Food & Restaurants
McDonald’s Color Codes
McDonald's works in a golden yellow, hex #FFC72C, with a red near #DA291C. The McDonald's color codes in Hex, RGB and CMYK can be found below. Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first restaurant in 1940 and built the Speedee Service System in 1948; Ray Kroc franchised it from 1955. Its rival across fast food is Burger King.
Primary colors
What are McDonald’s Primary Colors?
McDonald’s's primary colors are mcdonald's yellow #FFC72C, mcdonald's red #DA291C.
McDonald's publishes brand guidelines; the CMYK shown is a conversion.
McDonald’s McDonald's Yellow
| Hex | #FFC72C |
|---|---|
| RGB | 255, 199, 44 |
| HSL | hsl(44, 100%, 59%) |
| CMYK | 0%, 22%, 83%, 0%converted · approximate |
| Pantone | PMS 123 Cnearest match · not published by the brand |
McDonald’s McDonald's Red
| Hex | #DA291C |
|---|---|
| RGB | 218, 41, 28 |
| HSL | hsl(4, 77%, 48%) |
| CMYK | 0%, 81%, 87%, 15%converted · approximate |
| Pantone | PMS 179 Cnearest match · not published by the brand |
McDonald’s Hex Color Codes
McDonald’s hex color codes are #FFC72C for mcdonald's yellow and #DA291C for mcdonald's red.
| Color | Hex |
|---|---|
| McDonald's Yellow | #FFC72C |
| McDonald's Red | #DA291C |
McDonald’s RGB Color Codes
McDonald’s RGB color codes are 255, 199, 44 for mcdonald's yellow and 218, 41, 28 for mcdonald's red. Reach for RGB when a tool wants channel numbers or a CSS alpha value.
| Color | RGB |
|---|---|
| McDonald's Yellow | rgb(255, 199, 44) |
| McDonald's Red | rgb(218, 41, 28) |
McDonald’s HSL Color Codes
McDonald’s HSL color codes are 44, 100%, 59% for mcdonald's yellow and 4, 77%, 48% for mcdonald's red. Change the third value for a lighter or darker version without moving the hue.
| Color | HSL |
|---|---|
| McDonald's Yellow | hsl(44, 100%, 59%) |
| McDonald's Red | hsl(4, 77%, 48%) |
McDonald’s CMYK Color Code
McDonald’s CMYK color codes are conversions from the hex, because the brand publishes none. Check a printed proof before a full run.
| Color | CMYK |
|---|---|
| McDonald's Yellow | 0%, 22%, 83%, 0% |
| McDonald's Red | 0%, 81%, 87%, 15% |
McDonald’s Pantone Color Codes
McDonald’s Pantone color codes are nearest matches by color distance, not brand specs. The table shows the closest swatch for every color.
| Color | Nearest Pantone |
|---|---|
| McDonald's Yellow | PMS 123 C |
| McDonald's Red | PMS 179 C |
Logo
McDonald’s Logo Colors
McDonald's logo colors are yellow for the arches and red for the backing.
McDonald’s Logo Colors Palette
What the McDonald’s Logo Colors Mean?
The McDonald's logo colors began as architecture. The 1953 restaurant design put a single golden arch through the roof, and by the early 1960s the two arches had been merged into one M seen head-on. Yellow was chosen to catch the eye from the road; red backed it for appetite and speed. The chain has quietly dropped the red from some signs to look greener.
McDonald’s Logo Color History
McDonald's logo color history keeps yellow from the arches of the 1950s. Red joined in the 1968 wordmark, left briefly for a dark green in parts of Europe around 2009, then returned. The arches themselves have barely changed since 1968.
McDonald’s Logo Fonts
McDonald's logo fonts are Speedee, a custom family drawn for the brand and kept in-house. A rounded geometric sans is the nearest feel.
McDonald’s Logo JPG
McDonald’s logo in JPG. No transparency, so it is flattened onto white. Safe for documents and slide decks.
McDonald’s Logo PNG
McDonald’s logo in PNG, with a transparent background. Use it over a colored surface.
McDonald’s Logo WebP
McDonald’s logo in WebP. Same transparency as the PNG at about a third of the file size.
McDonald’s Color Code Shades
McDonald’s color code shades step evenly from the primary toward black, for hover states, borders and shadows.
These are interface steps, not McDonald’s paint or trim names.
In code
Using the McDonald’s palette
CSS custom properties
:root {
--mcdonalds-mcdonalds-yellow: #FFC72C;
--mcdonalds-mcdonalds-red: #DA291C;
}Contrast against white
| McDonald's Yellow | 1.56:1AA × |
|---|---|
| McDonald's Red | 4.87:1AA ✓ |
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.