#EC9E00
Closest named color: Gamboge (#EE9B00). oklch(75.8% 0.161 73.8), rgb(236, 158, 0).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.45:1).
About this color
#EC9E00 is a medium-light, vivid orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.161 and its hue 74°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Gamboge (#EE9B00), ΔE 0.008 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.45:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.161) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Gamboge (#EE9B00) |
| Black text | 9.45:1 |
| White text | 2.22:1 |
Values
| HEX | #EC9E00 |
| RGB | rgb(236, 158, 0) |
| HSL | hsl(40, 100%, 46%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.8% 0.161 73.8) |
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 #EC9E00 | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc -48.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #EC9E00 | 9.45:1 | AAA | Lc 60.6 | Content text, not long reading |
| #EC9E00 text on white | 2.22:1 | Fails | Lc 43.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #EC9E00 text on black | 9.45:1 | AAA | Lc -58.8 | 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
#FBF4EC
oklch(97% 0.013 71.3)
-
Step 100
100
#F6E7D5
oklch(93.5% 0.029 72.5)
-
Step 200
200
#F0D4B1
oklch(88.4% 0.056 73.2)
-
Step 300
300
#E8B775
oklch(80.9% 0.101 73.8)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#EC9E00
oklch(75.8% 0.161 73.8)
-
Step 500
500
#B97B00
oklch(63.2% 0.134 73.9)
-
Step 600
600
#9C6700
oklch(55.7% 0.118 73.9)
-
Step 700
700
#835600
oklch(49.1% 0.104 74.1)
-
Step 800
800
#6C4600
oklch(42.7% 0.091 73.9)
-
Step 900
900
#5A3A00
oklch(37.7% 0.08 74.4)
-
Step 950
950
#372100
oklch(27% 0.057 72.9)
#EC9E00 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) | #B9A300 | 0.083 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #CCB50F | 0.073 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #FF8A87 | 0.132 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AEAEAE | 0.161 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #EC9E00
#EC9E00
oklch(75.8% 0.161 73.8)
- #75B4FF
#75B4FF
oklch(75.8% 0.127 253.6)
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 #EC9E00, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Gamboge #EE9B00 ΔE 0.008
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.031
- Squash #F2AB15 ΔE 0.033
- Orange #FFA500 ΔE 0.038
- Tangerine #FF9408 ΔE 0.038
- Mango #FFA62B ΔE 0.041
- Burnt Yellow #D5AB09 ΔE 0.047
- Dark Orange #FF8C00 ΔE 0.050
Use #EC9E00 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.