Colours of signs and safety
Traffic lights, warnings, lifejackets and road markings.
#00FF00
Green
The colour between cyan and yellow, seen widely in plants and natureBasic colour 路 馃嚠馃嚜 Ireland +1
#FF80C0
Pink
A light tint of red, named after the pink flower and used in art, fashion, and cultureBasic colour
Black
Carbon black
A deep black pigment and filler made by burning carbon-rich materials with little airPigment
#50C878
Paris Green
A toxic emerald-green pigment once prized in art and used as an early insecticidePigment 路 馃嚛馃嚜 Germany +4
#BFFF00
Lime
A sharp yellow-green named for the skin of the lime fruitNamed shade
#80FF00
Chartreuse
A bright yellow-green named after a French liqueurNamed shade
#FFBF00
Amber
A yellow-orange colour named after fossilised tree resinNamed shade
#4A412A
Pantone 448 C
A dull brown shade chosen to discourage smoking by making packaging unattractiveStandard colour 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia +5
#BA160C
International orange
A strong reddish-orange used for safety in engineering, aerospace and maritime workNamed shade 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +1
#FFD800
School bus yellow
A yellow made for North American school buses to stand out and be seenNamed shade 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +2
#FF7800
Safety orange
A vivid orange used for high-visibility and safety markingNamed shade 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +4
#CE2029
Fire engine red
A bright red shade long used on fire engines and emergency vehiclesNamed shade 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +1
White
Barium sulfate
A dense, white mineral used in pigments, X-rays, and industryPigment
#E32600
Methyl orange
An orange-red azo dye used as a pH indicator in chemistryDye
Red
Lead(II,IV) oxide
A strong red-orange pigment once widely used to protect iron and in illuminated manuscriptsPigment 路 馃嚘馃嚭 Australia
Yellow
Strontium chromate
A yellow pigment and corrosion inhibitor made from strontium and chromium compoundsPigment
#FFBA00
Selective yellow
A yellow defined for car headlamps and fog lamps to cut glare in bad weatherNamed shade 路 馃嚝馃嚪 France +2
#FF5A36
Portland Orange
A vivid orange-red used for 'don't walk' pedestrian signals in North AmericaNamed shade 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +1
Blue
Viologen
Organic compounds that switch between blue, violet and yellow when reduced or oxidisedPigment
#CC5500
Burnt orange
A medium-dark orange shade linked with sports teams and 1970s interiorsNamed shade
#EED202
Safety yellow
A bright yellow chosen for safety signs and high-visibility gearNamed shade 路 馃嚭馃嚫 United States +1
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Fire engine red: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Paris Green: Chris goulet at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Portland Orange: User:Fb78, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Safety orange: George Armstrong, Public domain, source
- Selective yellow: Scheinwerfermann at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Strontium chromate: Quatrostein, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pantone 448 C: The RedBurn (picture on the packaging, Public domain, source
- Carbon black: FK1954, Public domain, source
- Barium sulfate: de:Benutzer:the-viewer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lead(II,IV) oxide: BXXXD at German Wikipedia ( Original text: BXXXD ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Amber: Brocken Inaglory , slight edit by Richard Bartz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- International orange: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Methyl orange: Rubashkyn, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Green: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- School bus yellow: BMRR ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Lime: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Chartreuse: Jeuwre, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pink: Gabriela Ruellan, CC0, source
- Viologen: Smokefoot, Public domain, source