Colors of the World

Recognizing a need in schools for safe and affordable wax crayons, Binney & Smith created the first box of eight Crayola Crayons in 1903. Sold for a nickel, this box included red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown, and black.

The Crayola name was coined by Alice Binney, wife of company founder Edwin Binney and a former schoolteacher. It combines the French word for "chalk" ("craie") with "ola," meaning "oily."

Want to know more about our colorful history? Check out the details on Crayola's history page.

Crayola® did not invent the crayon. The "modern" crayon originated in Europe, initially made from a mixture of charcoal and oil, later replaced by powdered pigments. Wax was later substituted for oil, making the sticks sturdier and easier to handle.

In 1902, Crayola Crayons were invented by Binney & Smith and first offered for sale in 1903. The trade name "Crayola" was coined by Mrs. Edwin Binney, combining "craie" (French for chalk stick) and "oleaginous" (oily).

Crayola manufactures over 3 billion crayons each year, primarily made from paraffin wax and color pigment. Learn more about Crayola's colorful history on Crayola's history page.

The wife of the founder of our company, Alice (Stead) Binney, coined the name CRAYOLA Crayons. The name comes from "craie", the French word for chalk, and "ola" from oleaginous. This has been our trademark name since 1903 when our company was founded and remains one of the most important pieces of our heritage. The first box of Crayola Crayons was produced in 1903 as an 8 count box. It sold for a nickel and contained the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, brown and black.

Crayola® Crayons are made in 148 unique colors, but don’t stop counting there! Some colors are offered in special effects, further expanding our color selection with specialty crayons like glitter, pearl, confetti, metallic, bold & bright, and more! Learn more about our colorful collections on Crayola's website.

Have questions? Our team is here to help. Call or text us at 1-800-Crayola or visit our Contact Us page to send an email.

What are skin tones?

Your skin tone is the genetic amount of melanin, naturally occurring dark brown or black pigments, in the outermost layer of your skin. Skin tones can change over time for various reasons.

What is your skin tone?

There are 3 traditional skin tones: Light, Medium, and Deep.

• Light or fair skin tone: Contains a small amount of melanin within the skin.
• Medium skin tone: Contains a fair amount of melanin within the skin, is a neutral color, and has a beige appearance. This skin tone is often referred to as an “olive” color.
• Deep skin tone: Contains a large amount of melanin within the skin.

What are undertones?

Undertones are the natural colors underneath the surface of your skin. Because undertones are under the surface of the skin, you can have the same skin tone as another person, but have a completely different undertone. Undertones are not based on skin tone. For instance, a light skin tone can have a warm undertone and a deep skin tone can have a cool undertone. Also, undertones remain the same, even when you tan. There are 3 traditional undertones: Rose, Almond, and Golden.

• Pink, blue, and/or red hues under the skin = Rose, pink, or cool undertone
• A mixture of warm and cool hues typically the same color as your skin tone = Almond, neutral, or olive undertone
• Peach, yellow, and/or gold hues under the skin = Golden or warm undertone

What is your undertone?

You can identify your undertone by using the color of your veins. In natural light, what color are the veins under your skin on the inside of your arm or wrist?

• Blue and/or purple veins = Rose or cool undertone
• Colorless, same color as your skin, and/or a combination of blue and green veins = Almond or neutral undertone
• Green and/or olive veins = Golden or warm undertone

Tips for selecting your Colors of the World skin tone crayon color:

• Check out the color panels on the side of the Colors of the World crayon box.
  • Match: Use crayon box color panels or create color swatches.
  • Select: Pick colors closest to your skin tone.
  • Color: Draw your #TrueSelfie with your unique colors!

Another way to find your skin tone crayon is to color a small area on a piece of paper with the crayon colors closest to your skin tone. Compare the areas with the inside of your arm or wrist, and select the crayon color that best matches your skin tone.

Learn more about this colorful collection.

If you have additional questions, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to call or text us at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time. If you would prefer to send us an email, visit our contact us page.