#C5AE09
Closest named color: Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05). oklch(74.8% 0.154 99.6), rgb(197, 174, 9).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.43:1).
About this color
#C5AE09 is a medium-light, vivid yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.154 and its hue 100°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05), ΔE 0.011 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.43:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.154) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Muddy Yellow (#BFAC05) |
| Black text | 9.43:1 |
| White text | 2.22:1 |
Values
| HEX | #C5AE09 |
| RGB | rgb(197, 174, 9) |
| HSL | hsl(53, 91%, 40%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.8% 0.154 99.6) |
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 #C5AE09 | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc -48.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #C5AE09 | 9.43:1 | AAA | Lc 60.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #C5AE09 text on white | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc 43.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #C5AE09 text on black | 9.43:1 | AAA | Lc -58.5 | 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
#E1DAB2
oklch(88.4% 0.053 99.1)
-
Step 300
300
#CFC278
oklch(80.8% 0.096 99.5)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#C5AE09
oklch(74.8% 0.154 99.6)
-
Step 500
500
#9D8A00
oklch(63.1% 0.131 99.5)
-
Step 600
600
#847400
oklch(55.7% 0.116 99.7)
-
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
#2D2700
oklch(27.1% 0.056 100.5)
#C5AE09 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 | 0.016 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C7B120 | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #D5A094 | 0.141 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.154 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #C5AE09
#C5AE09
oklch(74.8% 0.154 99.6)
- #9DA3FF
#9DA3FF
oklch(74.8% 0.132 279.8)
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 #C5AE09, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.011
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.020
- Olive Yellow #C2B709 ΔE 0.024
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.026
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.034
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.042
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.044
- Mustard Yellow #D2BD0A ΔE 0.045
Use #C5AE09 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.