#DCB540
Closest named color: Dark Yellow (#D5B60A). oklch(78.7% 0.138 90), rgb(220, 181, 64).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (10.72:1).
About this color
#DCB540 is a light, moderately saturated orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 79%, its chroma 0.138 and its hue 90°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Yellow (#D5B60A), ΔE 0.028 away. Black text reads best on it, at 10.72:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | light (79%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.138) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Dark Yellow (#D5B60A) |
| Black text | 10.72:1 |
| White text | 1.95:1 |
Values
| HEX | #DCB540 |
| RGB | rgb(220, 181, 64) |
| HSL | hsl(45, 69%, 56%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(78.7% 0.138 90) |
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 #DCB540 | 1.95:1 | Fails | Lc -41.9 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #DCB540 | 10.72:1 | AAA | Lc 66.4 | Content text, not long reading |
| #DCB540 text on white | 1.95:1 | Fails | Lc 37.5 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #DCB540 text on black | 10.72:1 | AAA | Lc -64.9 | 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
#FAF5E8
oklch(97% 0.018 89.4)
-
Step 100
100
#F4E9CC
oklch(93.5% 0.04 89.7)
-
Step 200
200
#EDD89F
oklch(88.6% 0.077 90.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#DCB540
oklch(78.7% 0.138 90)
-
Step 400
400
#C39B00
oklch(70.6% 0.144 90.2)
-
Step 500
500
#A88500
oklch(63.2% 0.129 90)
-
Step 600
600
#8D6F00
oklch(55.5% 0.113 89.9)
-
Step 700
700
#775D00
oklch(49.1% 0.1 89.6)
-
Step 800
800
#624C00
oklch(42.8% 0.087 89.5)
-
Step 900
900
#513F00
oklch(37.6% 0.077 90.4)
-
Step 950
950
#312500
oklch(27.1% 0.055 90.3)
#DCB540 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) | #C9B32F | 0.034 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #D3BE46 | 0.025 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #EEA69D | 0.125 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B9B9B9 | 0.138 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #DCB540
#DCB540
oklch(78.7% 0.138 90)
- #9FB6FF
#9FB6FF
oklch(78.7% 0.108 270.4)
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 #DCB540, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Yellow #D5B60A ΔE 0.028
- Macaroni And Cheese #EFB435 ΔE 0.029
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.033
- Mustard #CEB301 ΔE 0.036
- Squash #F2AB15 ΔE 0.039
- Mustard Yellow #D2BD0A ΔE 0.039
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.040
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.045
Use #DCB540 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.