Pantone 448 C
A dull brown shade chosen to discourage smoking by making packaging unattractive
Pantone 448 C is a muted brown colour in the Pantone system, sometimes described as dark olive. It gained attention when Australia picked it in 2012 for cigarette packs, aiming to reduce their appeal. The shade has since been used for tobacco packaging in several other countries.
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- Chosen in 2012 for cigarette packaging in Australia
- Described as the 'ugliest colour in the world'
- Often wrongly called 'opaque couché'
- Used in tobacco packaging in several countries
- Defined by Pantone as a standard print colour
What colour is Pantone 448 C?
Pantone 448 C is a dull, dark brown shade found in the Pantone colour catalogue. Its appearance is sometimes compared to a dark olive or muddy brown. The colour stands out for its lack of brightness and is often described as unattractive or even off-putting. This sets it apart from other browns, which may have warmer or richer tones.
Where does Pantone 448 C come from?
The colour was brought to public attention in 2012 when Australia selected it for use on cigarette packaging. The aim was to make tobacco products less appealing, based on research that found this shade to be especially unappealing. It was first called 'olive green' by officials, but the name changed after concerns from the olive industry. The term 'opaque couché' is sometimes used incorrectly for this colour, due to confusion with a French printing palette.
How Pantone 448 C is defined
Pantone 448 C is defined by the Pantone company as a standard colour for printing and design. It is not made from a specific pigment or dye, but is reproduced using standard printing inks as specified in the Pantone system. The colour is identified by its code and can be matched in print using Pantone's guides.
Where Pantone 448 C is used
The main use of Pantone 448 C is in the printing of tobacco packaging, where it is intended to reduce the visual appeal of cigarette packs. Australia was the first to adopt it for this purpose, and several other countries have since followed. The colour is specified in print standards and is not commonly used in art, textiles, or other decorative contexts.
What Pantone 448 C means
Pantone 448 C does not have traditional symbolic meanings in culture or religion. Its main association is with efforts to discourage smoking, as it was chosen specifically for its unattractive appearance. The colour is not linked to emotions or rituals, but is used as a tool in public health campaigns.
Brown around the world
What the brown family means from country to country.
Brown is the colour of Nazism in German political speech, after the brown shirts of the party's stormtroopers. To call a view "brown" is to call it far right.
Politics and protestDanger and warningShameSource: SturmabteilungMasi is bark cloth beaten from paper mulberry and printed in brown and black. It is worn at weddings and funerals and given in ceremonial exchanges.
Sacred and holyWeddings and marriageSource: Tapa clothKuntunkuni is a dark brown mourning cloth of the Asante, dyed with tree bark. Adinkra cloth, stamped with symbols, was first made on such dark grounds for funerals.
Mourning and deathSadnessSource: Adinkra symbolsThe batik of the Javanese courts at Yogyakarta and Surakarta is dyed in soga brown with indigo and cream. Some court patterns were once reserved for the royal family.
Royalty and powerPrideSource: BatikBogolanfini, or mud cloth, is cotton painted with fermented river mud in browns, black and white. Hunters wear it for protection, and women after childbirth.
Protection and healingSacred and holySource: BògòlanfiniShades and relatives of Pantone 448 C
Pantone 448 C is sometimes confused with olive green or other dark, muted browns. The name 'opaque couché' is often mistakenly applied to it, but this actually refers to a printing palette, not the colour itself. Other similar shades in the Pantone system may have slightly different undertones or brightness.
Colours that go with Pantone 448 C
Harmonies are worked out from the value #4A412A. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Pantone 448 C
What colour is Pantone 448 C?
Pantone 448 C is a dark, dull brown shade, sometimes compared to dark olive. It is known for its muted, unattractive appearance.
Why was Pantone 448 C chosen for cigarette packaging?
Australia selected this colour in 2012 for tobacco packaging after research showed it was considered especially unappealing, to make cigarette packs less attractive.
Where does the name Pantone 448 C come from?
The name comes from the Pantone colour system, where it is listed as shade number 448 C. The 'C' stands for 'coated', referring to the type of paper used in printing.
Is Pantone 448 C the same as 'opaque couché'?
No, 'opaque couché' is the French name for a Pantone printing palette, not the colour itself. The two are often confused, but they are not the same.
Which countries use Pantone 448 C on tobacco packaging?
Countries that have used this colour for plain cigarette packs include Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Finland, Ireland, and Israel.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Pantone 448 C", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang 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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