How do I get a deep (blue) purple color? I've tried buying purple from more than one company, but they are all pale grey lavender, not purple. When I add dark blue, the grey in the original still affects the color. I end up with a dark grey with a purplish tinge. Very pretty, but not purple. Thanks for your help!
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Hi, AmyDesigns, Congrats on making your first post. I look forward to many more to come!
Add red or pink to purple if you want it less blue/gray and brighter. Or start by mixing your own custom purple from blue and red, adding coloring gradually until you get the precise hue you want. Though, honestly, it's hard to say exactly which way to take you on the color wheel, as your concept of "deep" purple may be different than mine. Do you have a Pantone or other color code you could share to give us a better idea of the color you have in mind?
Try adding powder food coloring. Sometimes they are more pigmented than gel food coloring. You do have to hydrate it first before adding to your royal icing. Hope this helps.
Thanks Julie. I did try adding red/pink, but that gave me a red-purple, more like a magenta. I'm looking for a deep blue-purple. I wish I could be more specific, but I don't have Pantone numbers here. It's frustrating because I've mixed paint colors for years. I know how to mix color, but I can't seem to find the icing colors that will let me easily do it.
Thanks Laura. I'll try going that route. I rarely decorate with pale colors, so powdered might be the right answer.
AmyDesigns posted:Thanks Julie. I did try adding red/pink, but that gave me a red-purple, more like a magenta. I'm looking for a deep blue-purple. I wish I could be more specific, but I don't have Pantone numbers here. It's frustrating because I've mixed paint colors for years. I know how to mix color, but I can't seem to find the icing colors that will let me easily do it.
What about adding a touch of black? I would think that would work to "deepen", but, again, it's a bit hard to guide without seeing the color you have in mind. Concentrated liqua-gels, like AmeriColor and Chefmaster, can definitely give a deep purple though (I've done what I think is deep purple using Chefmaster colors straight out of the container), so you needn't go to powders and the added step of pre-dissolving them, IMO.
Lila Loa has color guides in her book or you can just buy the guides. They look like paint swatches, but with directions of how many drops of each color to achieve the desired color. She uses americolor.