#C9AB42
Closest named color: Desert (#CCAD60). oklch(74.8% 0.127 93), rgb(201, 171, 66).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.38:1).
About this color
#C9AB42 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.127 and its hue 93°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Desert (#CCAD60), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.38:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.127) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Desert (#CCAD60) |
| Black text | 9.38:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #C9AB42 |
| RGB | rgb(201, 171, 66) |
| HSL | hsl(47, 56%, 52%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.8% 0.127 93) |
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 #C9AB42 | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #C9AB42 | 9.38:1 | AAA | Lc 60.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #C9AB42 text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 44.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #C9AB42 text on black | 9.38:1 | AAA | Lc -58.2 | 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
#F8F5EE
oklch(97.1% 0.01 87.5)
-
Step 100
100
#EFEAD9
oklch(93.6% 0.023 93.3)
-
Step 200
200
#E3D9B9
oklch(88.5% 0.044 92.7)
-
Step 300
300
#D2C085
oklch(80.9% 0.08 93.1)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#C9AB42
oklch(74.8% 0.127 93)
-
Step 500
500
#A48600
oklch(63% 0.129 93)
-
Step 600
600
#8A7100
oklch(55.6% 0.114 93.5)
-
Step 700
700
#745E00
oklch(49% 0.1 92.9)
-
Step 800
800
#5F4D00
oklch(42.6% 0.087 93.4)
-
Step 900
900
#504000
oklch(37.8% 0.077 92.8)
-
Step 950
950
#302500
oklch(26.9% 0.055 91.9)
#C9AB42 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) | #BDA835 | 0.023 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C4B147 | 0.016 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #D99E95 | 0.116 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.127 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #C9AB42
#C9AB42
oklch(74.8% 0.127 93)
- #93A7FE
#93A7FE
oklch(74.8% 0.128 273.1)
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 #C9AB42, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.028
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.029
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.030
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.035
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.037
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.038
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.039
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.041
Use #C9AB42 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.