Olo Color Explained: The New Color Humans Can’t Normally See

During a late-night research dive into recent design trends, I came across something that kind of broke my mind. Researchers recently tricked the human eye into perceiving a brand-new color called Olo. It literally breaks the rules of human biology. You cannot find it on a computer screen. It does not exist in nature. And this phenomenon has sparked massive internet curiosity and debates across social media. 

The psychology behind this impossible color could have a massive impact. As someone who works with promotional products as a day job, I can see how the psychology behind this color could be applied to marketing and promotional apparel.

But first things first.

What Is Olo Color?

Olo is an imaginary, or impossible, color. It exists completely outside the normal visible light spectrum. Scientists consider it new because humans can never naturally perceive it without direct laboratory intervention. The name itself is actually a science joke that I fully don’t understand myself. It represents the binary state of the eye’s cones during the experiment: zero red (0), full green (1), and zero blue (0). This “010” visualizes as the word “olo.”

How They Discovered Olo Color?

Scientists at UC Berkeley officially discovered Olo on April 18, 2025. Yes, last year. And I read about it a few days ago. They used a highly specialized laser system called Oz (yes, that’s a Wizard of Oz reference) to map the retinas of five test subjects. They then used microscopic laser pulses to stimulate individual photoreceptor cells, bypassing natural human vision constraints entirely.

Subjects describe Olo as a profoundly saturated peacock green or teal. Not in the standard spectrum we experience daily. It’s significantly more intense than any natural monochromatic light. The brain interprets it as a glowing, unprecedented blue-green. Researchers noted a fascinating side effect during testing. After seeing Olo, observers started seeing a standard green laser pointer as yellow because the contrast was so incredibly stark. Temporarily, by the way. They are fine now I hope.

Why Can’t Humans Normally See Olo?

Human color perception relies on three types of cone cells. These are the L, M, and S cones. Normally, any light hitting the green-detecting M cones also triggers the red and blue cones. Their sensitivities overlap. About 85% of light that hits an M cone also hits an L cone. You cannot see Olo naturally because no physical light can isolate the M cone. Seeing it requires special laser technology to bypass that overlap.

Can Olo Be Recreated in Paint, Screens, or Fabric?

It seems we cannot truly recreate Olo in RGB, CMYK, or standard fabric dyes. Computer screens and paints won’t be able to emit the perfectly isolated wavelengths required (Or can they?). Digital artists can maybe use ultra-vibrant hex codes to simulate it but it still won’t be the real deal. While you cannot print true Olo, the pursuit of the shade can potentially inspire textile innovation.

How “Impossible Colors” Like Olo Inspire Modern Marketing

• Limited-Edition Color Psychology: If something cannot be easily obtained, we naturally desire it. This is one psychology behind scarcity marketing. A psychological curiosity certainly exists. So brands can weave stories behind an impossible color to drive consumer demand. Though the color can’t be recreated yet with dyes, it can still inspire visual experiences that people would desire.
• Applying Olo-Inspired Concepts to Promotional Apparel: Color psychology has always driven active customer engagement. Just imagine the outcomes if we can find a way to leverage this scientific curiosity into custom merchandise. A company can have its staff wear uniform polos featuring hyper-vivid neon palettes, inspired by Olo, to grab attention and ensure high recall. 

You could even host a blacklight stadium merchandise night where specific details on the team’s performance tees only appear under, say, ultraviolet light? You get the point, right? A limited-drop promo blank apparel collection using ultra-saturated teal inspired from Olo creates urgent buyer demand.

Standard custom jerseys and event merchandise potentially become highly desired collector’s items.

Here’s a breakdown of what I gathered from everything I read about Olo. 

Q: What is Olo color?
A: In a nutshell, Olo is a newly discovered, hyper-saturated color that humans cannot perceive under normal natural lighting conditions.

Q: Is Olo a real color?
A: Yes, it is. Scientists classify it as an impossible or imaginary color because you can’t see it without artificial stimulation, as of now.

Q: What does it look like?
A: The color is described as an intense, highly saturated blue-green or peacock teal.

Q: Why can’t humans see it?
A: Natural light always activates multiple cone cells in the human eye simultaneously. Our eyes can’t naturally isolate the green-detecting M cones.

Q: Can it be recreated?
A: No, it cannot be perfectly reproduced on digital screens, in paint, or on fabric. Ultra-vibrant neon teals act as the closest visual counterpart. But we might be able to develop some technology in the near future to perceive colors like this. 

Q: How does it inspire marketing and apparel design?
A: People naturally have that psychological curiosity that drove me to read a bit about Olo. You can plan marketing around this with Olo-inspired colors – vivid dyes or inks that react to UV maybe? Concepts like this can be captivating. 

I started researching Olo because I love a good science mystery, but I ended up discovering a pretty cool marketing strategy if I can get it right. We might not be able to physically print this hidden teal on a custom t-shirt just yet. Honestly, that does not matter. The viral excitement around this impossible color proves that people actively crave visual experiences they have never seen before. We can learn a couple lessons, run with it and give the audience that same exact thrill of discovery. I am in the promo apparel biz. Hey, if I can give my clients’ customers a color story they can’t ignore, it’s a win for me.

Let me know in the comments if you know Olo better or if I got anything wrong.