Violet_(color) violet (named after the flower violet) is used in two senseslight at the short-wavelength end of the visible spectrum, approximately 380–420 nm when indigo is recognized, or more commonly 380–450 nm (this is a spectral color). Second, violet may refer to a shade of purple, that is, a mixture of red and blue light, and not a spectral color (see a discussion of the distinction between violet and purple).