Laser lemon
A fluorescent yellow shade introduced by Crayola in 1990
Laser lemon is a bright, fluorescent yellow colour first named by Crayola in 1990. It was previously called chartreuse, though its colour makeup differs from true chartreuse, as laser lemon has more red than green in its RGB values.
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- Laser lemon is a fluorescent yellow shade.
- Crayola named it 'Laser lemon' in 1990.
- It was called 'chartreuse' from 1972 to 1990, though incorrectly.
- Laser lemon has more red than green in its RGB values.
What colour is Laser lemon?
Laser lemon is a fluorescent yellow shade that stands out for its brightness and intensity. It is not a typical lemon yellow but is even more vivid, designed to catch the eye. The colour sits within the yellow family and is distinct from neighbouring shades because of its fluorescent quality, making it appear especially bold in comparison to softer or more muted yellows.
Where does Laser lemon come from?
The name 'Laser lemon' was introduced by Crayola in 1990. Before this, the same colour had been labelled as 'chartreuse' from 1972, though this was a mistake. True chartreuse has more green than red in its RGB makeup, while laser lemon has more red than green, setting it apart from the real chartreuse shade.
Yellow around the world
What the yellow family means from country to country.
The yellow disc of the Aboriginal flag is the sun, giver of life. The flag was designed by the Luritja artist Harold Thomas and first flown in Adelaide in 1971.
Sacred and holySource: Australian Aboriginal flagAt the gaye holud, held a day or two before a wedding, relatives rub turmeric paste on the bride and groom. Guests dress in yellow and orange.
Weddings and marriageFestival and celebrationJoySource: Gaye holudOn Pohela Falgun, the first day of spring, young women wear yellow and orange saris, a shade called basanti, with flowers in their hair.
Festival and celebrationNature and renewalJoySource: Pohela FalgunThe Flemish flag is a black lion on yellow, and the Walloon flag a red cockerel on yellow. The language communities are often shown by these colours.
Politics and protestPrideSource: Flag of FlandersThe flag is yellow, the colour of the Sultan. By custom, ordinary people did not wear yellow in the ruler's presence.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: Flag of BruneiThe national football team plays in a yellow shirt with green trim, the canarinho. It was chosen in a newspaper contest after the 1950 World Cup final was lost in white.
Festival and celebrationPrideJoySource: Brazil national football teamShades and relatives of Laser lemon
Laser lemon was once called chartreuse, but the two are not the same. Chartreuse is defined by a higher green than red value in its RGB code, while laser lemon has a higher red value. This technical difference means laser lemon is a unique shade among bright yellows.
Colours that go with Laser lemon
Harmonies are worked out from the value #FFFF66. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Laser lemon
What colour is laser lemon?
Laser lemon is a bright, fluorescent yellow shade that stands out for its vividness and intensity.
Where does the name 'laser lemon' come from?
Crayola introduced the name 'Laser lemon' in 1990 for this particular fluorescent yellow crayon.
Was laser lemon always called by this name?
No, from 1972 to 1990 it was incorrectly called 'chartreuse' before being renamed 'Laser lemon' by Crayola.
How is laser lemon different from chartreuse?
Laser lemon has a higher red than green value in its RGB code, while true chartreuse has more green than red.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Lemon (color)" (the section "Laser lemon"), written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. everyrang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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