#DCA251
Closest named color: Earth Yellow (#DDA15E). oklch(75.2% 0.12 73.3), rgb(220, 162, 81).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.33:1).
About this color
#DCA251 is a medium-light, moderately saturated orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.120 and its hue 73°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Earth Yellow (#DDA15E), ΔE 0.014 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.33:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.120) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Earth Yellow (#DDA15E) |
| Black text | 9.33:1 |
| White text | 2.25:1 |
Values
| HEX | #DCA251 |
| RGB | rgb(220, 162, 81) |
| HSL | hsl(35, 67%, 59%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.2% 0.12 73.3) |
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 #DCA251 | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc -49.0 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #DCA251 | 9.33:1 | AAA | Lc 59.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #DCA251 text on white | 2.25:1 | Fails | Lc 44.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #DCA251 text on black | 9.33:1 | AAA | Lc -57.9 | 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
#FAF5EE
oklch(97.2% 0.011 76.6)
-
Step 100
100
#F3E8DB
oklch(93.6% 0.021 72.1)
-
Step 200
200
#EAD6BC
oklch(88.6% 0.041 74.4)
-
Step 300
300
#DEBA8B
oklch(80.9% 0.074 73.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#DCA251
oklch(75.2% 0.12 73.3)
-
Step 500
500
#B97A00
oklch(63% 0.134 73.2)
-
Step 600
600
#9C6600
oklch(55.5% 0.118 73)
-
Step 700
700
#845600
oklch(49.2% 0.105 73.4)
-
Step 800
800
#6C4600
oklch(42.7% 0.091 73.9)
-
Step 900
900
#5B3A00
oklch(37.8% 0.08 73.5)
-
Step 950
950
#372100
oklch(27% 0.057 72.9)
#DCA251 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) | #B7A549 | 0.060 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C4B253 | 0.053 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #EE9390 | 0.100 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.120 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #DCA251
#DCA251
oklch(75.2% 0.12 73.3)
- #76B2F8
#76B2F8
oklch(75.1% 0.119 253.1)
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 #DCA251, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Earth Yellow #DDA15E ΔE 0.014
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.028
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.034
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.037
- Camel #C69F59 ΔE 0.037
- Gamboge #EE9B00 ΔE 0.043
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.044
- Faded Orange #F0944D ΔE 0.044
Use #DCA251 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.