#E9A42B
Closest named color: Gamboge (#EE9B00). oklch(76.7% 0.149 75.8), rgb(233, 164, 43).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.80:1).
About this color
#E9A42B is a medium-light, vivid orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 77%, its chroma 0.149 and its hue 76°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Gamboge (#EE9B00), ΔE 0.021 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.80:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | medium-light (77%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.149) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Gamboge (#EE9B00) |
| Black text | 9.80:1 |
| White text | 2.14:1 |
Values
| HEX | #E9A42B |
| RGB | rgb(233, 164, 43) |
| HSL | hsl(38, 81%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(76.7% 0.149 75.8) |
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 #E9A42B | 2.14:1 | Fails | Lc -46.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #E9A42B | 9.80:1 | AAA | Lc 62.2 | Content text, not long reading |
| #E9A42B text on white | 2.14:1 | Fails | Lc 41.8 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #E9A42B text on black | 9.80:1 | AAA | Lc -60.5 | 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
#FDF4E7
oklch(97.1% 0.02 77.3)
-
Step 100
100
#FBE7CB
oklch(93.7% 0.043 76.4)
-
Step 200
200
#F9D29B
oklch(88.4% 0.083 75.9)
-
Step 300
300 (this color)
#E9A42B
oklch(76.7% 0.149 75.8)
-
Step 400
400
#D59100
oklch(70.7% 0.149 75.6)
-
Step 500
500
#B77C00
oklch(63.1% 0.133 75.6)
-
Step 600
600
#9A6800
oklch(55.6% 0.117 75.8)
-
Step 700
700
#825700
oklch(49.1% 0.103 75.7)
-
Step 800
800
#6B4700
oklch(42.8% 0.09 75.9)
-
Step 900
900
#593B00
oklch(37.8% 0.079 76.7)
-
Step 950
950
#362200
oklch(27% 0.057 76.3)
#E9A42B 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) | #BDA70E | 0.074 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #CDB830 | 0.063 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #FE918D | 0.127 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B1B1B1 | 0.149 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #E9A42B
#E9A42B
oklch(76.7% 0.149 75.8)
- #7FB6FF
#7FB6FF
oklch(76.7% 0.12 255.8)
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 #E9A42B, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Gamboge #EE9B00 ΔE 0.021
- Squash #F2AB15 ΔE 0.026
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.026
- Orange #FFA500 ΔE 0.037
- Mango #FFA62B ΔE 0.037
- Macaroni And Cheese #EFB435 ΔE 0.041
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.041
- Light Orange #FDAA48 ΔE 0.042
Use #E9A42B 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.