Chartreuse (color)

Chartreuse, also known as yellow-green or greenish yellow, is a color between yellow and green. It was named because of its resemblance to the French liqueur green chartreuse, introduced in 1764. Similarly, chartreuse yellow is a yellow color mixed with a small amount of green, named after the drink yellow chartreuse.

During the 2000s, yellow-green, as well as other shades of bright green like lime green, became very popular when various tech companies used it in office decor and other products, and with the popularity and success of the Shrek franchise.

History and etymology
The name Carthusian is derived from the Chartreuse Mountains in the French Prealps: Bruno of Cologne built his first hermitage in a valley of these mountains. These names were adapted to the English charterhouse, meaning a Carthusian monastery. These monks started producing Chartreuse liqueur in 1737.

In nature
Yellow-green algae, also called Xanthophytes, are a class of algae in the Heterokontophyta division. Most live in fresh water, but some are found in marine and soil habitats. They vary from single-celled flagellates to simple colonial and filamentous forms. Unlike other heterokonts, the plastids of yellow-green algae do not contain fucoxanthin, which is why they have a lighter color.

Traffic safety
Chartreuse yellow is used on traffic safety vests to provide increased visibility for employees working near traffic. The chartreuse yellow background material, together with a retro-reflective satisfy the ANSI 107-2010 standard since 1999. High-visibility clothing ANSI Standards were adopted as an Occupational Safety and Health Act (United States) requirement in 2008.

Film and television
The 1960 Universal film Chartroose Caboose featured a "bright green"-colored train car.

Firefighting
Since about 1973, a sort of fluorescent chartreuse green has been adopted as the color of fire engines in parts of the United States and elsewhere. The use of chartreuse fire engines began when New York ophthalmologist Stephen Solomon produced research claiming that sparkling bright lime-green paint would boost the night-time visibility of emergency vehicles compared to those painted the traditional fire engine red. The reason for this is the Purkinje effect, i.e., the cones do not function as efficiently in dim light, so red objects appear to be black. In Australia and New Zealand this form of chartreuse yellow is also known as "ACT yellow" as this is the color of the fire engines in the Australian Capital Territory.