#BDB53E
Closest named color: Olive Yellow (#C2B709). oklch(75.8% 0.137 105.5), rgb(189, 181, 62).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.84:1).
About this color
#BDB53E is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.137 and its hue 105°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Olive Yellow (#C2B709), ΔE 0.024 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.84:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.137) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Olive Yellow (#C2B709) |
| Black text | 9.84:1 |
| White text | 2.13:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB53E |
| RGB | rgb(189, 181, 62) |
| HSL | hsl(56, 51%, 49%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.8% 0.137 105.5) |
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 #BDB53E | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc -46.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BDB53E | 9.84:1 | AAA | Lc 62.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB53E text on white | 2.13:1 | Fails | Lc 41.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB53E text on black | 9.84:1 | AAA | Lc -60.5 | 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 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F6F6ED
oklch(97.1% 0.012 106.6)
-
Step 100
100
#ECEBD8
oklch(93.6% 0.025 104.4)
-
Step 200
200
#DDDCB8
oklch(88.6% 0.048 106)
-
Step 300
300
#C8C483
oklch(80.8% 0.085 105.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#BDB53E
oklch(75.8% 0.137 105.5)
-
Step 500
500
#958D00
oklch(63% 0.134 105.6)
-
Step 600
600
#7E7600
oklch(55.5% 0.118 104.9)
-
Step 700
700
#696300
oklch(49% 0.104 105.5)
-
Step 800
800
#565100
oklch(42.6% 0.091 105.5)
-
Step 900
900
#484300
oklch(37.6% 0.08 104.8)
-
Step 950
950
#2B2800
oklch(27.1% 0.058 105.3)
#BDB53E 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) | #C4AF2D | 0.017 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C7B446 | 0.018 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #CBA99D | 0.126 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B1B1B1 | 0.138 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB53E
#BDB53E
oklch(75.8% 0.137 105.5)
- #A9A4FF
#A9A4FF
oklch(75.9% 0.129 285.4)
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 #BDB53E, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Olive Yellow #C2B709 ΔE 0.024
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.028
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.029
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.039
- Light Olive Green #A4BE5C ΔE 0.039
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.041
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.041
- Light Olive #ACBF69 ΔE 0.041
Use #BDB53E 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.