Color Names for Building a Logo Palette
A practical guide to color names for logo palettes: how they map to defined values, which names are standardized, and how to label swatches in vector logo files.
Contents
The short answer
A color name helps people talk about a logo palette, but it does not define a color. Names like navy, teal or coral mean different things to different designers, printers and software. A name only becomes precise when it is tied to a specific value, such as a hex code, an RGB or CMYK mix, or a named spot ink from a printing system. When you build a logo palette, use names as labels for those values, not as substitutes for them.
Where color names come from
The names you see in color lists usually come from one of three sources. Each has a different level of precision.
- Standardized web names: CSS defines a fixed set of named colors, and each name maps to one exact hex value. These are the most reliable names when the logo will be used on screens.
- Print ink systems: Spot-color libraries give each ink a name or number that a printer can match. The name refers to that system's ink, not to a general idea of the color.
- Descriptive or brand names: Labels such as "Ocean Blue" or "Sunrise Orange" are editorial choices. They are useful inside a brand guide, but they have no meaning outside it until you attach a value.
A starting list of standardized color names
The CSS named colors below are a practical reference because each name has one fixed hex value. They are a vocabulary to start from, not a recommended palette. A palette for a real logo still needs testing for contrast, print behavior and how it fits the brand.
| Name | Hex value | General family |
| navy | #000080 | Dark blue |
| steelblue | #4682B4 | Muted mid blue |
| teal | #008080 | Blue-green |
| forestgreen | #228B22 | Mid green |
| olive | #808000 | Yellow-green |
| gold | #FFD700 | Bright yellow |
| darkorange | #FF8C00 | Orange |
| coral | #FF7F50 | Pink-orange |
| tomato | #FF6347 | Red-orange |
| crimson | #DC143C | Deep red |
| maroon | #800000 | Dark red-brown |
| indigo | #4B0082 | Deep violet |
| orchid | #DA70D6 | Light purple |
| slategray | #708090 | Blue-gray |
| ivory | #FFFFF0 | Warm off-white |
Some familiar design words, such as charcoal or blush, are not part of this standard set. If you use them, define them with a value in your palette documentation.
How names work inside a vector logo file
In vector editing software, colors are usually stored as swatches. Naming each swatch keeps the artwork easier to edit and hand off. When a swatch is set up as a global or linked color, editing that swatch updates every vector shape that uses it. Clear names such as "Primary Navy" or "Accent Coral" tell the next person which color does what, so they don't have to guess from the values.
- Name swatches by role and color, for example primary, secondary, accent and neutral, so the palette stays readable when the file is reopened.
- Record each color in every model it needs: hex or RGB for screens, CMYK for process print, and a spot-ink reference if the logo is printed with matched inks.
- Keep the palette in the native vector file and in a written style sheet, since some export formats do not keep swatch names.
Vector artwork, embedded images and previews
Swatch names and global edits only apply to true vector paths. If a logo file contains an embedded raster image, that part will not respond to swatch changes. You would have to recolor it separately or redraw it as vectors. A file extension alone does not tell you which you have. A file that looks like vector artwork may only wrap a bitmap, so open it and check the artwork itself.
Taking colors from a raster preview, such as a screenshot or a compressed thumbnail, gives you approximate values. Compression and color-profile conversion can shift them. When the original vector file or a brand style guide is available, use the defined values from that source instead.
What this overview does not cover
No source material about a specific brand, palette or tool was provided. So this article does not recommend particular color combinations, cite print-ink codes for named colors, or compare color-picking tools. For a specific logo, the defined values should come from that brand's own guidelines or original artwork.