Showa era
Olive Ocher & Olive Green
Plate 66 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Olive Ocher, Olive Green.
#6b7140
yellow · 4 palettes
Olive Green
About Olive Green
Olive Green is a deep, muted yellow tone. Its hex value is #6b7140 — that is
RGB 107, 113, 64, or HSL 67°, 28%, 35%.
It holds 5.2:1 contrast against white, so Olive Green works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 5.2:1; on black 4.1:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Olive Green appears in 4 combinations — most often paired with Olive Ocher, Raw Sienna and Ivory Buff.
Colours that go with Olive Green
From a standard colour wheel, Olive Green anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#6b7140 #464071
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#6b7140 #715E40 #537140
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#6b7140 #406B71 #71406B
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#6b7140 #405371 #5E4071
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Olive Green
Olive Green is a deep, muted tone (HSL 67°, 28%, 35%), which makes it a grounding background or strong accent. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (5.2:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#464071) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#715E40 and #537140) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Olive Green off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
-
...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Listed on Amazon as Pantone Formula Guide – Coated & Uncoated | Professional PMS Color Matching System for Print, Packaging & Graphic Design | GP1601B
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...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
ColorChecker Passport Photo 2
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Passport Photo 2 Portable Color Calibration Kit for Photo and Video, 4 Target Set for White Balance, Exposure and Creative Look
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...by hand
Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors II - Art Nouveau
View on Amazon
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Palettes with Olive Green
Olive Green appears in 4 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Olive Green
- What is the hex code for Olive Green?
- Olive Green is #6b7140. It appears in 4 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Olive Green look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Olive Green (#6b7140) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 5.17:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 4.06:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Olive Green come from?
- Olive Green is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued yellow pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Olive Green in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#6b7140) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
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