#BDAA23
Closest named color: Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05). oklch(73.3% 0.144 100.6), rgb(189, 170, 35).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.93:1).
About this color
#BDAA23 is a medium-light, vivid yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.144 and its hue 101°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05), ΔE 0.011 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.93:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.144) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05) |
| Black text | 8.93:1 |
| White text | 2.34:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDAA23 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 170, 35) |
| HSL | hsl(53, 69%, 44%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.3% 0.144 100.6) |
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 #BDAA23 | 2.34:1 | Fails | Lc -51.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BDAA23 | 8.93:1 | AAA | Lc 57.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #BDAA23 text on white | 2.34:1 | Fails | Lc 46.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #BDAA23 text on black | 8.93:1 | AAA | Lc -55.9 | 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
#F7F6ED
oklch(97.1% 0.012 101.5)
-
Step 100
100
#EDEBD7
oklch(93.6% 0.027 102.2)
-
Step 200
200
#E0DBB5
oklch(88.6% 0.051 101.2)
-
Step 300
300
#CDC37E
oklch(81% 0.09 101)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#BDAA23
oklch(73.3% 0.144 100.6)
-
Step 500
500
#9C8B00
oklch(63.2% 0.132 100.7)
-
Step 600
600
#837400
oklch(55.6% 0.116 100.3)
-
Step 700
700
#6E6100
oklch(49% 0.102 100.2)
-
Step 800
800
#5A5000
oklch(42.8% 0.089 101.1)
-
Step 900
900
#4B4200
oklch(37.7% 0.078 100.6)
-
Step 950
950
#2D2700
oklch(27.1% 0.056 100.5)
#BDAA23 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) | #BBA500 | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C0AC2E | 0.009 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #CC9D92 | 0.132 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A9A9A9 | 0.144 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDAA23
#BDAA23
oklch(73.3% 0.144 100.6)
- #999DFF
#999DFF
oklch(73.3% 0.141 280.5)
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 #BDAA23, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.011
- Ocre #C69C04 ΔE 0.036
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.036
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.037
- Ocher #BF9B0C ΔE 0.037
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.038
- Olive Yellow #C2B709 ΔE 0.038
- Mustard Green #A8B504 ΔE 0.045
Use #BDAA23 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.