About this combination
Asagi, a pale teal-blue, was the color of the Shinsengumi's haori in late-Edo Kyoto. Shu, vermillion, is the color of torii gates and temple pillars. Together they carry the tension of duty and devotion.
Where it works
- Posters with a signal vs. ground dynamic
- Games or films with a historical setting
- Masculine editorial work
Historical context
This editorial combination anchors Asagi, Shu, Gofun and Sumi in the blue family — a 4-colour grouping with a bold, solemn, refined character. It is an original composition by the editors of colorcombinations.org, built with Wada's method from traditional Japanese shikisai colour names associated with the Edo era; it is not one of the 348 plates in Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations. Its strongest pairing — Gofun on Sumi — reaches a contrast ratio of 12.24:1, clearing the WCAG AAA bar for body text, so it holds up for text-on-colour layouts as well as decorative use.
Studio
Taking Pale Blue & Vermillion off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this palette is going decides what it needs next.
Affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
-
...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Pantone
Color Bridge Guide — coated
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Color Bridge Guide Coated | Pantone to CMYK, RGB & HTML Color Matching Fan Deck for Graphic Design, Branding & Print | GG6103B
See price on Amazon -
...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
Display Plus HL colorimeter kit
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite Video Photo Kit with Display Plus HL Colorimeter and ColorChecker Passport Video 2, 10,000 Nit Monitor Calibration, Camera Color Matching
See price on Amazon -
...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Pentel
Fude Touch brush sign pen
Listed on Amazon as Pentel Fude Touch Sign Pen, Black, Felt Pen Like Brush Stroke (SES15C-A) 3 Pieces
See price on Amazon
Amazon Associates affiliate links — your price is unchanged and a small commission keeps the archive free. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.