#C9AC37
Closest named color: Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09). oklch(75% 0.135 94.7), rgb(201, 172, 55).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.43:1).
About this color
#C9AC37 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.135 and its hue 95°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09), ΔE 0.022 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.43:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.135) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09) |
| Black text | 9.43:1 |
| White text | 2.22:1 |
Values
| HEX | #C9AC37 |
| RGB | rgb(201, 172, 55) |
| HSL | hsl(48, 57%, 50%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75% 0.135 94.7) |
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 #C9AC37 | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc -48.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #C9AC37 | 9.43:1 | AAA | Lc 60.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #C9AC37 text on white | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc 43.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #C9AC37 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
#F8F5ED
oklch(97% 0.011 89.7)
-
Step 100
100
#EFEAD8
oklch(93.6% 0.024 94.1)
-
Step 200
200
#E3D9B7
oklch(88.5% 0.046 93.5)
-
Step 300
300
#D2C081
oklch(80.8% 0.084 94)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#C9AC37
oklch(75% 0.135 94.7)
-
Step 500
500
#A38700
oklch(63.1% 0.129 94.2)
-
Step 600
600
#897100
oklch(55.5% 0.114 94.1)
-
Step 700
700
#735F00
oklch(49.1% 0.101 94.6)
-
Step 800
800
#5E4E00
oklch(42.8% 0.088 95.4)
-
Step 900
900
#4F4000
oklch(37.6% 0.077 93.9)
-
Step 950
950
#2F2600
oklch(27.1% 0.056 95.5)
#C9AC37 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) | #BEA925 | 0.023 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C5B23E | 0.015 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #D99E95 | 0.125 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.135 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #C9AC37
#C9AC37
oklch(75% 0.135 94.7)
- #96A7FF
#96A7FF
oklch(75.1% 0.128 274.6)
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 #C9AC37, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.022
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.027
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.029
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.031
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.036
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.037
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.039
- Olive Yellow #C2B709 ΔE 0.040
Use #C9AC37 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.