#C4AE04
Closest named color: Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05). oklch(74.7% 0.155 100.1), rgb(196, 174, 4).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.40:1).
About this color
#C4AE04 is a medium-light, vivid yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.155 and its hue 100°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05), ΔE 0.010 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.40:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.155) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05) |
| Black text | 9.40:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #C4AE04 |
| RGB | rgb(196, 174, 4) |
| HSL | hsl(53, 96%, 39%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.7% 0.155 100.1) |
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 #C4AE04 | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #C4AE04 | 9.40:1 | AAA | Lc 60.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #C4AE04 text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 43.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #C4AE04 text on black | 9.40:1 | AAA | Lc -58.4 | 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
#F7F6EC
oklch(97.1% 0.013 102)
-
Step 100
100
#EEEBD6
oklch(93.7% 0.028 100.3)
-
Step 200
200
#E1DBB2
oklch(88.6% 0.054 100.5)
-
Step 300
300
#CFC278
oklch(80.8% 0.096 99.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#C4AE04
oklch(74.7% 0.155 100.1)
-
Step 500
500
#9C8A00
oklch(63% 0.131 100.1)
-
Step 600
600
#837400
oklch(55.6% 0.116 100.3)
-
Step 700
700
#6E6100
oklch(49% 0.102 100.2)
-
Step 800
800
#5A4F00
oklch(42.5% 0.088 100.1)
-
Step 900
900
#4B4200
oklch(37.7% 0.078 100.6)
-
Step 950
950
#2D2700
oklch(27.1% 0.056 100.5)
#C4AE04 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) | #C0A900 | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C6B11E | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #D4A094 | 0.142 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.155 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #C4AE04
#C4AE04
oklch(74.7% 0.155 100.1)
- #9DA2FF
#9DA2FF
oklch(74.6% 0.133 280.3)
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 #C4AE04, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.010
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.021
- Olive Yellow #C2B709 ΔE 0.023
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.027
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.035
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.043
- Mustard Green #A8B504 ΔE 0.044
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.044
Use #C4AE04 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.