#F9C978
Closest named color: Saffron (#E9C46A). oklch(86.1% 0.113 79.5), rgb(249, 201, 120).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (13.65:1).
About this color
#F9C978 is a light, moderately saturated orange. In OKLCH its lightness is 86%, its chroma 0.113 and its hue 79°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Saffron (#E9C46A), ΔE 0.032 away. Black text reads best on it, at 13.65:1.
| Hue family | Oranges |
| Lightness | light (86%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.113) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Saffron (#E9C46A) |
| Black text | 13.65:1 |
| White text | 1.53:1 |
Values
| HEX | #F9C978 |
| RGB | rgb(249, 201, 120) |
| HSL | hsl(38, 91%, 72%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(86.1% 0.113 79.5) |
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 #F9C978 | 1.53:1 | Fails | Lc -28.0 | Dividers and decoration only |
| Black text on #F9C978 | 13.65:1 | AAA | Lc 79.0 | Fine for body text |
| #F9C978 text on white | 1.53:1 | Fails | Lc 24.8 | Dividers and decoration only |
| #F9C978 text on black | 13.65:1 | AAA | Lc -78.4 | Fine for body text |
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 200.
-
Step 50
50
#FDF4E7
oklch(97.1% 0.02 77.3)
-
Step 100
100
#F9E7CB
oklch(93.5% 0.042 79)
-
Step 200
200 (this color)
#F9C978
oklch(86.1% 0.113 79.5)
-
Step 300
300
#F2B440
oklch(80.8% 0.146 79.2)
-
Step 400
400
#D09400
oklch(70.7% 0.147 79.7)
-
Step 500
500
#B37E00
oklch(63% 0.131 79.1)
-
Step 600
600
#976A00
oklch(55.7% 0.116 79.3)
-
Step 700
700
#7F5900
oklch(49.2% 0.102 79.8)
-
Step 800
800
#684800
oklch(42.6% 0.088 79.5)
-
Step 900
900
#573C00
oklch(37.7% 0.078 80.1)
-
Step 950
950
#352300
oklch(27.1% 0.056 79.9)
#F9C978 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) | #DDC971 | 0.044 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #E8D57A | 0.037 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #FFBBB6 | 0.095 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #D0D0D0 | 0.113 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #F9C978
#F9C978
oklch(86.1% 0.113 79.5)
- #B7D3FF
#B7D3FF
oklch(86.1% 0.069 259.4)
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 #F9C978, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Saffron #E9C46A ΔE 0.032
- Sunglow #FFD166 ΔE 0.032
- Sand #E2CA76 ΔE 0.035
- Maximum Yellow Red #FCBF49 ΔE 0.040
- Sandy #F1DA7A ΔE 0.043
- Maize #F4D054 ΔE 0.044
- Light Mustard #F7D560 ΔE 0.044
- Light Gold #F3DE8A ΔE 0.050
Use #F9C978 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.