#DDCB97
Closest named color: Pale Oak (#DBCFB0). oklch(84.4% 0.071 91.2), rgb(221, 203, 151).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (13.06:1).
About this color
#DDCB97 is a light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 84%, its chroma 0.071 and its hue 91°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Pale Oak (#DBCFB0), ΔE 0.030 away. Black text reads best on it, at 13.06:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | light (84%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.071) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Pale Oak (#DBCFB0) |
| Black text | 13.06:1 |
| White text | 1.60:1 |
Values
| HEX | #DDCB97 |
| RGB | rgb(221, 203, 151) |
| HSL | hsl(45, 51%, 73%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(84.4% 0.071 91.2) |
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 #DDCB97 | 1.60:1 | Fails | Lc -30.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| Black text on #DDCB97 | 13.06:1 | AAA | Lc 76.5 | Fine for body text |
| #DDCB97 text on white | 1.60:1 | Fails | Lc 27.3 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #DDCB97 text on black | 13.06:1 | AAA | Lc -75.7 | 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
#F8F5EE
oklch(97.1% 0.01 87.5)
-
Step 100
100
#EFEADB
oklch(93.7% 0.021 91.6)
-
Step 200
200
#E3D9BC
oklch(88.6% 0.04 91.2)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#DDCB97
oklch(84.4% 0.071 91.2)
-
Step 400
400
#BB9E44
oklch(70.8% 0.114 91.3)
-
Step 500
500
#A68500
oklch(63% 0.129 91.2)
-
Step 600
600
#8C7000
oklch(55.6% 0.114 91.4)
-
Step 700
700
#765E00
oklch(49.2% 0.101 91.4)
-
Step 800
800
#614C00
oklch(42.6% 0.087 90.4)
-
Step 900
900
#513F00
oklch(37.6% 0.077 90.4)
-
Step 950
950
#302500
oklch(26.9% 0.055 91.9)
#DDCB97 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) | #D6C994 | 0.012 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #DBCE99 | 0.008 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #E8C3BD | 0.064 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #CCCCCC | 0.071 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #DDCB97
#DDCB97
oklch(84.4% 0.071 91.2)
- #BBCAFB
#BBCAFB
oklch(84.4% 0.071 271.5)
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 #DDCB97, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Pale Oak #DBCFB0 ΔE 0.030
- Sand #E2CA76 ΔE 0.037
- Vanilla #E9D8A6 ΔE 0.040
- Burlywood #DEB887 ΔE 0.047
- Saffron #E9C46A ΔE 0.048
- Ash Gray #BFC8AD ΔE 0.050
- Greenish Beige #C9D179 ΔE 0.054
- Very Light Brown #D3B683 ΔE 0.057
Use #DDCB97 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.