#EE9C09
Closest named color: Gamboge (#EE9B00). oklch(75.7% 0.161 71.6), rgb(238, 156, 9).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.39:1).
About this color
#EE9C09 is a medium-light, vivid orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 76%, its chroma 0.161 and its hue 72°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Gamboge (#EE9B00), ΔE 0.002 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.39:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | medium-light (76%) |
| Chroma | vivid (0.161) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Gamboge (#EE9B00) |
| Black text | 9.39:1 |
| White text | 2.23:1 |
Values
| HEX | #EE9C09 |
| RGB | rgb(238, 156, 9) |
| HSL | hsl(39, 93%, 48%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.7% 0.161 71.6) |
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 #EE9C09 | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc -48.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #EE9C09 | 9.39:1 | AAA | Lc 60.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #EE9C09 text on white | 2.23:1 | Fails | Lc 43.7 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #EE9C09 text on black | 9.39:1 | AAA | Lc -58.5 | 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
#FBF4EC
oklch(97% 0.013 71.3)
-
Step 100
100
#F7E7D5
oklch(93.6% 0.03 70.7)
-
Step 200
200
#F1D4B1
oklch(88.5% 0.056 72.2)
-
Step 300
300
#E9B676
oklch(80.9% 0.1 71.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#EE9C09
oklch(75.7% 0.161 71.6)
-
Step 500
500
#BB7900
oklch(63% 0.135 71.5)
-
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
#6D4500
oklch(42.6% 0.091 72)
-
Step 900
900
#5C3900
oklch(37.7% 0.081 71.3)
-
Step 950
950
#382100
oklch(27.1% 0.058 71.5)
#EE9C09 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) | #B8A200 | 0.089 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #CBB514 | 0.080 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #FF8785 | 0.129 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ADADAD | 0.161 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #EE9C09
#EE9C09
oklch(75.7% 0.161 71.6)
- #70B5FF
#70B5FF
oklch(75.8% 0.128 251.4)
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 #EE9C09, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Gamboge #EE9B00 ΔE 0.002
- Tangerine #FF9408 ΔE 0.033
- Goldenrod #DAA520 ΔE 0.036
- Squash #F2AB15 ΔE 0.037
- Orange #FFA500 ΔE 0.038
- Mango #FFA62B ΔE 0.040
- Dark Orange #FF8C00 ΔE 0.044
- Faded Orange #F0944D ΔE 0.046
Use #EE9C09 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.