History of Indigo in Timeline

Indigo refers to a range of blue hues, originating from the ancient dye of the same name. It encompasses the color of the dye itself, fabrics dyed with it, and even a spectral color, famously included by Isaac Newton as one of the seven rainbow colors. The term can cover various shades of blue, ultramarine, and green-blue. In the web context, 'indigo' is sometimes used to describe certain purple and violet hues based on HTML web page specifications.

1914: Indigo's use in French military coats

Indigo remained the dominant color of French military coats until 1914, after being adopted by the French Army at the time of the French Revolution. It briefly was replaced in 1806 due to shortages of indigo dye imposed by the British continental blockade, before being retained for its practicality.

1980: J.W.G. Hunt spectrum division

In 1980, color scientist J.W.G. Hunt divided the spectrum between violet and blue at about 450 nm, without specifically naming any hue as indigo.

1992: Publication of Marina Warner's novel Indigo

In 1992, Marina Warner's novel Indigo, a retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest featuring the production of indigo dye by Sycorax, was published.

Indigo

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1999: Crayola indigo crayon release

In 1999, the Crayola company released an indigo crayon, using the hex code #4F49C6 on their website to approximate the crayon color.

2001: Crayola iron indigo crayon

In 2001, the iron indigo crayon by Crayola is portrayed using hex code #184FA1.

2004: Crayola indigo crayon color update

In 2004, the Crayola indigo crayon color is depicted by hex code #5D76CB.

2005: Publication of Guía de coloraciones

In 2005, 'Tropical Indigo' is defined as añil in the Guía de coloraciones (Guide to colorations) by Rosa Gallego and Juan Carlos Sanz, a widely popular color dictionary in the Hispanophone realm.

2006: Bohren and Clothiaux spectrum division

In 2006, color scientists Bohren and Clothiaux divided the spectrum between violet and blue at about 450 nm, without specifically naming any hue as indigo.