#BCAE59
Closest named color: Dark Khaki (#BDB76B). oklch(74.5% 0.108 100.1), rgb(188, 174, 89).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.33:1).
About this color
#BCAE59 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.108 and its hue 100°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Khaki (#BDB76B), ΔE 0.026 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.33:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.108) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Dark Khaki (#BDB76B) |
| Black text | 9.33:1 |
| White text | 2.24:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BCAE59 |
| RGB | rgb(188, 174, 89) |
| HSL | hsl(52, 42%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.5% 0.108 100.1) |
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 #BCAE59 | 2.24:1 | Fails | Lc -49.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BCAE59 | 9.33:1 | AAA | Lc 59.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #BCAE59 text on white | 2.24:1 | Fails | Lc 44.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BCAE59 text on black | 9.33:1 | AAA | Lc -57.9 | 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
#DEDABE
oklch(88.4% 0.038 100.4)
-
Step 300
300
#CAC290
oklch(80.8% 0.067 100.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#BCAE59
oklch(74.5% 0.108 100.1)
-
Step 500
500
#9C8A00
oklch(63% 0.131 100.1)
-
Step 600
600
#837400
oklch(55.6% 0.116 100.3)
-
Step 700
700
#6E6100
oklch(49% 0.102 100.2)
-
Step 800
800
#5A4F00
oklch(42.5% 0.088 100.1)
-
Step 900
900
#4B4200
oklch(37.7% 0.078 100.6)
-
Step 950
950
#2D2700
oklch(27.1% 0.056 100.5)
#BCAE59 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) | #BCAA51 | 0.011 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C0AF5D | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C9A49A | 0.097 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.108 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BCAE59
#BCAE59
oklch(74.5% 0.108 100.1)
- #9FA5EF
#9FA5EF
oklch(74.5% 0.107 279.9)
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 #BCAE59, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.026
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.027
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.035
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.039
- Camel #C69F59 ΔE 0.042
- Tan Green #A9BE70 ΔE 0.045
- Light Olive #ACBF69 ΔE 0.046
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.046
Use #BCAE59 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.