#BFAE51
Closest named color: Desert (#CCAD60). oklch(74.7% 0.115 99.1), rgb(191, 174, 81).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.38:1).
About this color
#BFAE51 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.115 and its hue 99°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Desert (#CCAD60), ΔE 0.027 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.38:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.115) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Desert (#CCAD60) |
| Black text | 9.38:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BFAE51 |
| RGB | rgb(191, 174, 81) |
| HSL | hsl(51, 46%, 53%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.7% 0.115 99.1) |
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 #BFAE51 | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BFAE51 | 9.38:1 | AAA | Lc 60.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #BFAE51 text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 44.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BFAE51 text on black | 9.38:1 | AAA | Lc -58.1 | 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
#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
#CCC28C
oklch(80.9% 0.072 98.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#BFAE51
oklch(74.7% 0.115 99.1)
-
Step 500
500
#9D8A00
oklch(63.1% 0.131 99.5)
-
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)
#BFAE51 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) | #BDAA48 | 0.012 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C2B055 | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #CCA399 | 0.105 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.115 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BFAE51
#BFAE51
oklch(74.7% 0.115 99.1)
- #9DA5F5
#9DA5F5
oklch(74.7% 0.115 278.8)
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 #BFAE51, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.027
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.029
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.038
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.039
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.043
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.044
- Camel #C69F59 ΔE 0.044
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.047
Use #BFAE51 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.