#C9AE32
Closest named color: Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09). oklch(75.3% 0.139 96.3), rgb(201, 174, 50).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.58:1).
About this color
#C9AE32 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.139 and its hue 96°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09), ΔE 0.020 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.58:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.139) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09) |
| Black text | 9.58:1 |
| White text | 2.19:1 |
Values
| HEX | #C9AE32 |
| RGB | rgb(201, 174, 50) |
| HSL | hsl(49, 60%, 49%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.3% 0.139 96.3) |
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 #C9AE32 | 2.19:1 | Fails | Lc -47.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #C9AE32 | 9.58:1 | AAA | Lc 61.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| #C9AE32 text on white | 2.19:1 | Fails | Lc 43.0 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #C9AE32 text on black | 9.58:1 | AAA | Lc -59.2 | 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
#F8F6ED
oklch(97.2% 0.012 96.4)
-
Step 100
100
#EEEAD8
oklch(93.5% 0.024 96.6)
-
Step 200
200
#E2DAB6
oklch(88.6% 0.048 96.9)
-
Step 300
300
#D1C17F
oklch(80.9% 0.087 96.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#C9AE32
oklch(75.3% 0.139 96.3)
-
Step 500
500
#A18800
oklch(63.1% 0.13 96)
-
Step 600
600
#877200
oklch(55.5% 0.114 96.2)
-
Step 700
700
#726000
oklch(49.2% 0.101 96.3)
-
Step 800
800
#5D4E00
oklch(42.6% 0.088 96.3)
-
Step 900
900
#4E4100
oklch(37.8% 0.078 96.2)
-
Step 950
950
#2E2600
oklch(27% 0.056 97.1)
#C9AE32 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) | #C0AA1B | 0.021 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C7B33A | 0.012 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #D9A096 | 0.128 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.139 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #C9AE32
#C9AE32
oklch(75.3% 0.139 96.3)
- #9AA7FF
#9AA7FF
oklch(75.3% 0.127 276.5)
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 #C9AE32, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.020
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.024
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.025
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.032
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.033
- Olive Yellow #C2B709 ΔE 0.034
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.041
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.041
Use #C9AE32 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.