#BFAE59
Closest named color: Desert (#CCAD60). oklch(74.8% 0.108 98.2), rgb(191, 174, 89).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.41:1).
About this color
#BFAE59 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.108 and its hue 98°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Desert (#CCAD60), ΔE 0.022 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.41:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.108) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Desert (#CCAD60) |
| Black text | 9.41:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BFAE59 |
| RGB | rgb(191, 174, 89) |
| HSL | hsl(50, 44%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.8% 0.108 98.2) |
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 #BFAE59 | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BFAE59 | 9.41:1 | AAA | Lc 60.1 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BFAE59 text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 43.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BFAE59 text on black | 9.41:1 | AAA | Lc -58.3 | 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
#F7F6EF
oklch(97.2% 0.009 100)
-
Step 100
100
#EDEADC
oklch(93.6% 0.019 96.9)
-
Step 200
200
#DFDABE
oklch(88.5% 0.038 98.8)
-
Step 300
300
#CCC290
oklch(81% 0.067 98.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#BFAE59
oklch(74.8% 0.108 98.2)
-
Step 500
500
#9E8900
oklch(63% 0.13 98.3)
-
Step 600
600
#857300
oklch(55.6% 0.115 98.3)
-
Step 700
700
#706100
oklch(49.2% 0.102 98.7)
-
Step 800
800
#5C4F00
oklch(42.8% 0.088 98.3)
-
Step 900
900
#4D4100
oklch(37.6% 0.078 97.3)
-
Step 950
950
#2E2600
oklch(27% 0.056 97.1)
#BFAE59 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) | #BCAA51 | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C1B05D | 0.007 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #CCA39B | 0.100 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.108 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BFAE59
#BFAE59
oklch(74.8% 0.108 98.2)
- #9DA6F1
#9DA6F1
oklch(74.7% 0.109 278.2)
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 #BFAE59, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.022
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.025
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.033
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.036
- Camel #C69F59 ΔE 0.040
- Toupe #C7AC7D ΔE 0.047
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.047
- Tan Green #A9BE70 ΔE 0.047
Use #BFAE59 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.