Pink: Color codes, color palettes, and uses

Today, we’re unpacking the color pink to spark your curiosity: from curated pink color palettes you can swipe for your next project, to the surprising psychology behind this popular color, which hands down goes way beyond “sweet” — and the bold, shape-shifting history of pink itself.

We’ve also rounded up iconic uses of the color and created a pink FAQ to answer everything you didn’t know you needed to know. So, if you’re ready to rethink what this color can do for your projects, let’s dive in.

Before diving into the lovely pink combinations we’ve prepared for you, let’s review the basics. Pink is created by mixing red and white, but depending on how much white you add or which red tone you start with, you’ll get a wide range of pinks, from soft blush tones to vibrant magentas.

The shade most commonly recognized as “pink” is the soft, bubblegum-like tone often used as a base in many designs. We’ll be using it across all the pink color palettes below.

Now that we’ve covered the essentials of the pink color code, let’s explore how pink can adapt to different vibes—whether you’re going for something playful and sweet, bold and edgy, or soft and elegant.

A monochromatic palette starts with a single base color—here, that’s pink (#FFC0CB)—and explores its range by adjusting the levels of white, black, or gray. These variations in brightness and saturation create a family of tones that feel unified yet dynamic.

This palette can move from delicate pastels to rich, vibrant hues when applied to pink. It’s perfect for designs that need consistency without feeling flat, whether you’re working on soft branding, feminine visuals, or elegant product lines.

To get you started, here’s a curated monochromatic pink palette, complete with all the pink color codes you need—from HEX and RGB to CMYK values—for easy reference.

Analogous color palettes are built using hues that sit next to each other on the color wheel, offering a seamless transition that feels intentional and visually calm.

If you’re wondering about colors that go with pink in an analogous palette, think of red, coral, orange, and even violet tones. These combinations feel naturally harmonious and are perfect for designs that need a soft yet expressive look. Of course, the exact mood will depend on the shade of pink you start with.

Below is a ready-to-use pink analogous palette, including the pink color hex code, along with RGB and CMYK values—perfect for incorporating the color pink into your branding or design projects.

Complementary color palettes are all about contrast and impact. They’re made by pairing one primary color with its opposite on the color wheel.

In the case of our article’s star—the pink color— its complementary matches are shades of green, like mint, sage, and emerald. The result? Rich, vibrant designs that stand out with variety and personality. Look at this complementary pink color palette and grab the hex, RGB, and CMYK values to bring your pink-infused ideas to life.

Triadic color palettes use three colors evenly spaced around the color wheel, forming a perfect triangle. This creates a vibrant and balanced combination that brings both contrast and harmony to your designs.

Its classic triadic companions are yellow-orange and turquoise when considering colors that go with pink. Together, these colors blend warm and cool tones, making your visuals playful, energetic, and full of personality.

Of course, the exact result may vary depending on the specific shade of pink you use, but triadic palettes like this one are anything but dull – they create bold, eye-catching compositions that stand out. Take a look at this triadic pink color palette:

A tetradic color palette includes four colors evenly spaced around the color wheel, forming a square or rectangle. This palette brings balance and diversity, perfect for energetic and attention-grabbing designs.

When pink is your base color, a typical tetradic combination includes green, yellow, and purple. These colors together create a bold and playful palette that blends warm and cool tones. Depending on the shade of pink, the resulting mood can range from fun and vibrant to rich and dramatic.

Check out this tetradic pink palette and explore the hex, RGB, and CMYK values to add a dynamic twist to your next design.

The psychology of the color pink goes far beyond what you might expect. While it’s widely known for symbolizing love, femininity, softness, warmth, comfort, sweetness, innocence, nurturing, and care, pink also has a more complex side.

In some contexts, pink can be perceived as overly delicate, weak, or superficial, mainly when used excessively or in saturated tones.

The meaning of pink can shift depending on its shade:

Whether soft or firm, pink evokes emotion and personality in every design. Are you curious about color psychology? Watch this video to learn more!

The color pink has a long and fascinating history that reflects how societies have perceived and used it over time. From its early mentions in literature to its shifting roles in fashion, art, and gender norms, pink has evolved surprisingly.

In Europe, the first recorded reference to pink can be found in Homer’s Odyssey from the 8th century BC, when he referred to pink as the rosy color of dawn. It wasn’t until the 18th century, though, when developments in dye-making and the French court’s love for the latest crazes led to pink’s emergence as a fashion staple.

In fact, both pink and blue were championed by Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV of France, and became the leading fashion colors in the Court of Versailles. They were not gender-coded as they are today, but were available for both men and women to enjoy.

Through the 19th century, most babies and young children wore white because clothing of any other color would quickly fade when washed in boiling water.

With the invention of chemical dyes, pink ribbons or decorations were often added to the clothing of young boys. Men in England wore red uniforms, and boys were considered small men, so they wore pink.

The idea of pink for boys and blue for girls was codified in a 1918 article in America’s Ladies Home Journal: “The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.”

Manufacturers, for their part, wanted to sell clothing, so at first, they hedged their bets and produced both blue and pink for boys and girls and let customers choose. However, from the 1950s on, a gradual shift occurred, and pink became associated with women and girls.

In the 1980s, however, when ultrasound allowed parents to identify the gender of their babies, manufacturers realized they could design clothing and products around a specific gender. Advertisers pushed the idea of new clothes to particular genders instead of handed-down unisex clothing.

They also sold parents on the idea that people should be able to distinguish a child’s gender at a glance. This had not been a significant concern for parents before, and it further advanced the idea of gender-coded colors.

In the 21st century, pink has broken free from its gendered past. It’s now used in:

Across cultures, pink is also seen in different ways. For instance, in Japan, it’s associated with cherry blossoms and renewal, while in other parts of the world, it can evoke sweetness, strength, or rebellion.

As you can see, pink has been around for a long time — from ancient poetry and paintings to modern movements. It has become a symbol of beauty, strength, contradiction, and cultural evolution. Whether soft or bold, pink continues to reinvent itself—and we’re here for it.

Now let’s see how pink has been used across different industries, from art to fashion and branding. 

Pink hasn’t always been a leading color in art, partly because it was once rare and expensive. But throughout history, it has appeared in powerful and meaningful ways.

In the Rococo era, artists like Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher used pink to express sensuality, luxury, femininity, and romance. Just look at The Swing by Fragonard—pink sets the tone for this playful and dreamy scene.

During the 19th century, Impressionists like Monet, Degas, and Cassatt used soft pinks to capture fleeting beauty: glowing sunrises, water reflections, flowers, or ballerinas’ tutus—turning pink into a symbol of natural elegance.

In the 20th century, pink broke out of its traditional role. For instance, Picasso, in his Rose Period, used pinks and warm tones to move away from the sadness of his Blue Period. Luis Barragán embraced Mexican pink in architecture to evoke calm and emotion. Frida Kahlo used bold pinks to express identity and intensity. Finally, Andy Warhol made pink pop in mass culture with bright, iconic prints.

In today’s art and visual culture, pink is everywhere—from dreamy digital art to bold feminist statements. Artists like Petra Collins and Arvida Byström use pink to explore identity, softness, and rebellion. The rise of Barbiecore aesthetics and Millennial Pink shows how this color continues to shape visual trends across art, photography, and fashion.

Pink has always had a place in fashion, but its perception has changed dramatically throughout history.

It all started in the 1930s, when designer Elsa Schiaparelli introduced her iconic “Shocking Pink”, a bold fuchsia hue that challenged the conventions of elegance and femininity. This shade became her signature, featured in dresses, packaging, and even perfume bottles—paving the way for pink as a color of both power and provocation in fashion.

Then came Christian Dior’s “New Look” in 1947, a post-war collection that embraced exaggerated feminine silhouettes and pastel colors, including soft pinks. Dior’s vision helped cement pink as a high-fashion symbol of grace, glamour, and delicate femininity.

By the 1950s and 60s, public figures like Mamie Eisenhower and Jackie Kennedy helped popularize pink in formalwear, inspiring women everywhere. Around the same time, advertising cemented pink as “for girls,” especially with the rise of Barbie and gendered marketing.

But pink wasn’t always soft. In the 1970s, hot pink was embraced by the punk movement, turning the color into a symbol of rebellion and anti-establishment expression. From dyed hair to dramatic makeup and DIY fashion, pink became a way to stand out and resist conformity.

By the 2010s, Millennial Pink arrived—a muted, peachy-pink tone that felt more neutral and modern. It moved away from childlike connotations and was embraced across fashion, branding, and minimalist design, making pink feel sophisticated and gender-fluid.

Though pink had long been associated with femininity, it began reappearing in men’s fashion by the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Inspired by the rise of gender-fluid style and a growing rejection of outdated norms, men embraced pink in everything from soft pastel shirts to bold fuchsia suits—proving that color knows no gender. Celebrities like Ryan Gosling, Jay-Z, Brad Pitt, and Pharrell Williams helped make pink calm, confident, and stylish.

Before Barbie’s significant return in 2023, Legally Blonde (2001) had made pink powerful once more, as Elle Woods turned heads in Harvard Law wearing bold, unapologetic outfits that challenged stereotypes. In 2023, pink retook center stage thanks to the cultural phenomenon of the Barbie movie. With Margot Robbie channeling iconic Barbie looks throughout the press tour, the pink trend exploded, showing up everywhere from runway couture to everyday fashion like dresses, sweatshirts, tees, and accessories.

Today, we continue to see two powerful expressions of pink: the timeless, elegant version embraced by fashion houses like Valentino, Chanel, Versace, Carolina Herrera, and Molly Goddard, and the playful, expressive side worn by artists like Billie Eilish, Lizzo, and Harry Styles, who use pink to challenge gender norms and embrace individuality and creative freedom.

Whether soft or bold, pink remains a force in fashion, with no signs of fading.

Thanks to its strong emotional associations, pink has become a powerful branding tool—especially in industries where connection, softness, and aesthetic appeal play a central role. In color psychology, pink is often linked to femininity, warmth, innocence, and calm, which explains its popularity in sectors like beauty, fashion, and children’s products and services.

To this day, it continues to appear across products, packaging, and brand campaigns. For example, Huda Beauty’s “The Big Lip Hunt” campaign turned London into a pink playground, combining interactive experiences with bold, playful branding that made pink the star of the show.

Victoria’s Secret uses deep pinks to suggest romance and sensuality, while its sub-brand PINK connects with a younger audience through fun, sporty tones. Barbie has built an entire brand identity around pink—so much so that “Barbie pink” is instantly recognizable worldwide.

But pink is far from one-dimensional. Depending on its tone and saturation, it can evoke entirely different emotions and work unexpectedly across industries. Think of T-Mobile, which disrupts the tech space with its bold neon pink branding—standing out in an industry known for cool, muted tones.

Brands like Baskin-Robbins use pink to reflect joy and indulgence, while Lyft softens its image with light pink, making the service feel more friendly and approachable.

In short, pink is no longer just a “feminine” color. Today, it communicates elegance, rebellion, calm, and creativity—making it one of the most adaptable colors in modern branding.

Simply put, when you mix red and white, you get pink. However, the shade of red you use and how much white you add will determine the color. Thus, pink has many intensities and variations, that is why we’ve put together some of the most popular shades of pink and their hex codes: 

The standard pink color hex code is #FFC0CB. This is the most common shade used in design and the one most people think of when they picture the color pink.

The pink color code in RGB format is (255, 192, 203). That means:

Use this RGB value to get a true digital pink on screens.

The pink color code in CMYK is:

Keep in mind that the pink color hex code (used for digital screens) and the pink color code in CMYK (used for printing) may differ slightly depending on the medium.

Pink is made by mixing red and white. The more white you add, the lighter the pink; the more red you add, the deeper or more intense the shade.

To darken pink, add red or a tiny bit of black. Be careful—too much black can turn it muddy. Use this tip to create richer pink shades.

Pink is associated with softness, love, care, and femininity, but can also represent empowerment and rebellion. On the negative side, depending on context, it may be seen as childish or overly sensitive.

In design and color theory, pink has many names depending on its tone, brightness, and context. Some common variations include:

These are often used in fashion, branding, and interior design to describe very specific moods and shades. Symbolically, pink is also a synonym for:

Pink is usually warm, especially with yellow, red, or orange undertones. These include shades like:

However, some pinks lean cool when they have bluish or violet undertones. Examples include:

Warm pinks feel energetic and inviting, while cool pinks are more calming and elegant.

The complementary color of pink is green, since pink is a tint of red. These two colors contrast beautifully and are commonly paired in design for a vibrant and balanced look.

Whatever your taste in clothing, design, or home decor, there’s a shade of pink or a pink color palette with your name on it. Long associated with femininity and softness, pink has refused to stay in its box. Over time, it’s been reinvented as a bold, transgressive, and ever-evolving color that adapts to the moment and refuses to be sidelined.

Explore more color inspiration with our articles on:

And don’t forget to check out our curated collection of assets to help you get just the look you’re after.