#BDB59D
Closest named color: Putty (#BEAE8A). oklch(77.3% 0.034 91.7), rgb(189, 181, 157).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.26:1).
About this color
#BDB59D is a medium-light, muted yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.034 and its hue 92°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Putty (#BEAE8A), ΔE 0.026 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.26:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | muted (0.034) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Putty (#BEAE8A) |
| Black text | 10.26:1 |
| White text | 2.04:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB59D |
| RGB | rgb(189, 181, 157) |
| HSL | hsl(45, 20%, 68%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.3% 0.034 91.7) |
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 #BDB59D | 2.04:1 | Fails | Lc -44.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB59D | 10.26:1 | AAA | Lc 64.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB59D text on white | 2.04:1 | Fails | Lc 39.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB59D text on black | 10.26:1 | AAA | Lc -62.4 | 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
#F6F5F2
oklch(97% 0.004 91.4)
-
Step 100
100
#ECEAE3
oklch(93.7% 0.01 93.6)
-
Step 200
200
#DDD9CB
oklch(88.5% 0.019 93.7)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB59D
oklch(77.3% 0.034 91.7)
-
Step 400
400
#ADA07A
oklch(70.7% 0.054 91.4)
-
Step 500
500
#998857
oklch(63% 0.07 91)
-
Step 600
600
#83723C
oklch(55.6% 0.076 92.3)
-
Step 700
700
#6F5F2E
oklch(49% 0.071 91.6)
-
Step 800
800
#5B4E27
oklch(42.8% 0.059 91.4)
-
Step 900
900
#4A4124
oklch(37.7% 0.046 92.7)
-
Step 950
950
#2C2616
oklch(27.1% 0.029 89.8)
#BDB59D 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) | #BBB49C | 0.004 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BDB69E | 0.003 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C3B1AE | 0.031 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B5B5B5 | 0.034 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB59D
#BDB59D
oklch(77.3% 0.034 91.7)
- #ADB4CC
#ADB4CC
oklch(77.2% 0.035 272.7)
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 #BDB59D, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.026
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.035
- Pinkish Grey #C8ACA9 ΔE 0.037
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.040
- Bland #AFA88B ΔE 0.044
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.045
- Fawn #CFAF7B ΔE 0.045
- French Gray #ADB5BD ΔE 0.048
Use #BDB59D 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.