Hue

Hue is the pure color itself—what we actually mean when we name a color. Red, blue, yellow, green, orange, and purple are all hues. Hue is what distinguishes one color family from another and is determined by the wavelength of light. It's the most fundamental characteristic of color, separate from how light or dark it is (value) or how intense it is (saturation). The color wheel organizes hues by their relationships: primary hues (red, yellow, blue) combine to create secondary hues (orange, green, purple), which combine to create tertiary hues. Understanding hue relationships—analogous, complementary, triadic—forms the foundation of all color theory and helps designers create harmonious schemes.