#B9B520
Closest named color: Olive Yellow (#C2B709). oklch(75.3% 0.155 107.9), rgb(185, 181, 32).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.69:1).
About this color
#B9B520 is a medium-light, vivid yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.155 and its hue 108°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Olive Yellow (#C2B709), ΔE 0.015 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.69:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.155) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Olive Yellow (#C2B709) |
| Black text | 9.69:1 |
| White text | 2.16:1 |
Values
| HEX | #B9B520 |
| RGB | rgb(185, 181, 32) |
| HSL | hsl(58, 71%, 43%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.3% 0.155 107.9) |
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 #B9B520 | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc -47.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #B9B520 | 9.69:1 | AAA | Lc 61.5 | Content text, not long reading |
| #B9B520 text on white | 2.16:1 | Fails | Lc 42.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #B9B520 text on black | 9.69:1 | AAA | Lc -59.8 | 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
#F6F6EC
oklch(97% 0.013 106.6)
-
Step 100
100
#EBECD7
oklch(93.7% 0.028 109.1)
-
Step 200
200
#DCDCB4
oklch(88.4% 0.053 107.4)
-
Step 300
300
#C6C67B
oklch(81% 0.097 108.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#B9B520
oklch(75.3% 0.155 107.9)
-
Step 500
500
#928F00
oklch(63.2% 0.136 108.3)
-
Step 600
600
#7B7800
oklch(55.7% 0.12 108)
-
Step 700
700
#676400
oklch(49% 0.105 107.7)
-
Step 800
800
#545200
oklch(42.7% 0.092 108.1)
-
Step 900
900
#464400
oklch(37.6% 0.081 107.8)
-
Step 950
950
#292800
oklch(26.9% 0.058 108.3)
#B9B520 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) | #C5AD00 | 0.024 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C7B22F | 0.025 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C7A99B | 0.140 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.155 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #B9B520
#B9B520
oklch(75.3% 0.155 107.9)
- #ABA0FF
#ABA0FF
oklch(75.3% 0.135 288)
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 #B9B520, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Olive Yellow #C2B709 ΔE 0.015
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.023
- Mustard Green #A8B504 ΔE 0.027
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.030
- Pea #A4BF20 ΔE 0.038
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.042
- Light Olive Green #A4BE5C ΔE 0.044
- Mustard Yellow #D2BD0A ΔE 0.044
Use #B9B520 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.