What does white and magenta make?

In paint, white and magenta make a pink close to Hottest of Pinks (#FF80FF). Mixed as light, the same pair gives a result near Jigglypuff, because light adds while pigment subtracts.

50% White · 50% Magenta

As paint

#FF80FF

As light

#FFACFF

Theory

Why paint and light disagree

Pigments work by absorbing light: each paint removes part of the spectrum, so combining white and magenta removes more light than either alone and the result darkens. Screens and stage lights work the other way. Each light adds energy, so overlapping them moves the result toward white. The slider above computes both models at any ratio: the paint result uses red-yellow-blue pigment interpolation, the light result uses additive blending.

Reference

The 50/50 paint result, specified

HEX
#FF80FF
RGB
rgb(255, 128, 255)
HSL
hsl(300, 100%, 75%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 50%, 0%, 0%)

Closest named color: Atomic Pink. Real pigments vary by brand and binder, so treat these values as the screen approximation of a physical mix.

FAQ

Quick answers

What color does white and magenta make when mixed as paint?
A pink close to Hottest of Pinks (#FF80FF). Pigments subtract light, so the mix is darker and duller than either parent; exact results vary by brand and binder.
What do white and magenta make as light?
A color near Jigglypuff (#FFACFF). Light mixes additively, so overlapping sources brighten instead of darkening, which is why screens and paint disagree about the same pair.
What happens with more white than magenta?
The result slides toward White along the mixing curve; the live slider on this page computes the paint and light result at any ratio, with the hex code of every step.

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