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Lime Green Color Code for Logo Design

Lime green has no single official code. Compare the standard web values #00FF00 and #32CD32, and see how to apply and check lime green in vector logo files.

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Contents
  1. The short answer: two standard values, no single official lime green
  2. Which value suits a logo
  3. Entering the color in vector artwork
  4. Print equivalents: a gap to resolve before production
  5. Checking that the color is really in the vector file
  6. Summary

The short answer: two standard values, no single official lime green

"Lime green" is a descriptive color name, not a fixed standard. In logo work, it usually points to one of two named colors defined in the CSS color specification used by web browsers. The first is "lime," a fully saturated pure green with the hex code #00FF00. The second is "limegreen," a slightly darker and less intense green with the hex code #32CD32. Unless a brand guide says otherwise, these are the two reference points designers mean when they ask for a lime green color code.

Name | Hex | RGB | HSL
lime | #00FF00 | 0, 255, 0 | 120°, 100%, 50%
limegreen | #32CD32 | 50, 205, 50 | 120°, 61%, 50%

Both colors share the same hue angle and lightness. The difference is saturation. #00FF00 is the maximum green a standard RGB screen can show, so it looks almost fluorescent. #32CD32 mixes in some red and blue, which softens it into a green that holds up better as a logo fill.

Many brands use a lime of their own that matches neither value and often leans toward yellow. CSS names a few of those yellower greens as well, including chartreuse (#7FFF00), lawngreen (#7CFC00) and greenyellow (#ADFF2F). If you are matching an existing brand, use the value from its brand guidelines rather than a generic name.

This is a design judgment, not a documented rule. Pure lime (#00FF00) is very bright on screen. It has very little contrast against white, so thin strokes and small text in this color are hard to read. It also sits at the edge of the RGB gamut, so it is unlikely to look the same in print. Limegreen (#32CD32), or a custom lime with lower saturation, is usually easier to use across backgrounds, sizes and media. Whichever you choose, test the logo on light and dark backgrounds and at small sizes before you settle on it.

Entering the color in vector artwork

In a vector editor, set the color as a named, reusable swatch (often called a global color) rather than typing the hex value into each shape. Every path that uses the swatch then updates together when the value changes, and the color travels with the file when you hand it off.

Swatch name: Lime Green
HEX: #32CD32
RGB: 50 205 50
HSL: 120 61% 50%

Alternate (pure lime):
HEX: #00FF00
RGB: 0 255 0

Hex and RGB values describe screen color. Use them in an RGB document for web, app and social media versions of the logo.

No confirmed CMYK or Pantone match for either lime green value was available for this article, so none is given here. Converting a bright RGB green to CMYK depends on the color profile and the printing conditions. Very saturated greens such as #00FF00 usually cannot be reproduced exactly in process print and will look duller. For print versions of a logo, choose a CMYK or spot-color value deliberately, check it against a printed proof or an official swatch book, and record it in the brand guide next to the screen values.

Checking that the color is really in the vector file

A logo file may look lime green in a preview without containing editable lime-green vector fills. Before relying on a file, open it in a vector editor and check the following:

  • Select the shapes and confirm they are vector paths whose fill or stroke is set to the lime green value or swatch.
  • Watch for embedded raster images. A pasted bitmap of the logo will not change color when you edit swatches, and its edges will blur when enlarged.
  • Be aware that some files show only a raster preview thumbnail, which may differ from the artwork inside.
  • Do not assume a file contains editable paths because of its extension or filename. Formats such as SVG, EPS, PDF and AI can all hold raster content.
  • Confirm the document color mode (RGB or CMYK) matches the version you are delivering, since a conversion can quietly shift the green.

Summary

For a generic lime green, the standard codes are #00FF00 (pure lime) and #32CD32 (limegreen). Limegreen is usually the more practical logo color. Store the value as a global swatch in the vector file, keep the hex and RGB values for screen versions, and choose and verify a separate print value, because no confirmed CMYK or Pantone match is provided here.