#BCAD59
Closest named color: Desert (#CCAD60). oklch(74.3% 0.107 99.4), rgb(188, 173, 89).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.25:1).
About this color
#BCAD59 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.107 and its hue 99°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Desert (#CCAD60), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.25:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.107) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Desert (#CCAD60) |
| Black text | 9.25:1 |
| White text | 2.26:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BCAD59 |
| RGB | rgb(188, 173, 89) |
| HSL | hsl(51, 42%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.3% 0.107 99.4) |
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 #BCAD59 | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc -49.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BCAD59 | 9.25:1 | AAA | Lc 59.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #BCAD59 text on white | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc 44.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BCAD59 text on black | 9.25:1 | AAA | Lc -57.5 | 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
#F7F6EF
oklch(97.2% 0.009 100)
-
Step 100
100
#EDEADC
oklch(93.6% 0.019 96.9)
-
Step 200
200
#DFDABF
oklch(88.5% 0.036 98.5)
-
Step 300
300
#CBC290
oklch(80.9% 0.067 99.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#BCAD59
oklch(74.3% 0.107 99.4)
-
Step 500
500
#9D8A00
oklch(63.1% 0.131 99.5)
-
Step 600
600
#847400
oklch(55.7% 0.116 99.7)
-
Step 700
700
#6F6100
oklch(49.1% 0.102 99.4)
-
Step 800
800
#5B4F00
oklch(42.7% 0.088 99.2)
-
Step 900
900
#4C4200
oklch(37.8% 0.078 99.5)
-
Step 950
950
#2D2700
oklch(27.1% 0.056 100.5)
#BCAD59 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) | #BBA951 | 0.011 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BFAF5D | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C9A39A | 0.098 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.107 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BCAD59
#BCAD59
oklch(74.3% 0.107 99.4)
- #9DA4EE
#9DA4EE
oklch(74.2% 0.107 279.3)
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 #BCAD59, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.027
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.028
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.033
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.038
- Camel #C69F59 ΔE 0.039
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.047
- Tan Green #A9BE70 ΔE 0.047
- Light Olive #ACBF69 ΔE 0.048
Use #BCAD59 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.