Colour reference
Brat green is #8ACE00. Here is everything else you need.
One hex code, and the values around it for screen, print and accessibility. Tap any swatch to copy it. If you just want to make something, the generator already has this green loaded.
| Hex | #8ACE00 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(138, 206, 0) |
| HSL | hsl(80, 100%, 40%) |
| CMYK | 33, 0, 100, 19 |
| Pantone 3507 C | |
| Contrast with black | 10.9:1, passes AA and AAA |
| Contrast with white | 1.9:1, fails every level |
The working palette
One flat green is fine for a cover and awkward for anything with buttons and body text. These tints and shades are straight mixes with white and black, so they stay in the same family.
Read this before you put white text on it
Brat green is bright, which fools people into treating it like a dark background. It is not. Measured against the accessibility standard, black text on #8ACE00 scores 10.9:1, well past the 7:1 needed for the strictest level. White text scores 1.9:1, which fails even the relaxed 3:1 threshold for large headings.
The album cover uses black type. That was a design decision, and it also happens to be the only readable one. If you want light text on a green background, darken the green to about #537C00 first.
What brat green is not
| Colour | Hex | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Brat green | #8ACE00 | Yellow-leaning, slightly muddy, deliberately uneasy |
| Lime green | #32CD32 | Much bluer and friendlier, reads as spring |
| Chartreuse | #7FFF00 | Brighter and cleaner, reads as neon |
| Slime green | #BFFF00 | Lighter and more acidic |
| Android green | #A4C639 | Greyer, less saturated |
Getting this wrong is the fastest way to make a cover look off. Copy the hex rather than eyedropping a screenshot, because compression shifts the value by a few points.
Using it in a design file or in code
For CSS, declare it once as a custom property and reference it everywhere. Changing your mind later then means editing one line.
--brat: #8ace00; for the fill, --brat-dark: #6ea300; for borders and
link underlines, and #000 for any text sitting on top. This site uses exactly
those three.
In Figma or Illustrator, paste 8ACE00 into the hex field rather than picking from
a colour wheel. In Photoshop, check your document is in RGB mode first, because CMYK mode will
quietly convert the value and give you a duller green that no longer matches.
If you are sending a file to a printer, the size guide covers resolution, and the CMYK numbers above are the conversion they will start from.
How the colour got chosen
Special Offer Inc. handled the packaging, and Brent David Freaney has described going through around 500 greens. The team did not pick the one they liked. They picked the one that got the strongest negative reaction in the room.
Charli XCX described wanting an offensive, off-trend shade of green, to trigger the idea of something being wrong.
The record arrived on 7 June 2024 through Atlantic Records. Collins English Dictionary named "brat" its 2024 Word of the Year in November 2024.
Colour questions
What is the brat green hex code?
#8ACE00. In RGB that is 138, 206, 0, in HSL it is 80, 100%, 40%, and the print equivalent usually quoted is Pantone 3507 C.
Is brat green the same as lime green or chartreuse?
No, and the difference is the whole point. Lime green sits around #32CD32, which is far more blue. Chartreuse is #7FFF00, much brighter and cleaner. Brat green is duller and more yellow than both, which is what makes it read as slightly unpleasant rather than cheerful.
Should I use black or white text on brat green?
Black, always. Black on #8ACE00 measures 10.9:1 contrast, which clears every accessibility level. White measures 1.9:1 and fails all of them, including the minimum for large text.
What is the CMYK value for printing?
33, 0, 100, 19 is the straight conversion. Screens can show colours that ink cannot, and this green sits right at the edge of what CMYK reaches, so expect a printed version to look duller. Ask your printer about a spot colour if it has to match exactly.
Why did they pick this particular green?
Brent David Freaney at Special Offer Inc. worked through roughly 500 shades. The one chosen was the one that drew the strongest negative reaction from the team. Charli XCX has said she wanted an off-trend shade that made something feel wrong.
Can I use this colour in my own work?
Colours themselves are not copyrightable, so nobody owns #8ACE00. Using it alongside the album name, the artist name or the exact cover layout is a different matter. The copyright notice explains where the line sits.
Keep reading
- How to make a brat cover that looks right The six settings and the numbers we use for each one.
- What font is the brat album cover? Arial, stretched. Why it is not Arial Narrow, and what Android does instead.
- What brat summer actually meant A deliberately ugly green square, a dictionary entry, and a campaign banner.
- The right image size for every app Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, print. One table with the numbers.