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ColorArchive/Regions/England (London)

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England (London) Color Palette

Underground roundel red, royal navy, and pub-tile green — the everyday colors of London's streets and transport.

The palette

  • Underground Red

    ≈Scarlet Core Vivid

    Underground bullseye, 1908; Edward Johnston redesign, 1917–19

    AaWhite text 4.87:1 · AA

  • Underground Blue

    ≈Cobalt Dusk Vivid

    Editorial blue, not TfL's value (TfL Corporate Blue / Piccadilly line: PMS 072, R0 G25 B168)

    AaWhite text 9.57:1 · AAA

  • Royal Navy

    ≈Cobalt Nocturne Vivid

    Royal Navy uniform

    AaWhite text 15.30:1 · AAA

  • Buckingham Red

    ≈Crimson Velvet Clear

    Royal guard uniforms + post boxes

    AaWhite text 7.26:1 · AAA

  • Plane Tree Green

    ≈Leaf Velvet Muted

    Platanus × hispanica, London street tree

    AaWhite text 4.79:1 · AA

  • Pub Tile Green

    ≈Celadon Nocturne Clear

    Victorian pub interior dado tiling

    AaWhite text 9.73:1 · AAA

  • Garden Brick

    ≈Ruby Velvet Clear

    Victorian red-brick terraces and mansion blocks

    AaWhite text 5.97:1 · AA

No two colors in this palette reach 4.5:1 for body text. Set text in white or black, as marked on each swatch.

Check this palette: contrast matrix, harmony, color-blind view →

Cultural context

London's transport network publishes its colors: the Underground roundel red is Pantone 485 in TfL's Colour standard. Royal navy, and the red of guards' tunics and post boxes, add a civic and ceremonial layer. The vernacular layer adds Victorian garden brick (#9F4A3C), London Plane tree green, and the deep enamelled green of pub tile dadoes — all present across Hampstead, Bloomsbury, Marylebone, and the City. Even the typeface (Edward Johnston's, 1916) is still Transport for London's corporate face.

Suits

Heritage hospitalityEditorial publishingMenswear / British outfittersGallery branding

Copy as CSS

:root {
  --underground-red: #dc241f;
  --underground-blue: #1c3f95;
  --royal-navy: #0a2351;
  --buckingham-red: #a4262c;
  --plane-tree-green: #5c7a5a;
  --pub-tile-green: #1f4d2e;
  --garden-brick: #9f4a3c;
}

Copy as Tailwind

@theme {
  --color-underground-red: #dc241f;
  --color-underground-blue: #1c3f95;
  --color-royal-navy: #0a2351;
  --color-buckingham-red: #a4262c;
  --color-plane-tree-green: #5c7a5a;
  --color-pub-tile-green: #1f4d2e;
  --color-garden-brick: #9f4a3c;
}

Further reading

  • Transport for London colour standard (PDF)
  • Johnston typeface (Wikipedia)
  • London Underground (Wikipedia)

More regional palettes

Ireland

Forty shades of green — peat, Atlantic spray, and Aran wool ivory.

Greece (Aegean)

Whitewashed walls and Aegean blue — the two-color palette of the Cycladic islands.

Italy (Tuscany)

Terra rossa and Sienese ochres — the warm half of the Mediterranean palette.

Scandinavia

Dusty pastels, ash whites, and forest greens — light scarcity made into a design language.