# Teal
**Teal** is a blue-green color that sits between blue and green on the color wheel, made of an equal amount of both and therefore classed as a tertiary color[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018) • [2](https://www.homesandgardens.com/interior-design/what-color-is-teal). The word has two senses: a small wild duck, and the dark greenish-blue color named for the teal-colored stripe on that duck's head[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018) • [3](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/teal). In practice the name covers a range from greenish blue to bluish green, and it is often used loosely for the general range of cyans[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position | Between blue and green on the color wheel; sometimes described as a tertiary color of equal parts blue and green[2](https://www.homesandgardens.com/interior-design/what-color-is-teal) |
| Web-standard values | Hex #008080; RGB 0, 128, 128; CMYK 1, 0, 0, 0.5[4](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/hub/guides/entice-with-the-shy-color-teal.html) • [5](https://create.vista.com/colors/color-names/teal/) |
| Spectral behavior | The Brill article describes a “good teal” as hardly scattering radiation with wavelengths above ca. 530 nm and scattering an appreciable amount below[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018) |
| Name origin | Bird name attested c. 1300 (Middle English *tele*); color name attested from 1923 in clothing advertisements[6](https://www.etymonline.com/word/teal) |
| Neighboring hues | Teal blue #367588, turquoise #40E0D0, cyan #00FFFF, aquamarine #66F1C2, dark cyan #008B8B[4](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/hub/guides/entice-with-the-shy-color-teal.html) • [7](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/) |
| Design history | Popular in the 1700s and Victorian era; teal blue trendy in the 1950s and tied to Mid-Century Modern design[7](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/) • [5](https://create.vista.com/colors/color-names/teal/) |
| Recent milestone | Benjamin Moore's "Aegean Teal" was Color of the Year 2021 and was later disclosed as the brand's best-selling paint color[2](https://www.homesandgardens.com/interior-design/what-color-is-teal) |
## Etymology and naming
As a bird name, *teal* is attested from about 1300 as [Middle English](https://www.edgepedia.org/middle-english) *tele*, meaning "small freshwater duck". Its origin is uncertain; the Online Etymology Dictionary suggests an unrecorded [Old English](https://www.edgepedia.org/old-english) word cognate with Middle Dutch *teling* and Middle Low German *telink*, from a West Germanic root *taili*[6](https://www.etymonline.com/word/teal). The Brill color-science article traces the same chain through Middle Dutch and Middle Low German to Proto-Germanic *tailijaz*[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018).
The color name is much younger. Etymonline records it from 1923, in clothing advertisements, as a shade of dark greenish-blue resembling the color patterns on the fowl's head and wings[6](https://www.etymonline.com/word/teal). One color-reference site gives 1917 as the first use of "teal" to describe a color[5](https://create.vista.com/colors/color-names/teal/). The common teal (*Anas crecca*) carries the blue-green eye patch that gave the color its name[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018).
## Color science and specification
In the Brill article’s spectral account, a “good teal” hardly scatters radiation with wavelengths above about 530 nm and scatters an appreciable amount below that cutoff[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018).
The web-standard value is hex #008080, RGB 0, 128, 128[4](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/hub/guides/entice-with-the-shy-color-teal.html), which corresponds to CMYK 1, 0, 0, 0.5[5](https://create.vista.com/colors/color-names/teal/), HSL 180°, 100%, 25%, HSV 180°, 100%, 50%, decimal 32896, and nearest web-safe #009999[8](https://coloripedia.com/colors/teal/). Values differ across systems because each vendor picks its own representative swatch: Figma lists teal as #069494, RGB 6, 148, 148, CMYK 96/0/0/42, HSL 180°, 92.2%, 30.2%, and CIE-LAB 55.436, −31.788, −9.361[7](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/). The peer-reviewed Brill article gives a median display teal for the "Orange & Teal" cinematic look as a somewhat attenuated version of #007FFF, described as "no red, half green, full blue"[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018).
## Teal and similar colors
Teal is often confused with its neighbors, which differ mainly in lightness and saturation:
- **Teal blue** (#367588)[4](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/hub/guides/entice-with-the-shy-color-teal.html).
- **Turquoise** (#40E0D0) is lighter and leans more toward blue, evoking the gemstone[7](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/) • [8](https://coloripedia.com/colors/teal/).
- **Cyan** (#00FFFF) is brighter and more electrified, and is a pure printing primary[4](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/hub/guides/entice-with-the-shy-color-teal.html) • [8](https://coloripedia.com/colors/teal/).
- **Aquamarine** (#66F1C2) is softer, and **dark cyan** (#008B8B) is more muted[7](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/).
Of the teal–turquoise–cyan trio, teal is the deepest and most muted[8](https://coloripedia.com/colors/teal/).
## History in art and design
The warm-cool pairing of orange with teal long predates the color's name. Visual artists have used this dichromatic pair for centuries, historically achieved with earth-pigment washes such as burnt Sienna against dark bluish colors like Payne's gray, a practice described as "painting in cool-and-warm"[1](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018).
Teal hues were popular in fashion and interior design in the 1700s and were favored during Victorian times[7](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/). Teal blue became trendy in the 1950s and remains associated with Mid-Century Modern design[5](https://create.vista.com/colors/color-names/teal/); by the 1950s and 1960s it appeared in automotive paint, kitchen appliances, and consumer goods[7](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/). Two later design moments are commonly cited: the sleek glamour of 1920s–30s [Art Deco](https://www.edgepedia.org/art-deco) and a saturated 1990s revival across fashion, cars, and graphic design[8](https://coloripedia.com/colors/teal/).
## Associations and uses in design
Adobe describes teal as composed of shades of blue and green and associates it with clarity, open communication, and practical thinking[4](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/hub/guides/entice-with-the-shy-color-teal.html). In interface design it is used to convey calm and reliability, which suits industries from health apps to financial services, and it pairs with coral or peach for contrast[7](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/). Its calm, clean quality also makes it a favorite in medical, wellness, and software branding[8](https://coloripedia.com/colors/teal/).
A concrete recent marker of the color's commercial standing: Benjamin Moore chose "Aegean Teal" as its Color of the Year 2021, and the company later disclosed it as the brand's best-selling paint color[2](https://www.homesandgardens.com/interior-design/what-color-is-teal).
## References
1. [Orange & Teal (peer-reviewed color science article, Brill / i-Perception)](https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10018)
2. [What color is teal? Everything you need to know, Homes & Gardens](https://www.homesandgardens.com/interior-design/what-color-is-teal)
3. [TEAL, Cambridge English Dictionary](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/teal)
4. [Entice with the shy and reserved color teal, Adobe](https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/design/hub/guides/entice-with-the-shy-color-teal.html)
5. [Teal RGB, CMYK, HEX Color Codes and Color Meaning, VistaCreate](https://create.vista.com/colors/color-names/teal/)
6. [Teal, Online Etymology Dictionary](https://www.etymonline.com/word/teal)
7. [Teal Color: Hex Code, Palettes & Meaning, Figma](https://www.figma.com/colors/teal/)
8. [Teal Color — Hex #008080, Meaning & Palettes, Coloripedia](https://coloripedia.com/colors/teal/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Visual arts and design › Graphic design and typography*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license