A brief word on tinctures.

It is normal custom and practice in heraldry to use, in blazonry[^1] to employ a limited vocabulary of tinctures[^2] whose precise hues are not specified, instead being broader categories. It is then up to the artist, when emblazoning[^3] the device[^4], to decide specific hues and shading to create the desired visual effect.

Some exceptions have, however, crept in over the centuries. We owe to the French heralds the colour[^5] Bleu Celeste being the blue of a clear sky. Obviously this is still open to some interpretation, but is a far reduced range of shades from the broader Azure being synonymous with the common English word blue. Similarly did they introduce Carnation, which is used there to represent white[^6] skintones.

Yet another tincture of French invention is the colour Rose which is generally taken to represent any shade of pink. It is common in Canadian heraldry to use a particularly vivid shade, while elsewhere the colour is generally lighter. It is the latter which is currently employed in the images posted under the ACP.

Most ACP images use flat colours and do so for two reasons. First is to prevent myself from taking forever over each tiny detail, second is to make it easier for people to take and use these designs. It is also for the latter reason that I have created a single, consistent pallette of colours for the ACP in which each tincture has a single associated hue.

The flip side of that decision is that, in order to accommodate the diversity of Pride-related designs, I have found it necessary to create another shade of pink. I have assigned to this shade the name Fuchsia and prefer that shade known as French fuchsia. I find this clarity very conducive to the process of interpreting existing flag designs for an heraldic framework.

I'm also seriously considering introducing a new tincture which must technically be considered a fur, which would be Flamingo. I haven't used it yet but might rework an existing design with it.

Take pride, everyone.

[^1]: The formal language used to describe the design upon a shield and other elements of a coat of arms. Any such description is a blazon. [^2]: Informally the colours and certain patterns used throughout a blazon. Formally a colour is a subset of tinctures, with others being furs and stains. [^3]: Visually depicting that which the blazon describes. [^4]: Any of a number of discrete heraldic items e.g. a shield, a crest, or a badge. [^5]: In the formal sense. [^6]: Unsurprisingly there's a lot of, frankly, racism in the history of heraldry. That is in part why I speak of degentrification.