Olive HEX Code
The HEX code for olive is #808000. Olive is a dark yellow-green color resembling unripe or green olives. It's created by combining equal parts red and green with no blue, then darkening the result.
Olive Color Values
| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #808000 |
| RGB | rgb(128, 128, 0) |
| HSL | hsl(60, 100%, 25%) |
| CMYK | C:0 M:0 Y:100 K:50 |
Olive Shades and Variations
| Shade | HEX | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Light Olive | #BAB86C | Lighter |
| Yellow Green | #9ACD32 | Brighter |
| Olive | #808000 | CSS olive |
| Olive Drab | #6B8E23 | Military |
| Dark Olive Green | #556B2F | Deep |
| Army Green | #4B5320 | Very dark |
Olive in Design
Olive conveys:
- Nature: Earthy, organic
- Military: Camouflage, tactical
- Sophistication: Muted elegance
- Vintage: Retro, classic
Using Olive in Design
``css
/* Olive palette */
:root {
--olive-light: #9ACD32;
--olive: #808000;
--olive-dark: #556B2F;
}
/* Military/tactical style */
.tactical {
background-color: #6B8E23;
color: #F5F5DC;
}
`
Olive Color Palettes
| Theme | Primary | Secondary | Accent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Military | #6B8E23 | #808000 | #D2B48C |
| Nature | #808000 | #556B2F | #8B4513 |
| Vintage | #6B8E23 | #F5F5DC | #8B0000 |
Olive is popular in military, outdoor, and nature-themed designs, as well as vintage and rustic aesthetics.Olive in Every Format
| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #808000 |
| RGB | rgb(128, 128, 0) |
| HSL | hsl(60, 100%, 25%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 0%, 100%, 50%) |
| Nearest Tailwind | yellow-700 (#A16207) |
About This Colour
Olive is #808000, half-intensity red and green. It is dark yellow, and another of the original 16 VGA colours.
Will It Pass Contrast?
| Combination | Ratio | WCAG |
|---|---|---|
| Olive text on white | 4.20:1 | AA large text only |
| Olive text on black | 5.01:1 | AA |
| White text on olive | 4.20:1 | AA large text only |
WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for text above 18pt or 14pt bold. Olive passes on black, so reserve it for dark backgrounds.Building a Palette Around It
| Role | Colour |
|---|---|
| Lighter (+20%) | #e5e600 |
| Base | #808000 |
| Darker (−20%) | #191a00 |
| Complementary | #000080 |
| Triadic | #007f80, #80007f |
Tints (toward white): #a0a040, #c0c080, #dfdfbfShades (toward black): #606000, #404000, #202000
Using It
`css
:root {
--olive: #808000;
--olive-light: #e5e600;
--olive-dark: #191a00;
}
.badge {
background: var(--olive);
color: #fff;
}
`
Define the colour once as a custom property rather than repeating the hex. When the brand
changes — and it will — you edit one line instead of grepping a stylesheet.
A Full Ramp From This Colour
Design systems settle on a 50–900 scale because it covers backgrounds, borders, text and
states without anyone reaching outside the palette. Mixing toward white and black rather
than adjusting HSL lightness keeps more of the hue's character:
| Step | Colour | Contrast on white | Safe for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | #F5F9FF | 1.06:1 | backgrounds and fills |
| 100 | #EBF3FE | 1.12:1 | backgrounds and fills |
| 200 | #CEE0FD | 1.34:1 | backgrounds and fills |
| 300 | #B1CDFB | 1.62:1 | backgrounds and fills |
| 400 | #76A8F9 | 2.40:1 | backgrounds and fills |
| 500 | #3B82F6 | 3.68:1 | large text, borders |
| 600 | #326FD1 | 4.85:1 | body text on white |
| 700 | #295BAC | 6.59:1 | body text on white |
| 800 | #204887 | 8.98:1 | body text on white |
| 900 | #183462 | 12.31:1 | body text on white |
The contrast column is the one that decides usage. Steps below 3:1 cannot carry text at
any size and belong in fills and dividers; steps at 4.5:1 and above are safe for body copy.Adjusting It
Base colour in HSL is hsl(217, 91%, 60%). Two useful moves:
`css
/* +10% lightness, same hue */
--lighter: #6da2f8;
/* −10% lightness */
--darker: #0b64f4;
``
Raising lightness also drops perceived saturation, so a lightened colour reads greyer than its numbers suggest. Adding 5–10% saturation alongside every 20% of lightness keeps the ramp looking like one hue rather than a fade to grey.