Pink
Hex #FF5CFF
RGB 255, 92, 255
CMYK 0, 64, 0, 0

Fuchsia Analogous Color Combinations

Fuchsia goes well with purple and rose – a pinkish red in an analogous color palette. These colors are its close neighbors on the color wheel.

Violet
Hex #8000FF
RGB 128, 0, 255
CMYK 50, 100, 0, 0

Fuchsia
Hex #FF00FF
RGB 255, 0, 255
CMYK 0, 100, 0, 0

Rose
Hex #FF0080
RGB 255, 0, 128
CMYK 0, 100, 50, 0

Triadic Fuchsia Color Combinations

If you want to use one dominant color and two others as accents, use a triadic combination of cyan, fuchsia, and yellow. This is a similar scheme to split complementary.

Cyan
Hex #00FFFF
RGB 0, 255, 255
CMYK 100, 0, 0, 0

Fuchsia
Hex #FF00FF
RGB 255, 0, 255
CMYK 0, 100, 0, 0

Yellow
Hex #FFFF00
RGB 255, 255, 0
CMYK 0, 0, 100, 0

Frequently Asked Questions

Is fuchsia magenta or pink?

Fuchsia is located between purple and pink on the color wheel, meaning it is a mixture of the two colors. Magenta is reddish in color than fuchsia, which is pinkish-purplish. However, in the CMYK color model, fuschia is 100% magenta, without cyan, yellow, or black added.

Is fuchsia pink or purple?

Fuchsia is a combination of pink and purple as it lies between the two on the color wheel. Fuchsia is neither pink nor purple but rather purplish-red, like the color of the flower from which this color is derived.

Is fuchsia the same as hot pink?

Fuchsia and hot pink are not the same thing. While fuchsia is a vibrant shade of pink with purple undertones, hot pink is just a vibrant pink without any undertones.

Is fuchsia purple?

The Fuchsia color can be considered a reddish-purple, as it is a mixture of red, pink and purple. So fuchsia is both purple and pink at the same time, lying between both on the colour wheel.

What’s the difference between fuchsia and magenta?

Magenta is a reddish-purple, while fuchsia is a purplish-pink (or purplish-red). Moreover, magenta leans more towards red on the color wheel, while fuchsia leans towards purple.

What colors go with fuchsia?

Fuchsia pairs well with neutrals (cool grays, black and white), mint green, lime green (complementary color), yellow, and tangerine.

What colors make fuschia?

The colors that make fuchsia are red + pink + purple. Mix pink and red paints together, then add some purple. If you want to use two colors, mix four parts magenta with one part yellow. When it comes to digital medium, fuchsia is composed of an equal proportion of red and blue light at full intensity.

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