But what does "red" actually mean? This is red, and so is this, and this. There are dark reds, light reds, rosy reds, blood reds, red signs, red apples, and red riding hoods--just to name a few. So what's Mu Beta Psi red?
It may not surprise you to hear that Mu Beta Psi red matches another red we're pretty familiar with--North Carolina State University's crimson color. Mu Beta Psi, like a lot of Fraternities around the country, takes its colors from the university of its Alpha Chapter.
But NC State wasn't always draped in red and white. They originally chose pink and blue, which represented one of the first literary societies of the new college. The student body voted in 1895 to change the school colors to brown and white, but after one football game with these colors (notably, against UNC-Chapel Hill), another vote was held in November. This time the colors we know today, red and white, were chosen by the student body and have been unchanged for 117 years.
As an interesting aside, it's often said that NC State chose the color red to compliment the state bird of North Carolina, the cardinal. But while NC State went red in 1895, the cardinal didn't become the official state bird of North Carolina until 1943.
So, we know where Mu Beta Psi red comes from, but what exactly is it? There are a few ways of determining colors, but the most standardized deal with online colors and physical colors.
Painters know that all pigments can be created by mixing the three primary colors of red, yellow, and blue. Colors in light can be mixed with the three primary light colors of red, green, and blue. Similarly, on the web, colors are represented by a six-digit hexadecimal code indicating how much red, green, and blue it takes to add up to the desired color. Each digit ranges from 1 to F--instead of counting to 10 after 9, you move to the letter A after 9. So it goes: ...8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, 10, 11... The first two digits indicate red, the middle two green, and the last two digits are blue. Our red doesn't contain any green or blue, so those digits are all zeros. It contains only red, but not 100% red, which would be FF. Instead it contains a little less than full red, indicated by CC. Mu Beta Psi red on the web, therefor, is represented by the code #CC0000.
When it comes to physical materials, like printing ink, paint, fabrics, and the like, there are a host of color systems out there. One of the most widely-used in printing is the Pantone Color Matching System (abbreviated PMS). Each individual color is given an identifying number. Mu Beta Psi red is PMS 186, so that's the one to use if you're printing out brochures and posters (and the one to match if you're looking for accuracy in clothing, fabrics, paints, etc.)
If you're looking for some further complimentary colors that go with the official colors, NC State's website has a nice style guide for web and print. There you can find inspiration for other colors that will go well with a red and white color scheme.
So, go on, paint the town MBPsi red!
IBh,
Andrew Fleming
C-BOT, Standards Advisor
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