#D9CD97
Closest named color: Pale Oak (#DBCFB0). oklch(84.5% 0.072 97.1), rgb(217, 205, 151).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (13.12:1).
About this color
#D9CD97 is a light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 85%, its chroma 0.072 and its hue 97°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Oak (#DBCFB0), ΔE 0.031 away. Black text reads best on it, at 13.12:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | light (85%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.072) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Pale Oak (#DBCFB0) |
| Black text | 13.12:1 |
| White text | 1.59:1 |
Values
| HEX | #D9CD97 |
| RGB | rgb(217, 205, 151) |
| HSL | hsl(49, 46%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(84.5% 0.072 97.1) |
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 #D9CD97 | 1.59:1 | Fails | Lc -30.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #D9CD97 | 13.12:1 | AAA | Lc 76.8 | Fine for body text |
| #D9CD97 text on white | 1.59:1 | Fails | Lc 27.0 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #D9CD97 text on black | 13.12:1 | AAA | Lc -75.9 | Fine for body text |
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
#F7F6EE
oklch(97.2% 0.011 100.8)
-
Step 100
100
#EDEADB
oklch(93.5% 0.02 97.5)
-
Step 200
200
#E0DABC
oklch(88.5% 0.04 97.8)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#D9CD97
oklch(84.5% 0.072 97.1)
-
Step 400
400
#B5A144
oklch(70.8% 0.115 97.2)
-
Step 500
500
#A08900
oklch(63.2% 0.13 97.2)
-
Step 600
600
#867300
oklch(55.7% 0.115 97.6)
-
Step 700
700
#716000
oklch(49.1% 0.101 97)
-
Step 800
800
#5D4E00
oklch(42.6% 0.088 96.3)
-
Step 900
900
#4D4100
oklch(37.6% 0.078 97.3)
-
Step 950
950
#2E2600
oklch(27% 0.056 97.1)
#D9CD97 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) | #D8CA93 | 0.008 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #DBCE99 | 0.004 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #E3C5BF | 0.066 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #CCCCCC | 0.072 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #D9CD97
#D9CD97
oklch(84.5% 0.072 97.1)
- #C0C9FC
#C0C9FC
oklch(84.6% 0.072 276.9)
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 #D9CD97, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Oak #DBCFB0 ΔE 0.031
- Sand #E2CA76 ΔE 0.036
- Vanilla #E9D8A6 ΔE 0.040
- Greenish Beige #C9D179 ΔE 0.048
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.049
- Saffron #E9C46A ΔE 0.049
- Burlywood #DEB887 ΔE 0.051
- Pale Olive #B9CC81 ΔE 0.055
Use #D9CD97 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.