Published: April 3, 2025 | Last Updated: April 11, 2025
Here are the most widely accepted values for keying software and production materials.
Official green screen color codes
- RGB: 0, 177, 64
- Hex: #00b140
- CMYK: 81, 0, 92, 0
- Websafe: #009933
The green screen color code is the precise chroma key values used for digital compositing in film and video. The most common shade is neon or lime green, which doesn’t naturally appear in skin tones or clothing, making it easier to isolate and remove in post.
This bright lime-green tone avoids overlap with typical costume or set design colors. You’ll often find it in paint formulas for chroma cycloramas or in pre-dyed green screen fabric used on set.
Why green?
Green screens work because the camera can isolate colors based on chrominance. Green is the easiest color to remove digitally and is least likely to appear in skin tones. This is why green replaced blue as the standard for chroma keying, especially in the era of digital sensors—camera sensors are more sensitive to green wavelengths, giving you cleaner key lines and less noise.
Why not use red or yellow?
Skin tones carry a lot of red, orange, and yellow in their chrominance values. If you use those for background, the chroma keyer could strip out skin along with the set—leaving holes or ghosting. Green avoids this by sitting far away from skin tones on the color wheel.
When to use blue instead
Blue screens are still used when green objects appear prominently in the frame. For example, in Parasite (2019), a blue screen was used in the opening scene because of the green bushes in the garden:
Keying it out with a green screen would have caused those bushes to disappear with the background.
Historical context: green vs. blue
Chroma keying began with blue screens. Larry Butler pioneered the technique in The Thief of Baghdad (1940), winning an Oscar for visual effects:
Green didn’t take over until digital video arrived—because CCD and CMOS sensors were more responsive to green wavelengths, allowing for cleaner data extraction and fewer lighting issues.
Can you use other colors?
Technically, yes. Any uniform, high-contrast color can be keyed out. But you’re in trouble if the color exists in the wardrobe or set. Even white, gray, or black pose issues because they’re too common. For that reason, green and blue remain the industry standard.
Summing up
Green screen color code isn’t random—it’s chosen for technical precision. RGB 0,177,64 gives you clean separation from human skin tones and performs best with modern sensors. If you’re shooting a scene with lots of green, switch to blue. The point isn’t the color—it’s contrast, consistency, and clean edges in post.
Read Next: How to shoot and key green screen footage
