#BDB981
Closest named color: Dark Khaki (#BDB76B). oklch(77.6% 0.075 104.5), rgb(189, 185, 129).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.42:1).
About this color
#BDB981 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 78%, its chroma 0.075 and its hue 105°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Khaki (#BDB76B), ΔE 0.025 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.42:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (78%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.075) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Dark Khaki (#BDB76B) |
| Black text | 10.42:1 |
| White text | 2.01:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB981 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 185, 129) |
| HSL | hsl(56, 31%, 62%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(77.6% 0.075 104.5) |
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 #BDB981 | 2.01:1 | Fails | Lc -43.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #BDB981 | 10.42:1 | AAA | Lc 64.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB981 text on white | 2.01:1 | Fails | Lc 39.1 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB981 text on black | 10.42:1 | AAA | Lc -63.3 | 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
#F6F6EE
oklch(97.1% 0.011 106.6)
-
Step 100
100
#ECEBDB
oklch(93.7% 0.021 103.9)
-
Step 200
200
#DDDBBC
oklch(88.5% 0.041 104.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#BDB981
oklch(77.6% 0.075 104.5)
-
Step 400
400
#ACA442
oklch(70.6% 0.119 104.6)
-
Step 500
500
#978D00
oklch(63.2% 0.134 104.6)
-
Step 600
600
#7F7600
oklch(55.6% 0.118 104.3)
-
Step 700
700
#6A6300
oklch(49.1% 0.104 104.8)
-
Step 800
800
#575100
oklch(42.7% 0.09 104.7)
-
Step 900
900
#484300
oklch(37.6% 0.08 104.8)
-
Step 950
950
#2B2800
oklch(27.1% 0.058 105.3)
#BDB981 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) | #C3B57D | 0.012 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C4B883 | 0.011 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #C6B2AA | 0.066 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B7B7B7 | 0.075 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB981
#BDB981
oklch(77.6% 0.075 104.5)
- #B0B0E5
#B0B0E5
oklch(77.6% 0.075 284.5)
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 #BDB981, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.025
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.030
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.033
- Fawn #CFAF7B ΔE 0.034
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.035
- Putty #BEAE8A ΔE 0.036
- Tan #D2B48C ΔE 0.039
- Tan Green #A9BE70 ΔE 0.041
Use #BDB981 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.