What Color is this Rose?

[Cat]

I need some advice from my fellow designers. I have a wedding suite built on this rose and it isn't getting as much traction as some of the other colors. I think it's because I'm not using the right words to describe the color (and I'm not going to tell you what I've been calling it because I don't want to influence you, I want your un-biased opinion.) So, what words would you use in a search if you wanted to find this color?

And the corollary question is, since this isn't a clearly defined color, if I use a bunch of different color terms in my keywords to try to cover my bases will I get flagged for tag spamming? Thanks in advance for your thoughts, and I can't wait to see how you'd describe this color because when I asked my friends, I was really surprised what they said!

[ArtVixen]

It's a purple rose, that's how I would tag it. I think most people would search the color purple instead of plum, magenta, etc. It's a lovey photo and design! 💜 

[Cat]

Awwww, thanks for your kind words. You know, I find it fascinating how many people think of it as a shade of purple, because I would never describe it as purple. To me it's squarely in the pink category - very close to the background on your avatar. But I'm also discovering that people have radically different definitions of the word "pink" so I'm starting to think that all of these terms are extremely subjective - almost to the point of being meaningless! Well anyhow, since I'm already using "purple" and "magenta" in my key words, I think I'm going to add a few other terms like pink, violet, red, and plum to cover all of the bases! Who knew defining a color could be such a challenge?! 😀

[Barbara]

When speaking of the color of light, your rose would be called magenta. I'm not sure, but I think that's what it is in printing inks too. Also, I don't remember any purple when I was oil painting. It was called violet. So, how the heck did purple even come into existence? Is it the result of royalty and their once upon a time expensively dyed fabric? Questions meant to plague us.

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[Cat]

Bwahahaha! So now I've really gone down the rabbit hole of science, history, language and color theory! I was going to ask you if you've seen any of these videos about how the ancients couldn't see the color blue - like this one: https://youtu.be/VIg5HkyauoY

And then I got intrigued by the history of purple: https://youtu.be/QRLL6_CnU4I

But then I stumbled upon this video which totally explains why I can't name this color... it doesn't exist! https://youtu.be/DRuPF6JtWdw

Heaven help me!

[Barbara]

@Cat  I just now finished the videos, and all three were interesting, though the third one about magenta was much more so, being actually fascinating.

The most fascinating color phenomenon I ever saw was in a "Color and Light" course I took where a student brought in a large white-painted board with two light bulbs in it, one red, the other blue. The lights in the room were turned off, and a variety of us took turns standing in front of the board while wearing a blindfold and with arms stretched out straight toward the board. When the red light was turned on, our arms without our knowing it drew together, but when it was turned off and the blue light was turned on, our arms drifted apart. The red light tensed up our muscles and blue light relaxed them. It seems color isn't just a visual thing.

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[Cat]

Oh wow! I have a friend who's into "color therapy" - which involves shining lights of different colors on people (well, in her case, on cats) to heal various ailments. I sort thought she was nuts, but maybe there's something to it! 

[Barbara]

I'm walking away from the computer right now and will only allow the temptation of your links after household chores, which are psychologically colorless. LOL

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[Cat]

You have WAY more discipline than I do! 😄

[chefcateringbiz]

Technically it's red-violet or red-purple, but what searchers would look for is beyond our capability to predict. Mulberry seems to be the best fit, but would people look for that? Who knows.

[JB]

a light burgundy, sangria. wine, merlot, plum, purple cherry, all come to mind for me. Fuchsia I don't see, because that is a more shocking pink-leaning color to me. Magenta might fit but its a darker more purple magenta.

But naming spectrum colors is always interesting!

[Barbara]

I bet she sees results from color therapy. It's something hospitals know about. How many hospital rooms are painted red, for instance? Medically, they know better than to do this.

The one thing I've always wondered about is the range of light frequencies and those that the human eye can't see. What colors are they?

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