#BDA859
Closest named color: Sand Brown (#CBA560). oklch(73.3% 0.103 94.8), rgb(189, 168, 89).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.90:1).
About this color
#BDA859 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.103 and its hue 95°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Sand Brown (#CBA560), ΔE 0.026 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.90:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.103) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Sand Brown (#CBA560) |
| Black text | 8.90:1 |
| White text | 2.35:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDA859 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 168, 89) |
| HSL | hsl(47, 43%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.3% 0.103 94.8) |
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 #BDA859 | 2.35:1 | Fails | Lc -51.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BDA859 | 8.90:1 | AAA | Lc 57.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #BDA859 text on white | 2.35:1 | Fails | Lc 46.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #BDA859 text on black | 8.90:1 | AAA | Lc -55.6 | 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
#F7F5EF
oklch(97% 0.008 91.5)
-
Step 100
100
#EEEADC
oklch(93.6% 0.019 93.7)
-
Step 200
200
#E0D9BF
oklch(88.4% 0.036 94.6)
-
Step 300
300
#CDC192
oklch(80.9% 0.064 95.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#BDA859
oklch(73.3% 0.103 94.8)
-
Step 500
500
#A28700
oklch(63% 0.129 94.8)
-
Step 600
600
#897200
oklch(55.8% 0.114 94.9)
-
Step 700
700
#735F00
oklch(49.1% 0.101 94.6)
-
Step 800
800
#5E4E00
oklch(42.8% 0.088 95.4)
-
Step 900
900
#4F4000
oklch(37.6% 0.077 93.9)
-
Step 950
950
#2F2601
oklch(27.1% 0.054 95.1)
#BDA859 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) | #B6A552 | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BCAC5C | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #CA9D96 | 0.095 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A9A9A9 | 0.103 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDA859
#BDA859
oklch(73.3% 0.103 94.8)
- #95A4E9
#95A4E9
oklch(73.4% 0.102 274.2)
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 #BDA859, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.026
- Camel #C69F59 ΔE 0.027
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.028
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.038
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.039
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.045
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.048
- Ocre #C69C04 ΔE 0.049
Use #BDA859 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.