Energy & Oil
Shell Color Codes
Shell's mark is the pecten, a scallop shell in yellow, hex #FBCE07, on red, #DD1D21. The Shell color codes in Hex, RGB and CMYK can be found below. The company grew from a London shop that sold real seashells, and the pecten has stood for it since 1904. Its rival among the oil majors is BP.
Primary colors
What are Shell Primary Colors?
Shell's primary colors are shell yellow #FBCE07, shell red #DD1D21.
Shell publishes brand guidelines; the CMYK shown is a conversion.
Shell Shell Yellow
| Hex | #FBCE07 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 251, 206, 7 |
| HSL | hsl(49, 97%, 51%) |
| CMYK | 0%, 18%, 97%, 2%converted · approximate |
| Pantone | PMS 116 Cnearest match · not published by the brand |
Shell Shell Red
| Hex | #DD1D21 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 221, 29, 33 |
| HSL | hsl(359, 77%, 49%) |
| CMYK | 0%, 87%, 85%, 13%converted · approximate |
| Pantone | PMS 1788 Cnearest match · not published by the brand |
Shell Hex Color Codes
Shell hex color codes are #FBCE07 for shell yellow and #DD1D21 for shell red.
| Color | Hex |
|---|---|
| Shell Yellow | #FBCE07 |
| Shell Red | #DD1D21 |
Shell RGB Color Codes
Shell RGB color codes are 251, 206, 7 for shell yellow and 221, 29, 33 for shell red. Reach for RGB when a tool wants channel numbers or a CSS alpha value.
| Color | RGB |
|---|---|
| Shell Yellow | rgb(251, 206, 7) |
| Shell Red | rgb(221, 29, 33) |
Shell HSL Color Codes
Shell HSL color codes are 49, 97%, 51% for shell yellow and 359, 77%, 49% for shell red. Change the third value for a lighter or darker version without moving the hue.
| Color | HSL |
|---|---|
| Shell Yellow | hsl(49, 97%, 51%) |
| Shell Red | hsl(359, 77%, 49%) |
Shell CMYK Color Code
Shell CMYK color codes are conversions from the hex, because the brand publishes none. Check a printed proof before a full run.
| Color | CMYK |
|---|---|
| Shell Yellow | 0%, 18%, 97%, 2% |
| Shell Red | 0%, 87%, 85%, 13% |
Shell Pantone Color Codes
Shell Pantone color codes are nearest matches by color distance, not brand specs. The table shows the closest swatch for every color.
| Color | Nearest Pantone |
|---|---|
| Shell Yellow | PMS 116 C |
| Shell Red | PMS 1788 C |
Logo
Shell Logo Colors
Shell logo colors are yellow and red, the shell in yellow on a red ground.
Shell Logo Colors Palette
What the Shell Logo Colors Mean?
The Shell logo colors trace to the founder's family and to visibility. Marcus Samuel's father had imported decorative shells, so the scallop was a literal nod to the name, and red and yellow were picked because they carry a long way on a roadside sign. One account also ties the colors to Spain, home of many early settlers in Shell's California market.
Shell Logo Color History
Shell logo color history runs from a black-and-white mussel shell in 1901 to the yellow scallop on red by the 1910s. Raymond Loewy's 1971 redraw gave the pecten its current flat, simplified shape, and the red and yellow have held since.
Shell Logo Fonts
Shell logo fonts are a custom sans, close to Futura, kept in-house. Futura itself is the everyday substitute.
Shell Logo JPG
Shell logo in JPG. No transparency, so it is flattened onto white. Safe for documents and slide decks.
Shell Logo PNG
Shell logo in PNG, with a transparent background. Use it over a colored surface.
Shell Logo WebP
Shell logo in WebP. Same transparency as the PNG at about a third of the file size.
Shell Color Code Shades
Shell color code shades step evenly from the primary toward black, for hover states, borders and shadows.
These are interface steps, not Shell paint or trim names.
In code
Using the Shell palette
CSS custom properties
:root {
--shell-shell-yellow: #FBCE07;
--shell-shell-red: #DD1D21;
}Contrast against white
| Shell Yellow | 1.51:1AA × |
|---|---|
| Shell Red | 4.92:1AA ✓ |
Brand colors are chosen for recognition, not for legibility. A failing value here is normal. It means use it as a fill, not as text.