IBM color palette
TechIBM's color identity is built around its iconic blue, supported by a restrained palette of grays, black, and white for clarity and professionalism. The palette is designed for consistency across digital, print, and physical environments.
ibm.comIBM colors
Click any swatch to copy its hex. Hover for RGB and HSL.
Brand colors
The colors people recognise.- IBM BluePrimary5, 74, 218
- IBM Secondary BlueSecondary65, 120, 190
- IBM Teal AccentAccent0, 180, 160
Surfaces
Page, cards and dividers.- IBM WhiteBackground255, 255, 255
- IBM Light GraySurface244, 244, 244
- IBM Border GrayBorder220, 220, 220
Text
Three tiers of copy.- IBM BlackText22, 22, 22
- IBM Gray 70Secondary text82, 82, 82
- IBM Gray 40Muted text168, 168, 168
Semantic
Feedback and state colors.- IBM GreenSuccess36, 161, 72
- IBM YellowWarning241, 194, 27
- IBM RedError218, 30, 40
- IBM Info BlueInfo15, 98, 254
Use IBM's colors in your project
Pick a format, copy or download. Everything below is generated from the exact hex values above.
ibm-palette-colors.css · Paste into your global stylesheet.
:root {
--info: #0F62FE;
--error: #DA1E28;
--accent: #00B4A0;
--border: #DCDCDC;
--primary: #054ADA;
--success: #24A148;
--surface: #F4F4F4;
--warning: #F1C21B;
--secondary: #4178BE;
--text-muted: #A8A8A8;
--background: #FFFFFF;
--text-primary: #161616;
--text-secondary: #525252;
}Contrast and accessibility
Every text tone tested against every surface, per WCAG 2.1.
Text on background
Needs 4.5:1 for body text
18.1:1
Pass
Text on surface
Needs 4.5:1 for body text
16.5:1
Pass
Secondary text on background
Needs 4.5:1 for body text
7.8:1
Pass
Secondary text on surface
Needs 4.5:1 for body text
7.1:1
Pass
Muted text on background
Needs 3:1 for large text
2.4:1
Fail
Muted text on surface
Needs 3:1 for large text
2.2:1
Fail
IBM gray and neutral colors
The quiet part of the IBM palette: page background, card surfaces, dividers and the three text tones that sit on them. Click a value to copy it.
- IBM WhiteBackground
- HEX
- RGB
- HSL
- IBM Light GraySurface
- HEX
- RGB
- HSL
- IBM Border GrayBorder
- HEX
- RGB
- HSL
- IBM BlackText
- HEX
- RGB
- HSL
- IBM Gray 70Secondary text
- HEX
- RGB
- HSL
- IBM Gray 40Muted text
- HEX
- RGB
- HSL
About IBM's colors
IBM's palette is rooted in its signature blue, signifying trust and expertise, with supporting neutrals for clarity. Accent colors are used sparingly to highlight important actions and statuses.
Primary blue is complemented by lighter and darker blues for depth.
Neutrals provide contrast and accessibility.
Accent and semantic colors are reserved for functional signals.
Psychology
IBM Blue evokes reliability, intelligence, and professionalism, reinforcing the brand's legacy in technology. The restrained palette supports a sense of clarity and order.
Evolution
IBM's blue has been a constant since the 1960s, with only minor adjustments for digital clarity. The supporting palette has expanded to include more nuanced grays and accent colors for modern UI needs.
Where IBM uses each color
- Primary
IBM Blue is used for logos, primary buttons, and key navigation elements.
- Secondary
IBM Secondary Blue appears in backgrounds, secondary buttons, and highlights.
- Accent
IBM Teal Accent is used for call-to-action buttons and interactive elements.
- Backgrounds
IBM White and Light Gray are used for backgrounds in web and app interfaces.
- Text
IBM Black and Gray tones are used for headings, body text, and muted UI labels.
- Semantic
Green, yellow, red, and info blue are used for status indicators and alerts in dashboards and forms.
IBM color questions
Hex codes, RGB values, neutrals and how to use the palette.
The official IBM Blue is #054ADA. This color is used for the IBM logo and primary brand elements.
IBM Blue (#054ADA) in RGB is (5, 74, 218) and in CMYK is (98, 66, 0, 15). These values ensure consistency across digital and print.
IBM uses a range of grays including IBM Light Gray (#F4F4F4), Border Gray (#DCDCDC), Gray 70 (#525252), and Gray 40 (#A8A8A8). These neutrals provide structure and accessibility in UI design.
IBM Blue (#054ADA) should dominate, with accent and semantic colors used sparingly for emphasis or status. Neutrals support readability and hierarchy throughout interfaces.
The secondary color is IBM Secondary Blue, #4178BE, and the accent is IBM Teal Accent, #00B4A0. Together with the primary they make up the three brand colors at the top of this page.
4 of 6 text and background pairings meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast. The contrast section above shows every pairing with its exact ratio.
Use the export block on this page. It gives you CSS custom properties, a Tailwind config, W3C design tokens or a shadcn/ui theme built from these exact hex values, with copy and download buttons.
Yes. Export the Claude Code skill, Cursor rules or Codex prompt from the same block. The agent then applies IBM's colors consistently when it generates UI.
Make something in the spirit of IBM
Start from this palette's mood and get an original 13-color system for your own project, contrast-checked and ready to export.