Forest Green Color Code for Logo Design
The standard forest green color code is #228B22 (RGB 34, 139, 34). Learn how to apply it in vector logo files, what changes in print, and how it behaves in gradients.
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The Short Answer
The most widely recognized forest green color code is #228B22. This is the value assigned to the named color "forestgreen" in the CSS and SVG color keyword lists, which are inherited from the older X11 color set. In RGB it is 34, 139, 34. If a designer, developer or style guide refers to "forest green" without specifying anything else, this is the value they most likely mean.
"Forest green" is a descriptive name, not a protected standard. Outside the CSS keyword, paint makers, crayon brands, fabric suppliers and individual brand guides may use the same name for noticeably different greens. If you are matching an existing logo, use the values written in that brand's own guidelines or stored in its source file, not the generic name.
Forest Green Values Across Color Models
| Model | Value | Notes |
| HEX | #228B22 | CSS/SVG named color "forestgreen" |
| RGB | 34, 139, 34 | Screen color; same value as the HEX code |
| HSL | 120°, 61%, 34% | Pure green hue, moderate saturation, fairly dark |
| CMYK (uncalibrated) | approx. 76, 0, 76, 45 | Simple mathematical conversion only; not a print-ready specification |
The HEX, RGB and HSL values describe the same screen color and convert exactly. The CMYK figure is a plain arithmetic conversion with no color profile applied, so it should be treated as a starting point rather than a press value. Actual printed results depend on the ink set, paper stock and the profile your printer uses.
No verified Pantone (PMS) equivalent was available for this article. Pantone matching should be done against a current physical Pantone guide or the printer's proof, because an on-screen green can look quite different once it is printed with spot ink.
Using Forest Green in a Vector Logo File
In vector logo artwork, color is stored as a fill or stroke value on each path or shape. That makes it straightforward to apply #228B22 precisely and change it later. In design applications such as Illustrator, Inkscape or Affinity Designer, the cleanest approach is to save forest green as a named global swatch, so every shape that uses it updates together if the value is adjusted.
In SVG or web code, forest green can be written either as the keyword or as the HEX value. The HEX value is more explicit and is easier to search for when auditing a file.
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 100 100">
<circle cx="50" cy="50" r="40" fill="#228B22" />
</svg>
/* CSS */
.logo-mark {
fill: #228B22; /* same as: fill: forestgreen; */
}Not every file labeled as a vector logo actually contains editable vector color. An AI, EPS, PDF or SVG file can wrap an embedded raster image, such as a pasted PNG or JPG, and in that case the green is baked into pixels rather than stored as an editable fill. A file extension or filename alone does not confirm editable paths. To check, open the file in a vector editor and confirm that the logo elements select as individual paths with their own fill values, not as a single placed image.
Raster previews, including PNG thumbnails, screenshots and JPG exports, are also unreliable sources for the exact code. Compression, color profiles and anti-aliasing at shape edges can shift sampled colors slightly. A color picked from a preview may be close to #228B22 without matching it exactly.
Screen Versus Print Delivery
Forest green sits in a range that standard four-color process printing can reproduce reasonably well, but it will rarely look identical on screen and on paper. A practical logo delivery package usually separates the two uses:
- RGB or HEX versions (#228B22) for websites, apps, social media and digital documents
- CMYK versions converted using the printer's specified profile for process printing
- A spot color version, if a verified Pantone match has been chosen, for consistent branded print runs
- A one-color black and a reversed white version for situations where green cannot be used
Recording all chosen values in a short color specification sheet alongside the vector files helps prevent drift when different vendors handle the logo.
Forest Green in Logo Gradients
Because #228B22 is a mid-to-dark green with moderate saturation, it works well as either the anchor color or the darker end of a gradient. Common approaches include blending it toward a lighter, more yellow green for a fresh look, or toward a deeper, desaturated green for a more muted, natural feel. Staying close to the same hue tends to keep a gradient smooth. Jumping to a distant hue can create a muddy band in the middle of the transition.
Some practical cautions apply to gradients in logos. Gradients in vector files remain editable as gradient objects, but some export paths and older print workflows rasterize or band them. Gradients also lose their effect at very small sizes and in one-color applications. For that reason, a gradient forest green logo should normally be delivered with a flat #228B22 version as well.
Matching a Green From Someone Else's Logo
Identifying the color code in an existing logo is different from having the right to reuse that logo. Being able to download a logo file, or sample its green, does not grant permission to modify the artwork, use its typefaces or use the mark itself, all of which may be covered by copyright, font licensing or trademark rights. A generic color such as #228B22 is freely usable on its own. A specific logo and its distinctive overall design are not.
Gaps in This Overview
No subject-specific evidence was supplied for this article, so it relies on the publicly defined CSS/SVG color value and general color-conversion principles. It does not include a verified Pantone match, a printer-specific CMYK value or any particular brand's forest green specification. Confirm those against a physical color guide, a printer's proof or the relevant brand guidelines before finalizing production files.