#BDB37D
Closest named color: Sandstone (#C9AE74). oklch(76.2% 0.073 98.9), rgb(189, 179, 125).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.90:1).
About this color
#BDB37D is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.073 and its hue 99°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Sandstone (#C9AE74), ΔE 0.020 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.90:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.073) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Sandstone (#C9AE74) |
| Black text | 9.90:1 |
| White text | 2.11:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB37D |
| RGB | rgb(189, 179, 125) |
| HSL | hsl(51, 33%, 62%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.2% 0.073 98.9) |
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 #BDB37D | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc -46.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BDB37D | 9.90:1 | AAA | Lc 62.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB37D text on white | 2.11:1 | Fails | Lc 41.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB37D text on black | 9.90:1 | AAA | Lc -60.7 | Content text, not long reading |
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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#F7F6EE
oklch(97.2% 0.011 100.8)
-
Step 100
100
#EDEADB
oklch(93.5% 0.02 97.5)
-
Step 200
200
#DFDABC
oklch(88.4% 0.04 99.4)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB37D
oklch(76.2% 0.073 98.9)
-
Step 400
400
#B3A143
oklch(70.6% 0.116 98.5)
-
Step 500
500
#9E8A00
oklch(63.2% 0.131 99)
-
Step 600
600
#847300
oklch(55.5% 0.115 98.9)
-
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
#2D2600
oklch(26.8% 0.056 98.7)
#BDB37D 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) | #BDB079 | 0.008 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C0B47F | 0.006 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C6ACA5 | 0.065 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B2B2B2 | 0.073 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB37D
#BDB37D
oklch(76.2% 0.073 98.9)
- #A7AEE0
#A7AEE0
oklch(76.3% 0.072 278.3)
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 #BDB37D, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.020
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.023
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.025
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.027
- Fawn #CFAF7B ΔE 0.027
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.035
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.035
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.039
Use #BDB37D 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.