Olive drab green is a dull, medium to dark green color that saw widespread use as a camouflage color by the armed forces of the United States. The specific shade has gone by a variety of names, including olive drab, olive green, and ODG, but they all refer to roughly the same color. Olive drab green gets its name from its similar appearance to the color of the olive. Let’s take a closer look at this iconic color.
What is RGB?
RGB stands for red, green, and blue. It is a color model that represents colors using combinations of these three primary colors. RGB is an additive color model, meaning that colors are created by combining varying amounts of red, green, and blue light.
In the RGB color model, each color is assigned a numeric value ranging from 0 to 255 for each of the red, green, and blue components. By mixing red, green, and blue in different proportions, millions of colors can be represented.
Some key things to know about RGB values:
- RGB values are generally specified in the order (R, G, B)
- Each value ranges from 0 to 255, with 0 indicating no amount of that color, and 255 being the maximum amount
- (255, 255, 255) is pure white
- (0, 0, 0) is pure black
- Equal amounts of R, G, and B make shades of gray
The RGB model is used for representing colors on electronic displays including televisions, smartphones, and computer monitors. Print design also uses RGB colors even though prints use a CMYK process. Overall, RGB is a crucial color model for digital design work.
History of Olive Drab Green
Olive drab green started being used as a color for military uniforms around the early 20th century, though the exact origins are not totally clear. Its use expanded greatly as a camouflage color during World War I and World War II. Militaries of many nations adopted some variant of olive drab green for combat and fatigues.
Some key facts about the history of olive drab green:
- One of the earliest known military uses was for the winter service uniform adopted by the British Army in 1902
- The U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps officially adopted “Olive Drab” in regulations in 1919 as a standard color for a wide range of equipment including uniforms, helmets, and backpacks
- Olive drab was used extensively by U.S. and British Commonwealth forces in World War II across uniforms, vehicles, tents, and other gear
- The greenish hue provided camouflage in European and Pacific theatre environments better than brighter colors
- Militaries of Russia, France, Italy, Germany, and others also utilized versions of olive drab green for uniforms and vehicles
So in summary, olive drab has been an integral camouflage color for most of the 20th century and saw use by armies across the world. Its muted, earthy tone allows it to blend into many landscapes better than more saturated colors.
Olive Drab Green in Popular Culture
Beyond its military origins, olive drab green has made appearances in popular culture over the years:
- Associated with counterculture groups like the Beat Generation in the 1950s-60s, which favored military surplus clothing
- Featured on a variety of civilian clothing and accessories as a reference to military style
- Used in video game graphics to represent military equipment, locations, uniforms, etc.
- Seen in movies and television when portraying armed forces members or military scenes
- Used as a color for equipment by military-inspired automobile brands like Hummer, Jeep, and Land Rover
So in pop culture, olive drab is often seen when referencing the military, protest movements, or rugged outdoor activity. It has a strong connection to the armed forces in the minds of many designers and consumers. The color helps quickly convey those connections.
Standard Specifications for Olive Drab Green
Because olive drab green saw widespread official use, there are standard specifications that define its precise color for different applications:
- FS 24087 – The official US Federal Standard color for military equipment, aircraft, vehicles, etc. Defined as an RGB value of (120,130,91).
- FS 34088 – Slightly lighter green used for signs, safety warnings, labels, etc. RGB value of (151,145,79).
- FS 34031 – Darker green used by the US Forest Service on structures, vehicles, signs. RGB value of (103,94,59).
- BS 381C – British Standard green paint color matched to traditional olive drab. RGB value of (105,102,68).
There are many more specialized olive drab specs beyond these. But this covers some of the most widely used official standards. The different shades stem from efforts to optimize camouflage ability in different settings.
Conversion to RGB
Olive drab green’s original specification stems from physical paint mixing rather than digital RGB definitions. But using color conversion methods, its approximate RGB values can be determined:
- The Federal Standard FS 24087 olive drab converts to an RGB value of (120,130,91)
- FS 34088 olive drab becomes RGB (151,145,79)
- FS 34031 olive drab is approximately RGB (103,94,59)
- BS 381C olive drab converts to about RGB (105,102,68)
These RGB values allow olive drab greens to be accurately displayed on computer monitors and other digital screens that use the RGB color model. The conversion from physical color mixes to RGB is not exact, but gets very close to the look of the original pigments.
Olive Drab Green RGB Values
So in summary, while there are several standard variants of olive drab green used in different contexts, the most common RGB values to represent the basic olive drab color are:
| Red | 120 |
| Green | 130 |
| Blue | 91 |
This RGB value comes from the Federal Standard FS 24087 widely used for military equipment. Inputting (120,130,91) into any RGB color picker will display the classic olive drab green color that originated as camouflage for uniforms and vehicles.
Other shades of olive drab using lighter or darker RGB variations exist as well. But for general purposes, the (120,130,91) RGB value will produce an accurate olive drab green. This color code can be used for digital design and computer graphics needing to match the look of physical military olive drab.
Uses of Olive Drab Green
Because of its extensive use as a camouflage color, olive drab green is strongly associated with military and tactical applications. Some uses of this color include:
- Military uniforms, gear, and equipment
- Tactical and outdoor recreation apparel
- Hunting/camouflage patterns and textiles
- All-terrain vehichles like tractors, forklifts, construction machinery
- Tool handles, cases, and housings needing grip and ruggedness
- Signage related to natural resources like forestry, parks, conservation
- Environmental graphics to blend into landscapes
Olive drab’s neutrality and camouflaging ability make it a good choice when those properties are needed. It avoids standing out vividly and draws the eye less than brighter colors. Olive drab also pairs well with complementary colors like orange and yellow for increased visibility when needed.
Alternatives to Olive Drab Green
For situations where olive drab green is not suitable or other options are needed, some alternative colors include:
- Forest Green – Darker and deeper green with more blue tones
- Sage Green – Subdued pale green with subtle grayness
- Artichoke – Soft muted green with earthy quality
- Phthalo Green – Vivid green with high chroma and intensity
- Fern Green – Mix of forest, sage, and mint green tones
- Army Green – Slightly grayish mid-tone green
Forest green provides similar earthy utility as olive drab in a darker shade. Sage green is softer for when boldness is not desired. Phthalo green has much more vibrancy for conspicuity along with the natural associations of green. Army green is the closest match but differs somewhat in saturation and hue.
Conclusion
Olive drab green has been an integral color in military and tactical fields since the early 20th century. Its RGB color code allows accurate digital reproduction for graphics and design. The specific RGB values to produce an olive drab green matching Federal Standard FS 24087 are (120,130,91). This color can communicate ruggedness, strength, and camouflage ability depending on the context. Alternatives like forest, sage, or phthalo green may suit different specific needs. But for most general purposes, the RGB code (120,130,91) will produce an authentic olive drab green.