#DE9938
Closest named color: Earth Yellow (#DDA15E). oklch(73.5% 0.136 71.4), rgb(222, 153, 56).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (8.71:1).
About this color
#DE9938 is a medium-light, moderately saturated orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.136 and its hue 71°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Earth Yellow (#DDA15E), ΔE 0.033 away. Black text reads best on it, at 8.71:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.136) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Earth Yellow (#DDA15E) |
| Black text | 8.71:1 |
| White text | 2.40:1 |
Values
| HEX | #DE9938 |
| RGB | rgb(222, 153, 56) |
| HSL | hsl(35, 72%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.5% 0.136 71.4) |
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 #DE9938 | 2.40:1 | Fails | Lc -52.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #DE9938 | 8.71:1 | AAA | Lc 56.8 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #DE9938 text on white | 2.40:1 | Fails | Lc 47.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #DE9938 text on black | 8.71:1 | AAA | Lc -54.8 | 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
#FAF4ED
oklch(97% 0.011 71.9)
-
Step 100
100
#F5E8D9
oklch(93.7% 0.024 71.5)
-
Step 200
200
#EDD5B8
oklch(88.5% 0.047 72.4)
-
Step 300
300
#E4B883
oklch(81% 0.086 71.3)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#DE9938
oklch(73.5% 0.136 71.4)
-
Step 500
500
#BC7900
oklch(63.1% 0.136 71.1)
-
Step 600
600
#9E6500
oklch(55.5% 0.12 71.1)
-
Step 700
700
#855500
oklch(49.1% 0.105 71.8)
-
Step 800
800
#6E4500
oklch(42.8% 0.092 71.2)
-
Step 900
900
#5C3900
oklch(37.7% 0.081 71.3)
-
Step 950
950
#382100
oklch(27.1% 0.058 71.5)
#DE9938 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) | #B19D2A | 0.076 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C1AE3B | 0.067 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #F28885 | 0.111 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #A7A7A7 | 0.137 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #DE9938
#DE9938
oklch(73.5% 0.136 71.4)
- #63AEFC
#63AEFC
oklch(73.5% 0.136 251)
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 #DE9938, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Earth Yellow #DDA15E ΔE 0.033
- Gamboge #EE9B00 ΔE 0.033
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.037
- Faded Orange #F0944D ΔE 0.040
- Camel #C69F59 ΔE 0.043
- Yellow Ochre #CB9D06 ΔE 0.043
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.044
- Dull Orange #D8863B ΔE 0.050
Use #DE9938 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.