Media & Entertainment
YouTube Color Codes
YouTube works in a single red, hex #FF0000, with near-black. The YouTube color codes in Hex, RGB and CMYK can be found below. Three former PayPal staff, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim, started it in 2005; the first upload was a nineteen-second clip of Karim at the San Diego Zoo. Google bought it the next year. Its nearest peer on this site is Twitch.
Primary colors
What are YouTube Primary Colors?
YouTube's primary color is #FF0000. Every value on this page is derived from it.
YouTube publishes a brand system; the value shown matches its stated red.
YouTube Primary
| Hex | #FF0000 |
|---|---|
| RGB | 255, 0, 0 |
| HSL | hsl(0, 100%, 50%) |
| CMYK | 0%, 100%, 100%, 0%converted · approximate |
| Pantone | PMS 172 Cnearest match · not published by the brand |
YouTube Hex Color Codes
YouTube hex color codes are #FF0000 for primary.
| Color | Hex |
|---|---|
| Primary | #FF0000 |
YouTube RGB Color Codes
YouTube RGB color codes are 255, 0, 0 for primary. Reach for RGB when a tool wants channel numbers or a CSS alpha value.
| Color | RGB |
|---|---|
| Primary | rgb(255, 0, 0) |
YouTube HSL Color Codes
YouTube HSL color codes are 0, 100%, 50% for primary. Change the third value for a lighter or darker version without moving the hue.
| Color | HSL |
|---|---|
| Primary | hsl(0, 100%, 50%) |
YouTube CMYK Color Code
YouTube CMYK color codes are conversions from the hex, because the brand publishes none. Check a printed proof before a full run.
| Color | CMYK |
|---|---|
| Primary | 0%, 100%, 100%, 0% |
YouTube Pantone Color Codes
YouTube Pantone color codes are nearest matches by color distance, not brand specs. The table shows the closest swatch for every color.
| Color | Nearest Pantone |
|---|---|
| Primary | PMS 172 C |
Logo
YouTube Logo Colors
YouTube logo colors are a red rounded rectangle with a white play triangle.
YouTube Logo Colors Palette
What the YouTube Logo Colors Mean?
The YouTube red is pure #FF0000, about as loud as a screen color gets, and it is carried entirely by the play button now. The 2017 redesign pulled the red box off the word Tube and turned the button itself into the standalone icon, which is why the mark works at the size of a favicon.
YouTube Logo Color History
YouTube logo color history holds the red throughout. Early logos wrapped a red-and-white Tube in a rounded box; the 2017 mark moved the red into the play button and set the name in a custom sans.
YouTube Logo Fonts
YouTube logo fonts are YouTube Sans, a custom face drawn in 2017 with a slight play-triangle motif built into some letters. A geometric sans like Circular is the nearest match.
YouTube Logo JPG
YouTube logo in JPG. No transparency, so it is flattened onto white. Safe for documents and slide decks.
YouTube Logo PNG
YouTube logo in PNG, with a transparent background. Use it over a colored surface.
YouTube Logo WebP
YouTube logo in WebP. Same transparency as the PNG at about a third of the file size.
YouTube Color Code Shades
YouTube color code shades step evenly from the primary toward black, for hover states, borders and shadows.
These are interface steps, not YouTube paint or trim names.
In code
Using the YouTube palette
CSS custom properties
:root {
--youtube-primary: #FF0000;
}Contrast against white
| Primary | 4.00:1AA × |
|---|
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.