#9CB159
Closest named color: Lichen (#8FB67B). oklch(72.5% 0.117 120.5), rgb(156, 177, 89).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.84:1).
About this color
#9CB159 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 72%, its chroma 0.117 and its hue 120°. Its hue sits between the warm and cool halves of the wheel. The nearest named color is Lichen (#8FB67B), ΔE 0.037 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.84:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (72%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.117) |
| Temperature | in between |
| Nearest name | Lichen (#8FB67B) |
| Black text | 8.84:1 |
| White text | 2.37:1 |
Values
| HEX | #9CB159 |
| RGB | rgb(156, 177, 89) |
| HSL | hsl(74, 36%, 52%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.5% 0.117 120.5) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #9CB159 | 2.37:1 | Fails | Lc -51.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #9CB159 | 8.84:1 | AAA | Lc 57.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CB159 text on white | 2.37:1 | Fails | Lc 46.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #9CB159 text on black | 8.84:1 | AAA | Lc -55.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F4F6EF
oklch(97% 0.009 119.6)
-
Step 100
100
#E8ECDD
oklch(93.6% 0.02 118.9)
-
Step 200
200
#D5DEC0
oklch(88.6% 0.041 120.8)
-
Step 300
300
#BAC893
oklch(80.9% 0.073 120.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#9CB159
oklch(72.5% 0.117 120.5)
-
Step 500
500
#7E9606
oklch(63.2% 0.149 120.4)
-
Step 600
600
#697E00
oklch(55.6% 0.133 120.6)
-
Step 700
700
#586A00
oklch(49.2% 0.117 120.6)
-
Step 800
800
#485700
oklch(42.9% 0.102 120.5)
-
Step 900
900
#3B4800
oklch(37.7% 0.09 120.7)
-
Step 950
950
#222B02
oklch(27.1% 0.063 121.4)
#9CB159 with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #BAA851 | 0.045 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #B8A85E | 0.047 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #A3A99D | 0.099 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A8A8A8 | 0.117 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #9CB159
#9CB159
oklch(72.5% 0.117 120.5)
- #B295E4
#B295E4
oklch(72.6% 0.116 300.4)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #9CB159, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Lichen #8FB67B ΔE 0.037
- Light Olive Green #A4BE5C ΔE 0.038
- Sage Green #88B378 ΔE 0.038
- Avocado #90B134 ΔE 0.039
- Sage #87AE73 ΔE 0.040
- Tan Green #A9BE70 ΔE 0.044
- Faded Green #7BB274 ΔE 0.045
- Light Olive #ACBF69 ΔE 0.046
Use #9CB159 in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.