#DE9538
Closest named color: Earth Yellow (#DDA15E). oklch(72.7% 0.137 68.6), rgb(222, 149, 56).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.46:1).
About this color
#DE9538 is a medium-light, moderately saturated orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.137 and its hue 69°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Earth Yellow (#DDA15E), ΔE 0.037 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.46:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.137) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Earth Yellow (#DDA15E) |
| Black text | 8.46:1 |
| White text | 2.48:1 |
Values
| HEX | #DE9538 |
| RGB | rgb(222, 149, 56) |
| HSL | hsl(34, 72%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(72.7% 0.137 68.6) |
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 #DE9538 | 2.48:1 | Fails | Lc -53.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #DE9538 | 8.46:1 | AAA | Lc 55.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #DE9538 text on white | 2.48:1 | Fails | Lc 48.5 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #DE9538 text on black | 8.46:1 | AAA | Lc -53.5 | 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
#FBF4ED
oklch(97.1% 0.012 67.7)
-
Step 100
100
#F5E7D9
oklch(93.5% 0.024 67.5)
-
Step 200
200
#EFD4B8
oklch(88.5% 0.048 68.2)
-
Step 300
300
#E5B784
oklch(80.9% 0.085 69)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#DE9538
oklch(72.7% 0.137 68.6)
-
Step 500
500
#BF7700
oklch(63.2% 0.138 68.4)
-
Step 600
600
#A16400
oklch(55.7% 0.122 68.7)
-
Step 700
700
#875300
oklch(49% 0.107 68.7)
-
Step 800
800
#704400
oklch(42.8% 0.094 68.6)
-
Step 900
900
#5D3800
oklch(37.7% 0.082 69.1)
-
Step 950
950
#392000
oklch(27% 0.059 68.3)
#DE9538 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) | #AD9A2B | 0.083 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #BFAB3A | 0.071 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #F28382 | 0.109 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A4A4A4 | 0.137 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #DE9538
#DE9538
oklch(72.7% 0.137 68.6)
- #5BADF8
#5BADF8
oklch(72.8% 0.136 248.3)
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 #DE9538, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Earth Yellow #DDA15E ΔE 0.037
- Faded Orange #F0944D ΔE 0.037
- Gamboge #EE9B00 ΔE 0.038
- Dull Orange #D8863B ΔE 0.040
- Camel #C69F59 ΔE 0.044
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.046
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.048
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.048
Use #DE9538 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.