🎨 Brand Colors Reference: Official Hex, RGB and Pantone Codes
By Shihab Mia · Updated 2026-06-27
Click any color chip to copy its hex code.
This brand colors reference lists the official hex codes for popular brands like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Spotify, Netflix and Google, each with a live color swatch. Type a brand name in the search box to filter the list, then click any color chip to copy its hex code straight to your clipboard. It is a fast way to grab the exact color when you are building a share button, an icon set, a social media template or a marketing graphic.
What is the Brand Colors Reference?
A brand color is the specific shade a company uses across its logo, app and marketing so that people recognise it instantly. These colors are not picked at random: they are defined precisely in a brand style guide, usually as a hex code (a six digit value like #1877F2), and often alongside RGB, HSL, CMYK and Pantone equivalents. Using the exact value matters because a Facebook blue that is slightly off looks wrong, and on official platforms it can even breach brand usage rules. Color is one of the strongest cues of brand recognition, so the precise shade does real work for a company.
A hex code encodes a color as three pairs of hexadecimal digits, one each for red, green and blue, where 00 is none of that channel and FF (255 in decimal) is full intensity. So #FF0000 is pure red, #000000 is black and #FFFFFF is white. The same color can be written in other formats: RGB lists the three channels as numbers from 0 to 255, HSL describes hue, saturation and lightness, CMYK describes ink percentages for print, and Pantone (PMS) is a numbered spot color for exact physical matching. Hex and RGB are the formats you reach for on screen, CMYK and Pantone are for print, and they are not always perfectly interchangeable because screens and ink reproduce color differently.
Why do so many brands look similar? Color psychology drives a lot of it. Blue is the single most common primary brand color, used by roughly a third of major brands, because it reads as trustworthy, calm and professional, which is why banks, tech platforms and social networks lean on it (Facebook, LinkedIn, PayPal, Twitter before its rebrand). Red signals energy, urgency and appetite (YouTube, Netflix, Coca-Cola, YouTube), green suggests growth, health and go (Spotify, WhatsApp, Starbucks), while black and minimal palettes read as premium or modern (Apple, Nike, X). Knowing the psychology helps you pick a brand color that fits the message, not just the trend.
Brands occasionally refresh their palette, and many use more than one core color. X (formerly Twitter) moved from its familiar light blue to black, Instagram is known for a gradient rather than a single flat color, and tech companies like Google and Microsoft use a set of four. The values shown here reflect the widely used primary colors for each brand, but for an official campaign or a partnership you should always confirm against the brand owner's current brand guidelines, since they hold the definitive specification.
Accessibility matters when you reuse a brand color in your own design. A color that looks great as a logo may fail contrast checks as text. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ask for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text and 3 to 1 for large text against its background. A bright yellow brand color, for example, is almost unreadable as text on white, so use it as a background or accent and put dark text on top. Always test the actual pairing you ship rather than assuming the brand color works everywhere.
Finally, remember the line between a color and a brand. A hex code is just a number and is free to copy and use. A company name, logo and the overall look of a brand are trademarks. Matching Spotify green for a music themed graphic is fine, but using the Spotify logo or implying that Spotify endorses your product is not. When in doubt, read the brand's usage guidelines, which usually spell out exactly what third parties may and may not do.
When to use it
- Grabbing the exact hex code for a social share or follow button so it matches the platform.
- Building a marketing graphic, email template or landing page that references a known brand.
- Setting up icon colors in a design tool, CSS file or component library.
- Checking whether a color you already have matches a brand official shade.
- Converting a brand hex to RGB or CMYK for a design tool or print job that needs another format.
- Researching the color psychology behind a sector before choosing colors for your own brand.
How to use the Brand Colors Reference
- Type part of a brand name in the search box to filter the list (for example "spotify").
- Find the brand and its color chip or chips in the results.
- Click a color chip to copy its hex code to your clipboard.
- Paste the hex value into your CSS, design tool or document.
- If you need another format, use the conversion shown in the worked examples or reference tables below.
Formula & method
Worked examples
You want the Facebook blue hex value converted to RGB for a design tool that only accepts RGB.
- Facebook Blue is #1877F2
- Red = 18 in hex = (1 x 16) + 8 = 24
- Green = 77 in hex = (7 x 16) + 7 = 119
- Blue = F2 in hex = (15 x 16) + 2 = 242
- So #1877F2 = rgb(24, 119, 242)
Result: #1877F2 equals rgb(24, 119, 242)
You need pure YouTube red and want to confirm what #FF0000 means channel by channel.
- YouTube Red is #FF0000
- Red = FF = 255 (full intensity)
- Green = 00 = 0 (none)
- Blue = 00 = 0 (none)
- Full red with no green or blue is pure, saturated red
Result: #FF0000 equals rgb(255, 0, 0), pure red
You are sending Spotify green to a printer and need a CMYK approximation from the hex value.
- Spotify Green is #1DB954, which is rgb(29, 185, 84)
- Convert each channel to a 0 to 1 fraction: R = 29/255 = 0.114, G = 185/255 = 0.725, B = 84/255 = 0.329
- Black (K) = 1 - the largest fraction = 1 - 0.725 = 0.275, so K is about 27 percent
- Cyan = (1 - R - K) / (1 - K) = (1 - 0.114 - 0.275) / 0.725 = 0.84, about 84 percent
- Magenta = (1 - G - K) / (1 - K) = (1 - 0.725 - 0.275) / 0.725 = 0, about 0 percent
- Yellow = (1 - B - K) / (1 - K) = (1 - 0.329 - 0.275) / 0.725 = 0.55, about 55 percent
Result: #1DB954 is roughly cmyk(84, 0, 55, 27); always confirm against the brand print spec or Pantone for exact matching
Primary brand hex codes for popular platforms
| Brand | Color | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | #1877F2 | rgb(24, 119, 242) | |
| X (Twitter) | Black | #000000 | rgb(0, 0, 0) |
| Magenta | #E1306C | rgb(225, 48, 108) | |
| YouTube | Red | #FF0000 | rgb(255, 0, 0) |
| Blue | #0A66C2 | rgb(10, 102, 194) | |
| Green | #25D366 | rgb(37, 211, 102) | |
| Spotify | Green | #1DB954 | rgb(29, 185, 84) |
| Netflix | Red | #E50914 | rgb(229, 9, 20) |
| Blue | #4285F4 | rgb(66, 133, 244) | |
| Red | #E60023 | rgb(230, 0, 35) | |
| Snapchat | Yellow | #FFFC00 | rgb(255, 252, 0) |
| Twitch | Purple | #9146FF | rgb(145, 70, 255) |
| Orange | #FF4500 | rgb(255, 69, 0) | |
| Slack | Aubergine | #4A154B | rgb(74, 21, 75) |
Brands with a multi-color palette
| Brand | Colors (hex) |
|---|---|
| #4285F4, #EA4335, #FBBC05, #34A853 | |
| Microsoft | #F25022, #7FBA00, #00A4EF, #FFB900 |
| #833AB4, #E1306C, #F77737 | |
| TikTok | #010101, #25F4EE, #FE2C55 |
| eBay | #E53238, #0064D2, #F5AF02, #86B817 |
| Slack | #36C5F0, #2EB67D, #ECB22E, #E01E5A |
Color psychology by sector (why brands pick a color)
| Color | Common association | Typical sectors and brands |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Trust, calm, professionalism | Finance, tech, social: Facebook, LinkedIn, PayPal |
| Red | Energy, urgency, appetite | Media, food, retail: YouTube, Netflix, Coca-Cola |
| Green | Growth, health, go | Music, eco, messaging: Spotify, WhatsApp, Starbucks |
| Yellow | Optimism, attention, youth | Snacks, social, retail: Snapchat, McDonalds (with red) |
| Purple | Creativity, luxury, premium | Streaming, beauty, gaming: Twitch, Cadbury |
| Black | Premium, modern, minimal | Luxury, fashion, tech: Apple, Nike, X |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using an outdated brand color. Brands rebrand. X dropped the old light blue (#1DA1F2) for black, so an old asset can clash with the current look. Confirm against the brand current guidelines before shipping anything official.
- Treating a gradient brand as a single flat color. Instagram is famous for a gradient that runs through purple, magenta and orange. Picking one of those as a solid fill loses the recognisable look, so reproduce the gradient when the design calls for it.
- Forgetting the # when pasting into CSS. A hex value in CSS needs the leading hash, like color: #1877F2. Pasting just 1877F2 will not apply. The copy here includes the hash so the value is ready to use.
- Assuming you can use a logo just because you have its color. A hex code is free to use, but a company logo and name are trademarks. Matching the color does not grant permission to imply a partnership or to use the logo itself.
- Using a hex code straight in a print job. Screens use RGB and printers use CMYK or Pantone ink. A bright on screen brand color can shift noticeably in print. Convert to the brand CMYK or Pantone spec, or ask the print shop, rather than sending raw hex.
- Ignoring contrast and accessibility. A brand color that pops as a logo can fail as text. WCAG asks for at least 4.5 to 1 contrast for normal text. Check the actual text and background pairing so the result stays readable for everyone.
Glossary
- Brand color
- The specific shade a company uses consistently across its logo and marketing so people recognise it.
- Hex code
- A color written as #RRGGBB in hexadecimal, the most common color format in web and app design.
- RGB
- A color expressed as three channels (red, green, blue), each from 0 to 255, used for screens.
- HSL
- A color expressed as hue (0 to 360 degrees), saturation and lightness (both as percentages).
- CMYK
- A print color model giving the percentage of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (key) ink used.
- Pantone (PMS)
- The Pantone Matching System, a catalog of numbered spot colors used for exact, consistent physical printing.
- Brand guidelines
- A company official document that defines its colors, logo usage, typography and tone.
- Contrast ratio
- A measure of how distinct two colors are, used to check that text on a background is readable (WCAG targets 4.5 to 1).
Frequently asked questions
What is the official Facebook brand color?
The primary Facebook brand color is the blue #1877F2, which equals rgb(24, 119, 242). It is used for the logo, buttons and key interface elements. Click the Facebook chip above to copy the hex code.
What is the YouTube red hex code?
YouTube uses a bright, pure red with the hex code #FF0000, which is rgb(255, 0, 0). It appears in the logo and the play button across the platform.
What color is X (formerly Twitter) now?
After rebranding from Twitter to X, the brand moved to black (#000000) as its primary color, replacing the well known light blue (#1DA1F2) that Twitter used for years. Both values are listed here for reference.
Why does Instagram have several colors?
Instagram is built around a gradient rather than one flat color, blending purple (#833AB4), magenta (#E1306C) and orange (#F77737). For a faithful match you reproduce the gradient, but any single value works as an accent.
How do I copy a brand color from this page?
Type a brand name in the search box to filter the list, then click the color chip you want. The hex code is copied straight to your clipboard, with the leading hash, ready to paste into CSS or a design tool.
Can I legally use these brand colors?
A hex code itself is not protected, so you can use any color value freely. However, company logos and names are trademarks, so matching a color does not let you use a logo or imply an official partnership. Check the brand guidelines for usage rules.
What is the difference between hex, RGB, CMYK and Pantone?
Hex and RGB describe the same on screen color in different notations and are used for web and apps. CMYK describes ink percentages for print, and Pantone (PMS) is a numbered spot color for exact physical matching. Use hex or RGB for screens and CMYK or Pantone for print.
How do I convert a brand hex code to RGB?
Split the six digit hex into three pairs (RR, GG, BB) and convert each from hexadecimal to a 0 to 255 number using value = (first digit x 16) + second digit. For example #1877F2 becomes rgb(24, 119, 242). The worked examples above show this step by step.
What is the most popular brand color and why?
Blue is the most popular primary brand color, used by roughly a third of major brands. It reads as trustworthy, calm and professional, which is why finance, tech and social brands such as Facebook, LinkedIn and PayPal rely on it.
Are these brand colors accessible for text?
Not always. A brand color can look great as a logo yet fail as text. WCAG asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1 for normal text. Test the exact text and background pairing, and use bright colors like yellow as backgrounds or accents rather than as small text.