#C9C688
Closest named color: Pale Olive (#B9CC81). oklch(81.4% 0.081 105.7), rgb(201, 198, 136).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (11.91:1).
About this color
#C9C688 is a light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 81%, its chroma 0.081 and its hue 106°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Olive (#B9CC81), ΔE 0.030 away. Black text reads best on it, at 11.91:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | light (81%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.081) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Pale Olive (#B9CC81) |
| Black text | 11.91:1 |
| White text | 1.76:1 |
Values
| HEX | #C9C688 |
| RGB | rgb(201, 198, 136) |
| HSL | hsl(57, 38%, 66%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(81.4% 0.081 105.7) |
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 #C9C688 | 1.76:1 | Fails | Lc -36.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #C9C688 | 11.91:1 | AAA | Lc 71.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #C9C688 text on white | 1.76:1 | Fails | Lc 32.3 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #C9C688 text on black | 11.91:1 | AAA | Lc -70.4 | Content text, not long reading |
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 300.
-
Step 50
50
#F6F6EE
oklch(97.1% 0.011 106.6)
-
Step 100
100
#ECEBD9
oklch(93.6% 0.024 104.3)
-
Step 200
200
#DDDBB9
oklch(88.4% 0.045 104.5)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#C9C688
oklch(81.4% 0.081 105.7)
-
Step 400
400
#ACA535
oklch(70.7% 0.13 105.8)
-
Step 500
500
#958D00
oklch(63% 0.134 105.6)
-
Step 600
600
#7D7700
oklch(55.7% 0.119 106.2)
-
Step 700
700
#696300
oklch(49% 0.104 105.5)
-
Step 800
800
#565100
oklch(42.6% 0.091 105.5)
-
Step 900
900
#484400
oklch(37.8% 0.081 105.9)
-
Step 950
950
#2A2800
oklch(27% 0.058 106.8)
#C9C688 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) | #D0C184 | 0.015 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #D2C48A | 0.014 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #D2BEB6 | 0.073 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #C3C3C3 | 0.081 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #C9C688
#C9C688
oklch(81.4% 0.081 105.7)
- #BDBBF5
#BDBBF5
oklch(81.4% 0.081 286)
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 #C9C688, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Olive #B9CC81 ΔE 0.030
- Greenish Tan #BCCB7A ΔE 0.031
- Greenish Beige #C9D179 ΔE 0.039
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.042
- Sand #E2CA76 ΔE 0.042
- Burlywood #DEB887 ΔE 0.045
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.046
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.050
Use #C9C688 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.