#CDAE21
Closest named color: Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09). oklch(75.6% 0.148 95.3), rgb(205, 174, 33).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.67:1).
About this color
#CDAE21 is a medium-light, vivid yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.148 and its hue 95°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09), ΔE 0.013 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.67:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.148) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Burnt Yellow (#D5AB09) |
| Black text | 9.67:1 |
| White text | 2.17:1 |
Values
| HEX | #CDAE21 |
| RGB | rgb(205, 174, 33) |
| HSL | hsl(49, 72%, 47%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.6% 0.148 95.3) |
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 #CDAE21 | 2.17:1 | Fails | Lc -47.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #CDAE21 | 9.67:1 | AAA | Lc 61.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #CDAE21 text on white | 2.17:1 | Fails | Lc 42.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #CDAE21 text on black | 9.67:1 | AAA | Lc -59.7 | 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
#F8F6EC
oklch(97.2% 0.013 97.4)
-
Step 100
100
#EFEAD6
oklch(93.6% 0.027 95.4)
-
Step 200
200
#E3DAB3
oklch(88.6% 0.052 96.5)
-
Step 300
300
#D3C17A
oklch(81% 0.093 95.6)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#CDAE21
oklch(75.6% 0.148 95.3)
-
Step 500
500
#A28800
oklch(63.2% 0.13 95.4)
-
Step 600
600
#887200
oklch(55.6% 0.114 95.6)
-
Step 700
700
#725F00
oklch(49% 0.101 95.4)
-
Step 800
800
#5E4E00
oklch(42.8% 0.088 95.4)
-
Step 900
900
#4E4100
oklch(37.8% 0.078 96.2)
-
Step 950
950
#2F2600
oklch(27.1% 0.056 95.5)
#CDAE21 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) | #C1AA00 | 0.024 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C9B42C | 0.015 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #DE9F95 | 0.136 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.148 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #CDAE21
#CDAE21
oklch(75.6% 0.148 95.3)
- #99A9FF
#99A9FF
oklch(75.7% 0.125 275)
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 #CDAE21, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.013
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.017
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.025
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.026
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.029
- Olive Yellow #C2B709 ΔE 0.031
- Mustard Yellow #D2BD0A ΔE 0.042
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.043
Use #CDAE21 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.