Pink is a color that evokes many emotions. It is most commonly associated with femininity, romance, and childhood. However, despite being ubiquitous in our society, pink is technically not a real color in the visible spectrum. Here’s a closer look at why pink is not actually a color:
The Visible Spectrum
The visible spectrum is the range of electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye. It consists of a continuous range of wavelengths that get interpreted by our eyes and brains as different colors. The visible spectrum runs from violet light with the shortest wavelengths to red light with the longest wavelengths. The exact wavelengths are:
| Color | Wavelength Range (nm) |
| Violet | 380-450 |
| Blue | 450-495 |
| Green | 495-570 |
| Yellow | 570-590 |
| Orange | 590-620 |
| Red | 620-750 |
As you can see, pink is not represented anywhere on the visible spectrum. The colors we see are determined solely by the different wavelengths of visible light. Since pink does not have its own wavelength, it is not considered a true spectral color.
How We See Color
To understand why pink is not a real color, we need to look at how our eyes detect color. The retina in our eyes contains photoreceptor cells called rods and cones. The rods detect brightness while the cones detect color.
There are three types of cones that are each sensitive to different wavelengths of light. Signals from these three cone types are processed by the brain to give us our perception of color. The three types of cones respond to short (blue), medium (green), and long (red) wavelengths of light. Different levels of stimulation of these three cone types allow us to see the variety of colors we are capable of perceiving.
However, we cannot see a color unless it stimulates at least one of these cone types in our eyes. Pink, on the other hand, does not directly correlate with any single wavelength of light. This means our cones are not stimulated by a pink wavelength.
How We See Pink
Since pink does not exist as a monochromatic wavelength, how do we see it? The answer lies in how our brain processes color. We see pink when our red and blue cone cells in the retina are stimulated at the same time. The stimulation of the red cones is stronger than the stimulation of the blue cones. This creates an interpretation in our brain that combines the two inputs into the sensation of seeing pink.
Essentially, pink is an extra-spectral color. That means it exists outside the normal visible spectrum of light. Our perception of it occurs because of the way our brain blends the stimulations from two different cone types. In a sense, it only exists in our minds! No light wavelength can be scientifically measured as pink.
Pink is a Combination of Wavelengths
When we see pink in the physical world, it is because an object is reflecting light waves of two different wavelengths to our eyes at the same time. For example:
| Object | Reflects Wavelengths |
| Pink flower | Red light waves (620-750 nm) and blue light waves (450-495 nm) |
| Pink fabric | Red light waves (620-750 nm) and violet light waves (380-450 nm) |
These mixtures of red light with either violet or blue light wavelengths create the perception of pink in our brains. No source emits pure pink light, however. The light first had to contain those wavelength components before being reflected.
This additive mixing of wavelengths to produce different colors is actually how all the colors on your screen are created. Computer and TV screens contain tiny pixels, each with a red, blue, and green light. Varying combinations of these primary light colors allow screens to create the illusion of any color. But there is still no real pink wavelength being emitted from the screen pixels themselves.
Small Overlap in Wavelengths
There is a small overlap between the wavelengths we interpret as red and the wavelengths we interpret as blue or violet. This helps facilitate the additive mixing that allows us to see pink. However, the wavelength overlap is only partial. There is no exact wavelength clear point where red transitions to pink before transitioning to blue or violet. Pink sits imprecisely between them with no wavelengths to call its own.
Essentially, our eyes and brain fill in the transitional gap between the longer red wavelengths and the shorter blue/violet wavelengths to create the perception of pink. But the only real colors confined to specific wavelengths along the visible spectrum are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Pink is a Brain Interpretation
In summary, pink does not exist as a monochromatic color on the visible spectrum because:
– There are no light wavelengths that can be identified as solely pink.
– We see pink when our eyes detect a mix of longer and shorter wavelengths simultaneously.
– This stimulation combination is interpreted by the brain as pink.
Pink is an extra-spectral color created by partial activation of both the red and blue/violet color receptors in our retinas. Our perception of pink is merely a product of how the brain processes this mixed simultaneous stimulation. That is why pink is not considered a real spectral color by optics and color scientists. Pink only exists as an interpretation in our minds.
Pink has Cultural Associations
As an extra-spectral color, pink does not have a fixed wavelength or frequency. As a result, the hue we identify as pink can vary considerably based on slight differences in the red and blue mixtures. There is no authoritative standard for what exact mix constitutes pink.
This has allowed cultures to shape pink into many different associated meanings completely separate from any objective scientific basis. For example, in Western cultures today, pink is strongly associated with femininity and girls. However, this has not always been true, and the gender coding of pink as feminine was not universal across eras and cultures.
Thus, the meanings ascribed to pink often reveal more about societal values and gender norms than any inherent color property. Pink’s diverse and changing cultural associations further underscore that it is not a discrete spectral wavelength, but rather a perceptual experience open to interpretation.
Conclusion
In physics and optics, pink does not meet the criteria of a true color. There are no light wavelengths that are intrinsically pink. We only see pink when non-pink wavelengths of light mix and stimulate our eyes in a unique pattern that our brain transforms into the perception of pink. Therefore, pink can be considered a neural creation rather than a spectral color. Next time you see something pink, remember that it is all in your head!