History of Crayola crayons facts for kids
Crayola crayons have brought color to drawings for over a century! Since Crayola first introduced its drawing crayons in 1903, more than 200 different colors have been created. The company, originally called Binney & Smith, has updated its crayon collections many times. Big changes happened in 1935, 1949, 1958, and 1990. Crayola has also made many special crayons beyond the basic sets.
Contents
The First Crayola Colors (1903)
Binney & Smith started by making industrial pigments. In 1902, they made their first crayon, a black marker. The next year, they decided to make crayons for everyone to use. Alice Binney, wife of the company founder Edwin Binney, came up with the name Crayola. She combined craie, the French word for "chalk," with -ola, meaning "oily," because crayons are made from wax.
At first, Crayola was just one of many brands from Binney & Smith. Other crayon names included Cerola and Durel. But Crayola became the most popular. It was sold in two main lines: Crayola Gold Medal School Crayons and "Rubens" Crayola Artists' Crayons.
Early ads mentioned thirty colors, but there were actually thirty-eight different crayons. The largest box, No. 51, had twenty-eight colors. Other colors were found in different sets. Over time, Crayola started using simpler names for its colors. Some early colors were stopped by 1910, like Light and Dark Venetian Red. Gold, Silver, and Copper crayons were also removed from sets after 1915, though you could still buy them in large quantities.
| Color | Name | Hex code |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #ED0A3F | ||
| English Vermilion | #CC474B | Also spelled "Vermillion." Discontinued by 1935 | |
| Madder Lake | #CC3336 | Discontinued by 1935 | |
| Permanent Geranium Lake | #E12C2C | Discontinued by 1910. | |
| Indian Red | #CD5C5C | Same color as "Chestnut" (1999–present). | |
| Dark Venetian Red | #B33B24 | "Venetian Red, Dark" on labels. Discontinued by 1910. | |
| Venetian Red | #C80815 | Discontinued by 1949 | |
| Light Venetian Red | #E6735C | "Venetian Red, Light" on labels. Discontinued by 1910. | |
| Orange | #FF8833 | ||
| Gold Ochre | #F2C649 | "Golden Ochre" on some labels. Same color as "Maize" (1958–1990). | |
| Medium Chrome Yellow | #FCD667 | Same color as "Medium Yellow" (1903–1958) and "Goldenrod" (1958–present). | |
| Yellow | #FFFF00 | ||
| Olive Green | #B5B35C | ||
| Light Chrome Yellow | #FFFF9F | On labels "Chrome Yellow, Light." Same color as "Light Yellow" (1903–1958) and "Lemon Yellow" (1903–1910, 1958–1990). | |
| Light Chrome Green | #BEE64B | "Chrome Green, Light" on labels. Same color as "Light Green" (1903–1935). | |
| Green | #008001 | ||
| Medium Chrome Green | #6CA67C | "Chrome Green, Medium" on labels. Same color as "Medium Green" (1903–1939). | |
| Dark Chrome Green | #01786F | "Chrome Green, Dark" on labels. Same color as "Dark Green" (1903–1949) and "Pine Green" (1958–present). | |
| Blue | #2EB4E6 | Same color as "Celestial Blue" (1930–1949) and "Azure Blue" (1949–1958). | |
| Prussian Blue | #00468C | Same color as "Midnight Blue" (1958–present). | |
| Cobalt Blue | #0047AB | Discontinued by 1958 | |
| Celestial Blue | #4997D0 | Discontinued by 1944 | |
| Ultramarine Blue | #4166F5 | Discontinued by 1958 | |
| Purple (Violet) | #6A0DAD | "Violet" from about 1914. | |
| Permanent Magenta | #F653A6 | Same color as "Magenta" (1903–present). | |
| Rose Pink | #FF66CC | Same color as "Pink" (1903–1917) and "Carnation Pink" (1958–present). | |
| Burnt Sienna | #E97451 | ||
| Van Dyke Brown | #664228 | Same color as "Brown" (1903–1935). | |
| Flesh Tint | #FFCBA4 | Same color as "Flesh" (1949–1956, 1958–1962), "Pink Beige" (1956–1958), and "Peach" (1962–present). | |
| Burnt Umber | #8A3324 | Discontinued by 1949 | |
| Raw Umber | #826644 | One of the 8 colors "Retired" in 1990 | |
| Raw Sienna | #D68A59 | Discontinued by 1910. | |
| Gold | #A57C00 | Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. Available only in bulk after 1915. | |
| Silver | #AAA9AD | Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. Available only in bulk after 1915. | |
| Copper | #B87333 | Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. Not Available between 1915 and 1950 | |
| Black | #000000 | ||
| Charcoal Gray | #736A62 | Discontinued in 1910. | |
| White | #FFFFFF |
Munsell Crayola: A New Color System (1926–1944)
In 1926, Binney & Smith bought the Munsell Color Company's crayon line. These crayons were based on the Munsell color system, created by Albert Henry Munsell. This was the first time Crayola crayons used the idea of a color wheel.
The Munsell color wheel had five main colors: red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. It also had five in-between colors like yellow-red and blue-green. Each color came in two versions: "maximum chroma" (very bright) or "middle value and middle chroma" (softer). Different boxes offered various combinations of these colors.
By 1930, Crayola started using a similar color wheel idea for its own crayons. This new wheel had twelve colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, plus six in-between shades. These were combined with Black, Neutral Gray, White, and Brown to make a sixteen-color box. Munsell Crayola boxes were stopped in 1935. However, the crayons were still sold in special Crayola boxes until 1944. Production stopped then because World War II made it hard to get the materials for many crayon colors. The Munsell crayons were not made again after the war. But the color wheel idea, first used by Munsell, stayed a key part of Crayola until 1990.
The Munsell colors are shown below.
| Color | Name | Hexadecimal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Red | #D92121 | ||
| Middle Red | #E58E73 | ||
| Middle Yellow Red | #ECB176 | Same color as "Medium Orange" (1949–1958). | |
| Maximum Yellow Red | #F2BA49 | ||
| Middle Yellow | #FFEB00 | ||
| Maximum Yellow | #FAFA37 | ||
| Maximum Green Yellow | #D9E650 | ||
| Middle Green Yellow | #ACBF60 | ||
| Maximum Green | #5E8C31 | ||
| Middle Green | #4D8C57 | ||
| Middle Blue Green | #8DD9CC | ||
| Maximum Blue Green | #30BFBF | ||
| Middle Blue | #7ED4E6 | ||
| Maximum Blue | #47ABCC | ||
| Maximum Blue Purple | #ACACE6 | ||
| Middle Blue Purple | #8B72BE | ||
| Maximum Purple | #733380 | ||
| Middle Purple | #D982B5 | ||
| Maximum Red Purple | #A63A79 | ||
| Middle Red Purple | #A55353 | ||
| Middle Grey | #8B8680 | Spelled "Grey" on labels, but "Gray" on boxes. Same color as "Neutral Grey" (1930–1956), "Gray" (1956–present). | |
| Black | #000000 | References to "Maximum Black" are erroneous. |
Crayola Colors Evolve (Through 1949)
From 1930 to 1935, Binney & Smith improved the Crayola lineup. They stopped making some colors and added others, including some Munsell colors. In 1939, they released the No. 52 box with fifty-two colors. This was their biggest set yet, but it was only made for about five years. By 1944, wartime shortages meant many crayon pigments were unavailable.
When full production restarted in 1949, Crayola removed most of the Munsell colors. The new lineup was based on the twelve-color Crayola color wheel, first created in the 1930s. Even though new crayons were added, the total number of colors went down to forty-eight. The No. 52 box was replaced by the new No. 48 assortment, which included all the colors being made at that time.
Many older crayons were removed, but several new colors were added. These new colors included light, medium, and dark shades of the main and in-between hues. This created a very organized collection of colors. For ten years, the No. 48 box was Crayola's largest set. It remained an important part of the Crayola line for decades.
| Color | Name | Hexadecimal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #ED0A3F | ||
| Dark Red | #8B0000 | Same color as "Maroon" (1958–present). | |
| Indian Red | #CD5C5C | Same color as "Chestnut" (1999–present). | |
| Red-Orange | #FF3F34 | ||
| Orange | #FF8833 | ||
| Medium Orange | #ECB176 | Same color as "Middle Yellow Red" (1926–1949). | |
| Yellow-Orange | #FFAE42 | ||
| Gold Ochre | #F2C649 | Same color as "Maize" (1958–1990). | |
| Medium Yellow | #FCD667 | Same color as "Medium Chrome Yellow" (1903–1910) and "Goldenrod" (1958–present). | |
| Yellow | #FFFF00 | ||
| Olive Green | #B5B35C | ||
| Light Yellow | #FFFFE0 | Same color as "Lemon Yellow" (1903–1910, 1958–1990). | |
| Yellow-Green | #9ACD32 | ||
| Dark Green | #013220 | Same color as "Forest Green" (1958–present). | |
| Light Green | #90EE90 | Same color as "Sea Green" (1958–present). | |
| Green | #01A368 | ||
| Light Turquoise Blue | #458B74 | Same color as "Aquamarine" (1958–present). | |
| Turquoise Blue | #00FFEF | ||
| Middle Blue-Green | #0095B7 | Same color as "Blue-Green" (1958–present). | |
| Blue-Green | #0D98BA | Same color as "Maximum Blue" (1926–1949) | |
| Azure Blue | #4997D0 | Same color as "Blue" (1903–1935) and "Celestial Blue" (1930–1949). | |
| Cerulean Blue | #2A52BE | ||
| Prussian Blue | #003153 | Same color as "Midnight Blue" (1958–present). | |
| Blue | #0066FF | ||
| Medium Blue | #0000CD | Same color as "Blue" (1935–1949). | |
| Cobalt Blue | #0047AB | ||
| Blue-Violet | #8A2BE2 | Same color as "Violet-Blue" (1958–1990). | |
| Violet | #7F00FF | Same color as "Blue-Violet" (1958–present). | |
| Medium Violet | #65315F | ||
| Lavender | #B57EDC | ||
| Brilliant Rose | #E667CE | ||
| Medium Red-Violet | #BB3385 | Same color as "Orchid" (1958–present). | |
| Medium Rose | #D96CBE | ||
| Light Magenta | #FF80FF | Same color as "Thistle" (1958–1999). | |
| Red-Violet | #C71585 | ||
| Magenta | #FF00FF | Same color as "Permanent Magenta" (1903–1914). | |
| Rose Pink | #FF66CC | Same color as "Carnation Pink" (1958–present). | |
| Carmine Red | #FF0038 | Same color as "Carmine" (1935–1949). | |
| Salmon | #FA8072 | ||
| Mahogany | #C04000 | ||
| Burnt Sienna | #E97451 | ||
| Brown | #964B00 | ||
| Flesh | #FFCBA4 | Same color as "Flesh Tint" (1903–1949), "Pink Beige" (1956–1958), and Peach (1962–present). | |
| Raw Umber | #826644 | ||
| Silver | #AAA9AD | Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. | |
| Black | #000000 | ||
| Neutral Gray | #8B8680 | Same color as "Middle Grey" (1926–1949), "Gray" (1956–present). | |
| White | #FFFFFF |
The Famous Crayola No. 64 Box (1958)
The Crayola No. 64 box came out in 1958. It was Crayola's biggest regular collection for over thirty years. This box featured the last major changes to Crayola colors until 1990. The famous flip-top box held sixty-four crayons in four rows. It also had a crayon sharpener built into the back.
Some colors from the No. 48 box were stopped, but most stayed, sometimes with new names. Several new crayons were added. This included six new "intermediate" hues, expanding the Crayola color wheel from twelve to eighteen colors.
| Color | Name | Hexadecimal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #ED0A3F | ||
| Maroon | #C32148 | Same color as "Dark Red" (1949–1958). | |
| Brick Red | #CB4154 | ||
| Indian Red | #CD5C5C | Same color as "Chestnut" (1999–present). | |
| Orange-Red | #FF5349 | One of eight colors "retired" in 1990. | |
| Bittersweet | #FE6F5E | ||
| Burnt Orange | #CC5500 | ||
| Red-Orange | #FF3F34 | ||
| Orange | #FF8833 | ||
| Yellow-Orange | #FFAE42 | ||
| Maize | #F2C649 | Same color as "Gold Ochre" (1903–1958). One of eight colors "retired" in 1990. | |
| Orange-Yellow | #F5BD1F | One of eight colors "retired" in 1990. | |
| Goldenrod | #DAA520 | Same color as "Medium Chrome Yellow" (1903–1910) and "Medium Yellow" (1903–1958). | |
| Yellow | #FFFF00 | ||
| Green-Yellow | #F1E788 | ||
| Spring Green | #ECEBBD | ||
| Olive Green | #B5B35C | ||
| Lemon Yellow | #FFF44F | Same color as "Light Yellow" (1903–1958). One of eight colors "retired" in 1990. | |
| Yellow-Green | #9ACD32 | ||
| Forest Green | #228B22 | Same color as "Dark Green" (1949–1958). | |
| Sea Green | #2E8B57 | Same color as "Light Green" (1949–1958). | |
| Green | #008001 | ||
| Pine Green | #01796F | Same color as "Dark Chrome Green" (1903–1910) and "Dark Green" (1903–1949). | |
| Light Blue | #ADD8E6 | Discontinued in 1958; replaced by Turquoise Blue. | |
| Aquamarine | #458B74 | Same color as "Light Turquoise Blue" (1949–1958). | |
| Sky Blue | #76D7EA | ||
| Blue-Green | #0095B7 | Same color as "Middle Blue Green" (1949–1958). | |
| Cornflower | #93CCEA | ||
| Green-Blue | #2887C8 | One of eight colors "retired" in 1990. | |
| Navy Blue | #0066CC | ||
| Midnight Blue | #00468C | Same color as "Prussian Blue" (1903–1958). | |
| Blue | #0066FF | ||
| Cadet Blue | #A9B2C3 | ||
| Periwinkle | #C3CDE6 | ||
| Violet-Blue | #766EC8 | Same color as Blue-Violet (1930–1958). One of eight colors "retired" in 1990. | |
| Blue-Violet | #6456B7 | Same color as "Violet" (1949–1958). | |
| Violet | #8359A3 | On labels "Violet (Purple)". | |
| Brilliant Rose | #E667CE | Discontinued in 1958; replaced by Magenta. | |
| Plum | #843179 | ||
| Orchid | #E29CD2 | Same color as "Medium Red-Violet" (1949–1958). | |
| Thistle | #EBB0D7 | Same color as "Light Magenta" (1949–1958). "Retired" in 1999. | |
| Mulberry | #C8509B | "Retired" in 2003. | |
| Red-Violet | #BB3385 | ||
| Lavender | #FBAED2 | ||
| Carnation Pink | #FFA6C9 | Same color as "Rose Pink" (1903–1958). | |
| Violet-Red | #F7468A | ||
| Salmon | #FF91A4 | ||
| Mahogany | #CA3435 | ||
| Melon | #FEBAAD | ||
| Burnt Sienna | #E97451 | ||
| Brown | #AF593E | ||
| Sepia | #9E5B40 | ||
| Raw Sienna | #D27D46 | ||
| Tan | #D99A6C | ||
| Peach | #FFCBA4 | Same color as "Flesh Tint" (1903–1949), "Flesh" (1949–1956, 1958–1962), and "Pink Beige" (1956–1958). | |
| Apricot | #FDD5B1 | ||
| Raw Umber | #826644 | One of eight colors "retired" in 1990. | |
| Gold | #A57C00 | Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. | |
| Silver | #AAA9AD | Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. | |
| Copper | #B87333 | Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. | |
| Black | #000000 | ||
| Gray | #8B8680 | Same color as "Neutral Gray" (1926–1956). | |
| Blue-Gray | #6699CC | One of eight colors "retired" in 1990. | |
| White | #FFFFFF |
Crayola Innovations (1958–1990)
The No. 64 box saw its first changes in its first year. Light Blue and Brilliant Rose were replaced by Turquoise Blue and Magenta. From then until 1990, no colors were replaced. However, in 1963, the color "Flesh" was officially renamed "Peach". This change happened because Crayola wanted to be more inclusive and recognize that people have many different skin tones.
The 1970s brought Crayola's first special crayons: eight fluorescent colors. These colors were designed to glow under black light. They included Wild Watermelon, Outrageous Orange, and Screamin' Green. These bright colors were never added to the No. 64 box. Instead, they were sold separately or in special 72-crayon boxes. Fabric crayons were introduced in 1980, showing how Crayola was growing beyond just drawing crayons. Colored pencils and markers followed soon after.
| Color | Name | Hexadecimal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Watermelon | #FD5B78 | Same color as "Ultra Red" (1972–1990). | |
| Outrageous Orange | #FF6037 | Same color as "Ultra Orange" (1972–1990). | |
| Atomic Tangerine | #FF9966 | Same color as "Ultra Yellow" (1972–1990). | |
| Laser Lemon | #E6FF66 | Same color as "Chartreuse" (1972–1990). | |
| Screamin' Green | #66FF66 | Same color as "Ultra Green" (1972–1990). | |
| Blizzard Blue | #64CAE0 | Same color as "Ultra Blue" (1972–1990). "Retired" in 2003. | |
| Shocking Pink | #FF6EFF | Same color as "Ultra Pink" (1972–1990). | |
| Razzle Dazzle Rose | #EE34D2 | Same color as "Hot Magenta" (1972–1990). |
Crayola Colors: 1990 to Today
August 6, 1990, marked big changes for Crayola crayons. Eight colors were "retired into the Crayon Hall of Fame," and eight new colors were introduced. Sixteen more new colors arrived in 1993, and twenty-four more in 1998. Five colors were replaced between 1999 and 2003.
The first major change was replacing eight colors that had been around for a long time. These included Orange-Red, Maize, and Raw Umber. With some colors removed, the Crayola color wheel went from eighteen to fourteen colors. The eight new colors were Vivid Tangerine, Dandelion (later retired in 2017), Jungle Green, Teal Blue (later retired in 2003), Cerulean, Royal Purple, Fuchsia, and Wild Strawberry. Eight new fluorescent colors were also introduced, like Radical Red and Electric Lime.
In late 1992, Binney & Smith released the Crayola No. 96 Big Box. It had the sixty-four existing colors, sixteen fluorescent crayons, and sixteen unnamed colors. Kids across the country helped choose the names for these new colors. The winners, announced in 1993, included Macaroni and Cheese, Asparagus, Robin's Egg Blue, and Purple Mountains' Majesty.
In 1996, a special color called Blue Ribbon was made to celebrate Crayola producing one hundred billion crayons since 1903. This color was in "limited edition" No. 96 boxes but was not added to the regular collection. The next year, four bright colors were introduced: Sunset Orange, Caribbean Green, Vivid Violet, and Pink Flamingo. In 1997, another contest named eight new colors, which were added in 1998. These included Banana Mania, Outer Space, and Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown.
1998 saw the introduction of Crayola's first 120-count box. Twelve more colors were added to reach 120 regular and fluorescent crayons. These included Canary, Fern, Manatee, and Antique Brass. That same year, Torch Red became Scarlet.
In 1999, "Indian Red," a color since 1903, was renamed Chestnut. This was done to avoid confusion, as the original name referred to a pigment from India, not a skin color. Thistle, originally Light Magenta, was replaced by Indigo.
To celebrate Crayola Crayons' 100th anniversary in 2003, a special 100-count box was created. Four new colors were added: Mango Tango, Inchworm, Wild Blue Yonder, and Jazzberry Jam. To make room, four other crayons were retired: Magic Mint, Blizzard Blue, Mulberry, and Teal Blue. Crayola fans even voted online to save one of five nominated colors, and Burnt Sienna won! The four retired crayons officially left the lineup on October 11, 2003.
Three colors got new names in 2005: Brink Pink became Pink Sherbet, Cranberry became Blush, and Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown was shortened to Fuzzy Wuzzy. Since these changes, the main Crayola lineup has stayed mostly the same, with changes happening mostly to special crayons.
On March 31, 2017, Crayola announced it would retire Dandelion and replace it with a new blue color. A public vote chose the new crayon's name: "Bluetiful," which appeared in boxes starting in early 2018.
In 2021, four more new colors were introduced: "Crayellow," "Powder Blue," "Cool Mint," and "Oatmeal."
The following table includes all of the standard colors introduced since 1990.
| Color | Name | Hexadecimal in their website depiction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radical Red | #FF355E | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Scarlet | #FD0E35 | Introduced in 1998. Same color as "Torch Red" (1998). | |
| Mango Tango | #FF3B29 | Introduced in 2003. | |
| Sunset Orange | #FE4C40 | Introduced in 1997. | |
| Vivid Tangerine | #FF9980 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Macaroni and Cheese | #FFB97B | Introduced in 1993. Also found as "Macaroni & Cheese" and "Macaroni-n-Cheese". | |
| Neon Carrot | #FF9933 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Sunglow | #FFCC33 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Banana Mania | #FBE7B2 | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Dandelion | #FED85D | Produced 1990-2017. Reintroduced in 2026. | |
| Crayellow | #F1D651 | Introduced in 2021. | |
| Unmellow Yellow | #FFEE66 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Canary | #FFFF99 | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Inchworm | #DEE327 | Introduced in 2003. | |
| Electric Lime | #CCFF00 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Asparagus | #7BA05B | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Granny Smith Apple | #9DE093 | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Fern | #63B76C | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Magic Mint | #83CAA2 | Produced 1990–2003. | |
| Shamrock | #33CC99 | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Mountain Meadow | #1AB385 | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Jungle Green | #29AB87 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Caribbean Green | #00CC99 | Introduced in 1997. | |
| Tropical Rain Forest | #00755E | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Cool Mint | #DDEBEC | Introduced in 2021. | |
| Robin's Egg Blue | #00CCCC | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Teal Blue | #008080 | Produced 1990–2003. | |
| Outer Space | #2D383A | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Pacific Blue | #1CA9C9 | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Cerulean | #02A4D3 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Denim | #1560BD | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Powder Blue | #C0D5F0 | Introduced in 2021. | |
| Bluetiful | #3C69E7 | Introduced in 2017. | |
| Wild Blue Yonder | #A2ADD0 | Introduced in 2003. | |
| Indigo | #4F69C6 | Introduced in 1999. | |
| Manatee | #979AAA | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Blue Bell | #A2A2D0 | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Purple Heart | #69359C | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Royal Purple | #7851A9 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Wisteria | #C9A0DC | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Vivid Violet | #9F00FF | Introduced in 1997. | |
| Purple Mountains' Majesty | #9678B6 | Introduced in 1993. Also found as "Purple Mountain Majesty" and "Purple Mountain's Majesty." | |
| Fuchsia | #C154C1 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Pink Flamingo | #FC74FD | Introduced in 1997. | |
| Hot Magenta | #FF00CC | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Purple Pizzazz | #FF00BB | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Jazzberry Jam | #A50B5E | Introduced in 2003. | |
| Eggplant | #614051 | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Cerise | #DA3287 | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Wild Strawberry | #FF43A4 | Introduced in 1990. | |
| Cotton Candy | #FFBCD9 | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Razzmatazz | #E3256B | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Pig Pink | #FDDDE6 | Introduced in 1998. Also called "Piggy Pink." | |
| Blush | #DE5D83 | Same color as "Cranberry" (1998–2005). | |
| Tickle Me Pink | #FC89AC | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Mauvelous | #EF98AA | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Pink Sherbert | #F78FA7 | Same color as "Brink Pink" (1998–2005). | |
| Fuzzy Wuzzy | #CC6666 | Same color as "Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown" (1998–2005). | |
| Beaver | #9F8170 | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Tumbleweed | #DEAA88 | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Desert Sand | #EDC9AF | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Almond | #EFDECD | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Shadow | #8A795D | Introduced in 1998. | |
| Antique Brass | #CD9575 | Introduced in 1998. Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. | |
| Timberwolf | #D9D6CF | Introduced in 1993. | |
| Oatmeal | #D9DAD2 | Introduced in 2021. |
The Crayola Color Wheel
Early Color Wheels (1926-1930)
The idea of a color wheel first came to Crayola crayons when Binney & Smith bought the Munsell crayon line in 1926. Munsell's system used five main colors and five in-between colors, making a ten-color wheel. Crayola adopted a similar twelve-color wheel in 1930, adding orange as a main color.
Color Wheel Adjustments (1935-1949)
Small changes were made to the Crayola color wheel in 1935 and 1949. In 1935, the original blue was replaced with a darker shade. In 1949, a new version of violet was introduced.
Expanding the Color Wheel (1958)
In 1958, with the No. 64 box, the color wheel grew from twelve to eighteen colors. The six in-between hues were doubled, so there were now two shades between each main color. Some blues and violets were also updated. This eighteen-color wheel was a key part of Crayola until 1990. At that time, four colors were stopped, reducing the color wheel to fourteen colors.
See also
- List of Crayola crayon colors
- Timeline of Crayola
- List of colorses:Crayola#Historia
