Color swatch image showing Olive (#808000) with RGB(128,128,0) values

Olive (#808000) Color Meaning and Information

Everything you need to know about Olive (#808000) including values, color harmonies, shades, meanings, and applications in design, branding, and everyday visuals.

Olive (#808000) Color Information

Olive (#808000) RGB value is (128, 128, 0). The hex color red value is 128, green is 128, and blue is 0. Its HSL format shows a hue of 60°, saturation of 100 percent, and lightness of 25 percent. The CMYK process values are 0 percent, 0 percent, 100 percent, 50 percent.

Olive
#808000
rgb(128, 128, 0)
ColorMean
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Olive (#808000) Color Meaning

Olive (#808000) balances aggression and neutrality. This mid-tone green-brown originated in military uniforms for its camouflage properties, yet evolved into a symbol of uneasy peace—think olive branches held by weary negotiators. Olive (#808000) doesn’t soothe like sky blue or energize like emerald; it steadies. It acknowledges conflict while choosing restraint. Its psychological effect is complex: it calms through familiarity, not purity. Environmental studies show that olive tones reduce perceived threat in high-stress environments (e.g., hospitals, transit hubs) because they mimic natural, non-floral foliage—suggesting survival, not beauty. Olive (#808000) feels pragmatic, not poetic. In contemporary design, it signals eco-consciousness without idealism. Brands use Olive (#808000) to communicate resilience, adaptability, and grounded ethics—avoiding the greenwashing connotations of brighter greens. It’s the color of real sustainability: hard-won, not pretty.

Convert Olive (#808000) across different color models and formats. These conversions help designers work seamlessly between digital and print media, ensuring this color maintains its intended appearance across RGB screens, CMYK printers, and HSL color manipulations.

HEX
#808000
RGB
rgb(128, 128, 0)
HSL
hsl(60°, 100%, 25%)
CMYK
cmyk(0%, 0%, 100%, 50%)
HSV
hsv(60°, 100%, 50%)
XYZ
16.6213 20.0275 2.9897
Yxy
20.0275 0.4193 0.5053
Hunter Lab
44.7521 -1.0045 2.4821
CIE-Lab
51.8683 -12.9308 56.6773

RGB Values

Red128 / 255 (50%)
50%
Green128 / 255 (50%)
50%
Blue0 / 255 (0%)

CMYK Values

Cyan0 / 100 (0%)
Magenta0 / 100 (0%)
Yellow100 / 100 (100%)
100%
Key (Black)50 / 100 (50%)
50%

Olive (#808000) harmonies come to life through carefully balanced shades, tints, and tones, giving this color depth and flexibility across light and dark variations. Shades add richness, tints bring an airy softness, and tones soften intensity, making it easy to pair in clean, modern palettes.

Olive (#808000) harmonies create beautiful relationships with other colors based on their position on the color wheel. Each harmony type offers unique design possibilities, enabling cohesive and visually appealing color schemes.

Analogous

Colors adjacent on the color wheel (30° apart)

Complementary

Colors opposite on the color wheel (180° apart)

Split Complementary

Three colors using one base hue and the two hues beside its opposite

Triadic

Three colors evenly spaced (120° apart)

Tetradic

Four colors forming a rectangle on the wheel

Square

Four colors evenly spaced (90° apart)

Double Split

Four colors formed from two base hues and the colors next to their opposites

Monochromatic

Variations of a single hue

(WCAG 2.1) Test Olive (#808000) for accessibility compliance against white and black backgrounds. Proper contrast ensures this color remains readable and usable for all audiences, meeting WCAG 2.1 standards for both normal and large text applications.

#FFFFFF
#808000

Sample Text

This is how your text will look with these colors.

Large Text (18pt+)

4.20:1
WCAG AA
WCAG AAA

Normal Text

4.20:1
WCAG AA
WCAG AAA

UI Components

4.20:1
WCAG AA
WCAG AAA

See how #808000 appears to people with different types of color vision deficiencies. These simulations help create more inclusive designs that consider how this color is perceived across various visual abilities.

Normal Vision

Olive (#808000)

protanopia

#80801f

Note: These simulations are approximations. Actual color vision deficiency varies by individual.

Background Color

background-color: #808000;

Text Color

color: #808000;

Sample Text

Border Color

border: 2px solid #808000;

Box Shadow

box-shadow: 0 4px 6px #80800040;

Text Shadow

text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px #808000;

Sample Text

Gradient

background: linear-gradient(135deg, #808000 0%, #515100 100%);

Olive (#808000) Color FAQs

Frequently asked questions about Olive (#808000) color meaning, symbolism, and applications. Click on any question to expand detailed answers.